The New Jersey National Guard Merit Award honors New Jersey National Guard members who achieve an impeccable record of attendance at all designated duty events throughout the training year.
The New Jersey National Guard consists of the New Jersey Army National Guard and the New Jersey Air National Guard. Numbering over 9,000 soldiers, the Army component was officially established in 1920. The Air component was established in 1930, though its roots trace back to 1917, and is based in Egg Harbor Township; it consists of the 108th Wing and the 177th Fighter Wing.
The ribbon is gray with a thin vertical yellow stripe and a thin vertical dark blue stripe toward each edge.