Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service

E90222
United States Department of Defense award civilian award

The Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service is the highest honorary award presented by the U.S. Secretary of Defense to private citizens, politicians, and other non-career federal employees for exceptionally distinguished service that substantially contributes to the Department of Defense’s mission.

Observed surface forms (3)

Surface form Occurrences
Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award (lesser grades and other public service medals) 1
DoD Medal for Distinguished Public Service 1
Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States Department of Defense award ⓘ
civilian award ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service ⓘ
surface form: DoD Medal for Distinguished Public Service

Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service ⓘ
surface form: Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service
awardedForTo individuals whose contributions have broad impact on Department of Defense policy or operations ⓘ
awardedTo individual persons only ⓘ
awardFor exceptionally distinguished service ⓘ
service that substantially contributes to the mission of the Department of Defense ⓘ
awardingBody Department of Defense ⓘ
surface form: United States Department of Defense
confersTitle recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service ⓘ
country United States of America ⓘ
surface form: United States
domain public service ⓘ
eligibility non‑career federal employees ⓘ
politicians ⓘ
private citizens ⓘ
higherAward None (highest DoD public service decoration) ⓘ
inception 1957 ⓘ
isMilitaryDecoration false ⓘ
jurisdiction United States government ⓘ
surface form: federal government of the United States
lowerAward Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award (lesser grades and other public service medals)
nonMilitary true ⓘ
notableRecipient Ashton Carter ⓘ
Carl Levin ⓘ
Chuck Hagel ⓘ
Dick Cheney ⓘ
Donald Rumsfeld ⓘ
George H. W. Bush ⓘ
Henry A. Kissinger ⓘ
surface form: Henry Kissinger

James R. Schlesinger ⓘ
surface form: James Schlesinger

John McCain ⓘ
John Warner ⓘ
Leon E. Panetta ⓘ
surface form: Leon Panetta

Robert M. Gates ⓘ
surface form: Robert Gates

Sam Nunn ⓘ
William Cohen ⓘ
William Perry ⓘ
presentedAt Pentagon ⓘ
presentedBy United States Secretary of Defense ⓘ
relatedAward Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service ⓘ
Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award ⓘ
relativeRank highest honorary award of the U.S. Department of Defense for non‑career federal employees and private citizens ⓘ
requires sustained or extraordinary contributions rather than routine performance of duties ⓘ
ribbonColor predominantly blue and white ribbon (design may vary by issue) ⓘ
scopeOfContribution service with significant impact on national defense and security policy ⓘ
sector defense ⓘ
selectionAuthority United States Secretary of Defense ⓘ
surface form: Secretary of Defense
status currently awarded ⓘ
type decoration ⓘ

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service → alsoKnownAs → Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service ⓘ
this entity surface form: DoD Medal for Distinguished Public Service
Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service → alsoKnownAs → Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service ⓘ
this entity surface form: Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service
Donald Rumsfeld → awardReceived → Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service ⓘ
Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service → lowerAward → Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award (lesser grades and other public service medals)