If there is someone in your life who is in the service or who served in the military once in his or her life, you might be looking for a good way to honor him or her. You can actually purchase military plaques that have been customized to feature your loved one's information, and you should know that these military plaques are often very beautiful and are often very well-loved by the people who receive them. These are a few situations in which a military plaque might be a great gift.

1. Promotions

Has your loved one -- who is in the service -- recently gotten promoted to a higher rank? If so, it's a cause for celebration. Not only does it mean that your loved one now may have different duties and responsibilities and a higher pay grade, but it also means that he or she has worked really hard and proven himself or herself. A nice new military plaque that lists your loved one's achievements and new rank is sure to make a great promotion gift.

2. Retirement

Although your loved one might be happy about the idea of retiring from the service, he or she might be feeling a bit sentimental about all of the things that he or she has been through and achieved while serving. Giving a nice personalized military plaque at his or her retirement party or otherwise to signify this milestone is sure to be a wonderful and much-appreciated gift. Plus, it gives you a great chance to commend your loved one for all that he or she has achieved while serving in the military.

3. Patriotic Holidays

Although you certainly aren't expected to, giving your loved one a gift that is a token of appreciation on a patriotic holiday like Veterans Day or the 4th of July can be a wonderful step to take. Military plaques don't cost much -- and you can keep prices down by choosing a slightly smaller and simpler plaque -- but they are great for showing off your loved one's accomplishments and giving a token of your appreciation on a holiday that should be used to celebrate the nation's military.

Military plaques come in different styles and can often be fully-customized with your loved one's name, rank and other important information. These plaques from companies like The Trophy Case make wonderful gifts for all sorts of occasions, but these are three situations in which you may want to give one of these gifts to a service member who you love.