The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense , which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to the national security or defense of the United States. The medal was created on July 9, 1970, by President Richard Nixon in Executive Order 11545 . President Nixon awarded the first medal, on the day the Executive Order was signed, to General Earle Wheeler , who was retiring from the US Army after serving as Chief of Staff of the United States Army and then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff .
22-548: The Distinguished Service Medal ( DSM ) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service that is clearly exceptional. The exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration. The Army's Distinguished Service Medal
44-556: A narrower range of positions than in time of war and requires evidence of a conspicuously significant achievement. However, justification of the award may accrue by virtue of exceptionally meritorious service in a succession of high positions of great importance. Awards may be made to persons other than members of the Armed Forces of the United States for wartime services only, and only then under exceptional circumstances with
66-405: Is a shield of the United States. The pentagon and eagle are enclosed within a gold pieced circle consisting, in the upper half of 13 five-pointed stars and in the lower half, a wreath of laurel on the left and olive on the right. At the top is a suspender of five graduated gold rays. The reverse of the medal has the inscription " For Distinguished Service " at the top in raised letters, and within
88-586: Is equivalent to the United States Department of Homeland Security 's Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal . The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is the United States Department of Defense's highest non-combat related military award and it is the highest joint service decoration. The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is awarded only while assigned to a joint activity. Normally, such responsibilities deserving of
110-738: Is equivalent to the Naval Service's Navy Distinguished Service Medal , Air and Space Forces' Distinguished Service Medal , and the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal . Prior to the creation of the Air Force's Distinguished Service Medal in 1960, United States Air Force airmen were awarded the Army's Distinguished Service Medal. The Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to any person - effectively, general officers - who, while serving in any capacity with
132-500: The Deputy Secretary of Defense , and other senior government officials. In addition, the medal may also be awarded to other service members whose direct and individual contributions to national security or national defense are recognized as being so exceptional in scope and value as to be equivalent to contributions normally associated with positions encompassing broader responsibilities. This decoration takes precedence over
154-495: The My Lai massacre Notable American and foreign recipients include: Note – includes Army Air Service, Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces Major General Franklin L McKean - https://ocsalumni.org/at_biz_dir/franklin-l-mckean/ Awards and decorations of the United States military Various medals, service ribbons , ribbon devices , and specific badges recognize military service and personal accomplishments of members of
176-3308: The U.S. Armed Forces . Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career. The precedence of particular awards will vary slightly among the different branches of service. All awards and decorations may be awarded to any service member unless otherwise designated by name or notation. [REDACTED] Medal of Honor [REDACTED] Distinguished Service Cross (Army) [REDACTED] Navy Cross [REDACTED] Air Force Cross [REDACTED] Coast Guard Cross [REDACTED] Defense Distinguished Service Medal [REDACTED] Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal [REDACTED] Navy Distinguished Service Medal [REDACTED] Distinguished Service Medal (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED] Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal [REDACTED] Silver Star Medal [REDACTED] Defense Superior Service Medal [REDACTED] Distinguished Flying Cross [REDACTED] Soldier's Medal [REDACTED] Navy and Marine Corps Medal [REDACTED] Airman's Medal [REDACTED] Coast Guard Medal [REDACTED] Bronze Star Medal [REDACTED] Purple Heart [REDACTED] Defense Meritorious Service Medal [REDACTED] Joint Service Commendation Medal [REDACTED] Army Commendation Medal [REDACTED] Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal [REDACTED] Air and Space Commendation Medal [REDACTED] Coast Guard Commendation Medal [REDACTED] Joint Service Achievement Medal [REDACTED] Army Achievement Medal [REDACTED] Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal [REDACTED] Air and Space Achievement Medal [REDACTED] Coast Guard Achievement Medal [REDACTED] Navy Combat Action Ribbon [REDACTED] Combat Action Medal (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED] Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon Also see: Army combat badges [REDACTED] Presidential Unit Citation (Army) [REDACTED] Presidential Unit Citation (Navy and Marine Corps) [REDACTED] Presidential Unit Citation (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED] Presidential Unit Citation (Coast Guard) [REDACTED] DHS Outstanding Unit Award [REDACTED] Valorous Unit Award (Army) [REDACTED] Navy Unit Commendation [REDACTED] Gallant Unit Citation (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED] Coast Guard Unit Commendation [REDACTED] Army Meritorious Unit Commendation [REDACTED] Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation [REDACTED] Meritorious Unit Award (Air and Space Forces) [REDACTED] Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Defense Distinguished Service Medal It
