what does ms stand for in coin grading
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title: Meritorious Service Medal (United States) text: by exception. In the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, the awarding authority for the MSM must be either a flag officer or general officer holding the pay grade of O-7 or above. It is most common for Navy and Coast Guard master chief petty officers (typically command master chief petty officers) and Marine Corps master gunnery sergeants and sergeants major to receive the MSM as an end-of-tour award upon retirement. Foreign military personnel in the ranks of NATO OF-5 (US O-6 equivalent) and below and individuals who have displayed a level of service that warrants an award of such title: Meritorious Service Medal (United States) text: Force, recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) are typically field grade officers in pay grades O-4 through O-6 (major, lieutenant colonel, colonel), senior U.S. Army chief warrant officers in pay grades W-3 through W-5 (CW3 to CW5), and senior non-commissioned officers (E-7 to E-9) in both the Army and the Air Force. Award of the MSM may be for meritorious performance while serving in a staff position as a field grade officer, senior chief warrant officer, or senior non-commissioned officer, or, in the case of field grade officers, for successful completion of a command tour at the battalion (Army) title: Meritorious Service Medal (United States) text: or squadron (Army or Air Force) level. Award of the MSM to company grade officers in pay grades O-1 through O-3 (second lieutenant, first lieutenant, captain), junior warrant officers and chief warrant officers in pay grades W-1 and W-2 (WO1 and CW2, Army only), and junior NCOs in pay grades E-6 and below is rare and typically by exception. The U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard ascribe to a slightly different philosophy from the Army and the Air Force in awarding the MSM, typically reserving it for senior Navy and Coast Guard officers in pay grades O-5 title: Meritorious Service Medal (United States) text: handful of O-4–level commanding officer assignments (e.g., Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship) or serving on a USN or USCG flag officer staff or USMC general officer staff. Enlisted award of the MSM in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard is likewise typically limited to pay grades E-8 (e.g., USN/USCG senior chief petty officer and USMC master sergeant or first sergeant) and E-9 (e.g., USN/USCG master chief petty officer and USMC sergeant major or master gunnery sergeant), while award of the MSM to pay grade E-7 (e.g., USN/USCG chief petty officer and USMC gunnery sergeant) and below is very rare and title: Meritorious Service Medal (United States) text: and O-6 (commander and captain) and Marine Corps field grade officers in pay grades O-5 and O-6 (lieutenant colonel and colonel), with the first award of the MSM typically occurring after completion of a successful commanding officer assignment at the O-5 level. Award of the MSM to USN, USMC, and USCG officers in pay grade O-4 (USN & USCG lieutenant commander / USMC major) and below, to include chief warrant officers and below (other than as an award at retirement to CWO5 and CWO4) is typically by exception and normally limited to those who have held one of the service's