Award for Heroism

Award for Heroism
TypeMedal
Awarded for"Acts of courage or outstanding performance under unusually difficult or dangerous circumstances"
Presented byUnited States Department of State
EligibilityForeign Service, Civil Service, US Military
StatusCurrently awarded
Ribbon
Precedence
Next (higher)Secretary’s Award
Next (lower)Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service
Award for Valor (obsolete)

The Award for Heroism is an award of the United States Department of State. It is presented to employees of State, USAID and Marine guards assigned to diplomatic and consular facilities in recognition of acts of courage or outstanding performance under unusually difficult or dangerous circumstances, whether or not in connection with the performance of assigned duties.[1]

The award consists of a silver medal set and a certificate signed by an assistant secretary, an official of equivalent rank or the Chief of Mission. Due to the location and dangerous nature of their work, the majority of the recipients have been Foreign Service Special Agents of the Diplomatic Security Service.

The Award for Heroism is a replacement for the former Award for Valor. The basic difference between the two medals is that the Valor Award was issued in 10K gold whereas the Heroism Award is issued in sterling silver. The ribbon reflects this; the designs are almost identical, but the color scheme indicates the precious metal issued with the respective awards.

  1. ^ "3 FAM 4824 Award For Heroism". US Department of State. January 31, 2003. Retrieved December 16, 2015.