Title 14Coast GuardRelease 119-73

§2736 Distinguished service medal

Title 14 › Subtitle SUBTITLE II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 27— - PAY, ALLOWANCES, AWARDS, AND OTHER RIGHTS AND BENEFITS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - AWARDS › § 2736

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President may present a distinguished service medal with ribbon/rosette, not on Congress's behalf, to any Coast Guard member for exceptionally meritorious Government service in high‑responsibility duty.

Full Legal Text

Title 14, §2736

Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The President may present, but not in the name of Congress, a distinguished service medal of appropriate design, with accompanying ribbon, together with a rosette or other device, to be worn in lieu thereof, to any individual who, while serving in any capacity with the Coast Guard, performs exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

This section is new insofar as application to Coast Guard personnel in time of peace is concerned. Such awards can be made to members of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is operating with the Navy. The language is parallel to that found in title 34, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 355, providing for awards to personnel of the Navy. 81st Congress,

House Report No. 557

.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “individual” for “person” and “performs” for “distinguishes himself by”. 2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 492 of this title as this section.

Executive Documents

Ex. Ord. No. 12824. Establishing the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Ex. Ord. No. 12824, Dec. 7, 1992, 57 F.R. 58121, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 13286, § 29, Feb. 28, 2003, 68 F.R. 10625; Ex. Ord. No. 13569, § 1, Apr. 5, 2011, 76 F.R. 19891, provided: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, it is ordered as follows: section 1. There is hereby established a Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances, for award by the Secretary of Homeland Security to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has provided exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility while assigned in the Department of Homeland Security, or in other activities under the responsibility of the Secretary of Homeland Security, either national or international, as may be assigned by the Secretary. Sec. 2. The Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal and appurtenances thereto shall be of appropriate design approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security and shall be awarded under such

Regulations

as the Secretary shall prescribe. These

Regulations

shall place the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal in an order of precedence immediately before the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal. Sec. 3. No more than one Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal shall be awarded to any one person, but for each succeeding exceptionally meritorious period of service justifying such an award, a suitable device may be awarded to be worn with that Medal as prescribed by appropriate

Regulations

of the Department of Homeland Security. Sec. 4. The Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal or device may be awarded posthumously and, when so awarded, may be presented to such representative of the deceased as may be deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

14 U.S.C. § 2736

Title 14Coast Guard

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73