The California National Guard Service Medal Ribbon honors California National Guard members who carry out ten years of service. After the initial award, it is administered at intervals of five years.
At nearly 23,000 members, the California National Guard is the largest in the country; it is made up of the California Army National Guard and California Air National Guard. The Army component dates back to the 1849 founding of a state militia, then called the First California Guard; the Air component, based in Sacramento, traces its roots back to August of 1917 when the 115th Aero Squadron was formed to support the United States’ efforts in World War I.
The medal features an image of a bear adapted from the state flag and text reading “FOR SERVICE.” The ribbon is dark blue with a thick central vertical orange stripe; a thin orange stripe appears toward the center on each side.