Air Force Distinguished Service Medal

Defense Air Force Distinguished Service Medal

Awarded by the United States Air Force
Art	medal
requirement	United States military person
Awarded for	extraordinary merits
status	Is awarded
Data
Foundation year	July 6, 1960
First awarded	November 30, 1965
Precedence
Next higher award	Air Force Cross (United States)
Comparable award in the ranking	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal
Next lower award	Silver Star

The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal is a distinguished United States award for outstanding service and was created by the United States Congress . The decoration was created for the United States Air Force as a counterpart to the Army's Army Distinguished Service Medal .

The medal is usually awarded from the rank of major general , and when retiring, sometimes also for lower ranks.

This award is part of the Pyramid of Honor like the Distinguished Service Medals of the United States Department of Defense ( Defense Distinguished Service Medal ) and those of the individual armed forces (Navy, Army, Coast Guard and Homeland Security), but under the Cross of Merit ( Distinguished Service Cross , Navy Cross and Air Force Cross ).

The Silver Star ranks one level below the Air Force Service Medal .

Individual evidence