TAVISTOCK army officer Colonel David Farrant recently received the Accumulated Campaign Service medal at a ceremony in Wiltshire.
Colonel Farrant, who was educated at Kelly College, spent 40 years in the regular Army before retiring to live in Tavistock in 1996.
His last two postings were as Defence Attaché in Brazil and then Guatemala.
The medal was presented by General Sir Michael Wilkes, President of the Army Cadet Force Association, and was gained for service with frontline and operational service troops in various areas of conflict during recent years.
The colonel is now completing his third year as county commandant of the Somerset Cadet Battalion of the Light Infantry.
It was at their two week annual camp in Wiltshire that the medal presentation took place.
Colonel Farrant said the medal rounded off his full-time Army career and he was especially pleased to receive it while being the commandant of the Somerset Army cadet force.
He said: 'I am extremely proud to have such an association with the Army's youth movement, which really focuses on bringing out the very best in our young boys and girls.
'Both Devon and Somerset have large and flourishing Army cadet force units with an excellent reputation nationwide.'