Established by the Adjutant General of the State of West Virginia through the promulgation of West Virginia Permanent Order Number 6 issued on 15 October 1990, the West Virginia State Service Ribbon (WVSSR) is presented to all members of the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) who are ordered to any period of active service according to West Virginia Code, Article 1D, Chapter 5.
As indicated by its designation, the WVSSR is issued only in ribbon format. It is divided into equal parts of yellow and blue, with the ribbon worn so the yellow is to the wearer’s right.
Like in many states, the WVNG was called into active service by Governor Jim Justice in March 2020 to assist in the public-health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WVNG members who have been awarded the WVSSR wear a bronze oak leaf cluster to denote each time they are subsequently called into active service, with a silver oak leaf cluster worn in place of five bronze oak leaf clusters.