Army Distinguished Service Medal

Army Distinguished Service Medal
Name	Army Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded by	United States Department of the Army
Type	Medal
Eligibility	United States Army soldiers and service members of other U.S. armed services and allied nations
For	Exceptionally meritorious service to the United States government in a duty of great responsibility
Status	Currently awarded
First award	1918
Higher	Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Army: Medal of Honor, Navy: Medal of Honor, Air Force: Medal of Honor, Coast Guard: Medal of Honor, Department of Defense: Medal of Honor
Same	Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
Lower	Silver Star

Army Distinguished Service Medal. It is the highest non-valorous military decoration presented by the United States Army for exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. The award is intended for senior officers, typically at the general officer or flag officer rank, whose contributions have been of national significance. It ranks just below the Medal of Honor in the Army's order of precedence and is equivalent to the distinguished service medals awarded by the United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Coast Guard.

History

The medal was established by an act of United States Congress on January 2, 1918, during World War I, and was announced via War Department General Order No. 6 dated January 12, 1918. The creation was influenced by the need to recognize high-level staff and command contributions that did not necessarily involve direct combat heroics, filling a gap between the Medal of Honor and the Silver Star. The first recipient was General of the Armies John J. Pershing for his leadership of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front (World War I). Subsequent conflicts, including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Global War on Terrorism, have seen the award presented to commanders of major formations and key staff officers for planning and execution of large-scale operations.

Criteria

The award criteria, as outlined in Army Regulation 600-8-22, specify that the medal is awarded for exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility to the United States Government. Performance must be such as to merit recognition for service that is clearly exceptional, often involving the successful command of a major military operation, a critical staff role in the Pentagon or a Unified Combatant Command, or a significant diplomatic-military assignment. While not exclusively a wartime award, the majority of presentations are associated with periods of conflict or national emergency. The award can be conferred upon members of the U.S. Armed Forces and, in rare cases, to allied foreign military personnel serving with or alongside the United States Army.

Description

The medal is a gold-colored cross, enameled in blue, with a central disc featuring the Great Seal of the United States surrounded by a blue band inscribed "FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE M.C.M.XVIII". The reverse is plain for engraving the recipient's name. The ribbon is crimson with a central stripe of dark blue, flanked by thinner stripes of white and blue. A bronze oak leaf cluster is worn on the ribbon to denote subsequent awards. The design was created by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry and manufactured by the United States Mint.

Recipients

Recipients are typically senior officers, including Generals, Lieutenant Generals, and Major Generals, who have served as commanders of Army Service Component Commands, Corps, or Divisions, or in high-level staff positions such as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The award has also been bestowed posthumously and upon a limited number of distinguished civilians, such as the Secretary of War and influential Allied leaders like Sir Winston Churchill.

Notable recipients

Notable recipients span the history of modern American warfare and include figures such as Douglas MacArthur for his leadership in the Pacific War and Korean War, George S. Patton for his command of the Third United States Army in Europe, and Dwight D. Eisenhower for his role as Supreme Allied Commander during the Allied invasion of Normandy. More recent recipients include generals such as Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. of Gulf War fame, Colin Powell for his service as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and David Petraeus for his command of Multi-National Force – Iraq and later the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Order of precedence

In the United States Army's order of precedence for awards and decorations, it is placed below the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the various service-specific versions of the Medal of Honor. It is considered equivalent to, and worn alongside, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal. It is positioned directly above the Silver Star in the hierarchy. When multiple awards of the medal are held, they are denoted by oak leaf clusters, with a silver oak leaf cluster representing five bronze clusters.

Category:United States Army awards and decorations Category:Military awards and decorations of the United States Category:Awards established in 1918