198-740: The Army Douglas MacArthur and Dwight Eisenhower are tied with five awards each received of the Army Distinguished Service Medal. They also each received one award of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, for a total of six DSMs each. General Lucius D. Clay (Four Star) received three Army DSM awards for his service that included Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces (European Theater) and Military Governor of Germany. During his tenure, Gen. Clay solved his greatest challenge:
220-731: The Army DSM and five awards of the Defense DSM for a total of nine DSMs. Among notable recipients below flag rank are: X-1 test pilot Chuck Yeager and X-15 test pilot Robert M. White , who both received the DSM as U.S. Air Force majors; director Frank Capra , decorated in 1945 as an army colonel; actor James Stewart , decorated in 1945 as an Army Air Forces colonel (later Air Force Brigadier General); Colonel Wendell Fertig , who led Filipino guerrillas behind Japanese lines; Colonel (later Major General) John K. Singlaub , who led partisan forces in
242-515: The Army Distinguished Service Medal is principally awarded to general officers, a list of notable recipients would include nearly every general, and some admirals, since 1918, many of whom received multiple awards, as well as a few civilians and sergeants major prominent for their contributions to national defense. General Martin Dempsey , former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , holds
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#1732772289077264-788: The Defense Distinguished Service Medal are held by the most senior officers such as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , the chiefs and vice chiefs of the military services, and commanders and deputy commanders of the Combatant Commands , the Director of the Joint Staff , and others whose duties bring them frequently into direct contact with the Secretary of Defense ,
286-546: The Department of the Army stopped publishing awards of the DSM in Department of the Army General Orders, over 2,800 further awards were made. Prior to World War II the DSM was the only decoration for non-combat service in the U.S. Army. As a result, before World War II the DSM was awarded to a wider range of recipients than during and after World War II. During World War I awards of the DSM to officers below
308-546: The Distinguished Service Medals of the services and is not to be awarded to any individual for a period of service for which an Army , Navy , Air Force or Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal is awarded. The medal is gold in color and on the obverse it features a medium blue enameled pentagon (point up). Superimposed on this is an American bald eagle with wings outspread facing left grasping three crossed arrows in its talons and on its breast
330-530: The Korean War; and Major Maude C. Davison , who led the " Angels of Bataan and Corregidor" during their imprisonment by the Japanese, and Colonel William S. Taylor, Program Manager Multiple Launch Rocket System. Among notable civilian recipients are Harry L. Hopkins , Robert S. McNamara and Henry L. Stimson . Samuel W. Koster received a DSM, but this was rescinded due to his involvement in covering up
352-543: The President to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the Army shall hereafter distinguish himself or herself, or who, since 04-06-1917, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility in time of war or in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States." The Act of Congress on July 9, 1918, recognized
374-813: The Soviet Blockade of Berlin, which was imposed in June 1948. Gen. Clay triggered the Berlin Airlift, which served the city residents during the harsh winter of 1948–1949. He is also a recipient of the Legion of Merit. General Norman Schwarzkopf received two awards of the Army DSM and one award each of the Defense DSM, Navy DSM, the Air Force DSM and the Coast Guard DSM, for a total of six DSMs. General Lloyd Austin received four awards of
396-491: The United States Army, has distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service which is clearly exceptional. Exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration. For service not related to actual war, the term "duty of a great responsibility" applies to
418-405: The express approval of the president in each case. The Distinguished Service Medal was authorized by Presidential Order dated January 2, 1918, and confirmed by Congress on July 9, 1918. It was announced by War Department General Order No. 6, 1918-01-12, with the following information concerning the medal: "A bronze medal of appropriate design and a ribbon to be worn in lieu thereof, to be awarded by
440-523: The need for different types and degrees of heroism and meritorious service and included such provisions for award criteria. The current statutory authorization for the Distinguished Service Medal is Title 10 , United States Code , Section 3743. More than 2,000 awards were made during World War I, and by the time the United States entered World War II, approximately 2,800 awards had been made. From July 1, 1941, to June 6, 1969, when
462-574: The rank of brigadier general were fairly common but became rare once the Legion of Merit was established in 1942. Until the first award of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal in 1965, United States Air Force personnel received this award as well, as was the case with several other Department of the Army decorations until the Department of the Air Force fully established its own system of decorations. Because
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#1732772289077484-587: The record for receiving the greatest number of awards of the Army Distinguished Service Medal, at six. He also received three awards of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal as well as one award each of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal , the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal , and the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal , for a total of twelve Distinguished Service Medals. Generals of
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