What medals can be given to civilians?

The highest awards that a civilian can receive are the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Since the American Revolution, the US Congress has awarded gold medals to recognize distinguished achievements.

How do you get the Defense Distinguished Service Medal?

It is awarded to high ranking military officers (generals or admirals), who perform exceptionally meritorious service in a degree of great responsibility with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Special or outstanding command in a defense agency or for any other joint activities …

What is the highest honor a civilian can receive?

Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the highest civilian awards of the United States. The award is not limited to U.S. citizens and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform.

Can a civilian get an Army Achievement Medal?

Criteria: The Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service is given by any commander (Lieutenant Colonel and above or civilian equivalent) to Army civilian employees for remarkable achievements of a lesser degree than those recognized by the Commander’s Award. This award is comparable to the Army Achievement Medal.

Can a civilian be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor?

There are eight civilians who have received the Medal of Honor. The civilian recipients were all from the Civil War era, including the only woman to receive the medal, Mary Edwards Walker, a surgeon for the Union Army during the Civil War.

Do CIA officers get medals?

The Distinguished Intelligence Cross is the highest decoration awarded by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It is the agency’s equivalent of the military’s Medal of Honor or Service Cross, i.e., Navy Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross.

Who gets a Distinguished Service Medal?

This decoration, established by Congress on July 6, 1960, is awarded to members of the United States Air Force who distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility, in combat or otherwise.

What does the Distinguished Service Medal look like?

Description. The Coat of Arms of the United States in Gold surrounded by a circle of Dark Blue enamel, 1 ½ inches in diameter, bearing the inscription “FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MCMXVIII”. On the reverse is a scroll for the name of the recipient (which is to be engraved) upon a trophy of flags and weapons.

What award is the highest US civilian honor?

The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the highest civilian awards of the United States. The award is not limited to U.S. citizens and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform. It was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, superseding the Medal of Freedom that was established by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 to honor civilian service during World War II

What medal is the highest military award for bravery?

The most prestigious of all U.S. military decorations, the Medal of Honor (sometimes informally called the “Congressional Medal of Honor”) is the highest medal any U.S. service member can receive.

Can the Medal of Honor be awarded to a civilian?

Civilian Award Medal of Honor. Alternative Views: The Civilian Award is awarded to a Civilian who, at great personal risk, was instrumental in rescuing or saving another person or was instrumental in their community. This medal is affixed to a neck style ribbon and placed into a presentation case.

What is civilian service Achievement Medal?

Achievement Medal for Civilian Service. The Department of the Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service is awarded for noteworthy achievements that are of a lesser degree than those recognized by the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service. It was approved by the Army Chief of Staff, on 24 August 1987.