Established in 1950, the Hawaii National Guard Distinguished Service Medal honors Hawaii National Guard members who carry out exceptional service to Hawaii on behalf of the United States of the National Guard. Civilians as well as military personnel are eligible for the award.
Composed of the Hawaii Army National Guard and Hawaii Air National Guard, the Hawaii National Guard has seen incarnations as a nineteenth-century militia and the Hawaii Territorial Guard before establishment in its current form in 1942. The Army and Air components are both headquartered in Honolulu; the latter was officially recognized by the federal government on November 4, 1946.
The ribbon is green with three thin dashed vertical white lines toward each edge.