Defense Distinguished Service Medal

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Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded by the United States Department of Defense
Art medal
requirement United States military person
Awarded for extraordinary fulfillment of duties for national security
status Is awarded
Data
Foundation year 1970
First awarded July 9, 1970
Precedence
Next higher award Merit Cross of the Armed Forces
Next lower award Silver Star
Ribbon buckle badge

The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is the highest honor in the United States in peacetime and is awarded by the United States Department of Defense for the extraordinary performance of national security . It was donated on July 9, 1970 by President Richard Nixon .

This decoration is located in the Pyramid of Honor like the Distinguished Service Medals of the individual armed forces ( Army Distinguished Service Medal , Navy Distinguished Service Medal , Air Force Distinguished Service Medal , Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal and Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal ), but under the Merit Cross ( US Army Distinguished Service Cross , Navy Cross and Air Force Cross ). The Silver Star ranks one level below the Distinguished Service Medals .

As with most American military medals, multiple awards are possible, for example General Colin Powell , General John M. Shalikashvili , General Henry H. Shelton , General Richard B. Myers , General Peter Pace and Admiral Michael G. Mullen received this award four times . Recurring awards are marked with an oak leaf .

The Defense Superior Service Medal , introduced on February 6, 1976, has a similar design, but has a silver instead of gold color.

layout

The medal is in gold. Behind a bald eagle with three arrows in its fangs and a shield of the United States on its chest, the Pentagon is stylized. The representation is framed with a circle of 13 stars in the upper area and with laurel branches below. There are five gold rays above the stars. The letters For Distinguished Service and From The Secretary of Defense To can be found in block letters on the lapel .

literature

  • Department of Defense (Ed.): Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: General Information, Medal of Honor, and Defense / Joint Decorations and Awards . 1348.33, Volume 1, 2010, pp. 37–39 ( Online ( PDF , 1 MB)).

Web links

Commons : Defense Distinguished Service Medal  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Air Force Personnel Center Defense Distinguished Service Medal ( Memento of the original dated June 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.afpc.af.mil