Awards and decorations of the Public Health Service

The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC), one of the eight uniformed services of the United States, has the authority to issue various awards, commendations, and other insignia to its members. These include individual honor awards, unit honor awards, service awards, training ribbons, special skill badges, and identification badges. The following PHSCC awards are listed in the service's order of precedence:^[1]^[2]^[3]

Personal awards and decorations

	Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal – worn after the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and before the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal
	Public Health Service Meritorious Service Medal – worn after the Purple Heart and before the Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Assistant Secretary for Health's Exceptional Service Medal – awarded at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary for Health, worn after the Meritorious Service Medal and before the Surgeon General's Medallion
	Surgeon General's Medallion – worn after the Assistant Secretary for Health's Exceptional Service Medal and before the Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal
	Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal – worn after the Surgeon General's Medallion and before the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal
	Public Health Service Outstanding Service Medal – worn after the Air Medal and before the NOAA Administrator's Award
	Public Health Service Commendation Medal – worn after the Aerial Achievement Medal and before the Joint Service Commendation Medal
	Public Health Service Achievement Medal – worn after the Department of Transportation Superior Achievement Medal and before the Achievement Medal of other uniformed services
	Public Health Service Citation Medal – worn after the NOAA Corps Achievement Medal and before the Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon

Unit awards

	Public Health Service Presidential Unit Citation – the highest unit decoration of the Public Health Service.
	Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation – the second highest unit decoration of the Public Health Service.
	Public Health Service Unit Commendation – the third highest unit decoration of the Public Health Service.

Service and campaign awards

	Public Health Service Smallpox Eradication Campaign Ribbon
	Public Health Service Global Health Campaign Medal
	Public Health Service Ebola Campaign Medal
	Public Health Service COVID-19 Pandemic Campaign Medal
	Public Health Service Hazardous Duty Award
	Public Health Service Foreign Duty Award
	Public Health Service Special Assignment Award
	Public Health Service Isolated/Hardship Award
	Public Health Service Crisis Response Service Award
	Public Health Service Global Response Service Award
	Public Health Service Response Service Award
	Public Health Service National Emergency Preparedness Award
	Public Health Service Recruitment Service Award ^[4]
	Public Health Service Global Health Initiative Service Medal
	Public Health Service Bicentennial Unit Commendation Award
	Public Health Service Regular Corps Ribbon
	Commissioned Corps Training Ribbon

Association and organization awards

The following awards are awarded by various associations and organizations related the PHS mission and may be worn on the uniform (in order of precedence shown) when attending a function of that association:^[5]

	Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service (COA)^[6]
	Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS)
	Reserve Officers Association (ROA)

Attachments worn on ribbons

	Bronze letter "V" device worn on the Distinguished Service, Meritorious Service, and the Outstanding Service Medals to indicate an award for valor.
	5/16th inch gold stars are worn on the Distinguished Service, Meritorious Service, Surgeon General's Exemplary Service, Outstanding Service, Commendation, Achievement, and PHS Citation Medals to indicate subsequent awards.
	In lieu of five gold 5/16th inch stars, a silver 5/16th inch star is worn.
	3/16th inch service stars in bronze are worn on campaign, unit, and service awards to indicate subsequent awards. In lieu of five bronze stars, a silver star is worn.
	A gold frame is placed around the Presidential Unit Citation to indicate a second award.^[7]
	The Expeditionary Attachment is worn centered on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar.^[8]

Badges and insignia

Assistant Secretary for Health

Surgeon General Badge

Deputy Surgeon General Badge

Officer-in-Charge Badge

Chief Professional Officer Badge

Recruiter Badge

Associate Recruiter Badge

Music Ensemble Badge

HHS Identification Badge

Commissioned Corps officers may wear two authorized special skills badges and two breast or identification badges on the Corps uniform. Badges of the USPHS take precedence over badges earned in other uniformed services.^[3]^[9]^[10]

Assistant Secretary for Health / Principal Deputy Secretary for Health Officer-In-Charge Badge (ASHOIC)
Surgeon General Badge (SG)
Deputy Surgeon General Badge (DSG)
Officer-in-Charge Badge (OIC)
Chief Professional Officer Badge (CPO)
Field Medical Readiness Badge (FMRB) ^[11]
Recruiter Badge^[4]
Associate Recruiter (AR) Badge^[4]
Public Health Service Music Ensemble Badge
Department of Health and Human Services Identification (HHS ID) Badge
Other badges and insignia issued by other uniformed services

References

^ "CCI 512.01 Wear of Awards and Badges" (PDF). United States Department of Health and Human Services. Program Support Center. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
^ "USPHS Commissioned Corps Management Information System, Awards Information, Types of Recognition & Awards Criteria". Commissioned Corps Management Information System. United States Public Health Service. Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
^ ^a ^b U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Decorations & Insignias USPHS, dated 20 May 2015, last accessed 27 August 2016
^ ^a ^b ^c "PHS NO. 382, Implementation of an Associate Recruiter Lead Badge (ARLB) and PHS Recruitment Service Ribbon (RSR)" (PDF). Commissioned Corps Management Information System. United States Public Health Service. 4 March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
^ PHS Commissioned Corps Awards CCPM Pamphlet No. 67 Archived September 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, dated April 1998, last accessed 30 March 2013
^ "Who We Are". Commissioned Officers Association. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
^ "COMMISSIONED CORPS INSTRUCTION 511.01" (PDF). Commissioned Corps Issuance System (CCIS). US Department of Health and Human Services. 19 January 2021. p. 7. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
^ "Commissioned Corps Instruction 511.01" (PDF). US Department of Health and Human Services. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
^ "PPM 08-019 Wear of Skill and Breast Badges" (PDF). dcp.psc.gov/. United States Public Health Service. 28 August 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
^ Public Health Service Music Ensemble Badge, United States Army Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 23 August 2020
^ "CCI 511.02 Field Medical Readiness Badge" (PDF). ccrf.hhs.gov/ccrf. United States Public Health Service. 26 July 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 5 August 2012.

External links

[CC26.3.3-1] "CCI 512.01 Wear of Awards and Badges" (PDF). United States Department of Health and Human Services. Program Support Center. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-02-08.

[2] "USPHS Commissioned Corps Management Information System, Awards Information, Types of Recognition & Awards Criteria". Commissioned Corps Management Information System. United States Public Health Service. Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 5 August 2012.

[USPHS_Awards_Poster-3] U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Decorations & Insignias USPHS, dated 20 May 2015, last accessed 27 August 2016

[PHS_NO_382-4] "PHS NO. 382, Implementation of an Associate Recruiter Lead Badge (ARLB) and PHS Recruitment Service Ribbon (RSR)" (PDF). Commissioned Corps Management Information System. United States Public Health Service. 4 March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 5 August 2012.

[5] PHS Commissioned Corps Awards CCPM Pamphlet No. 67 Archived September 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, dated April 1998, last accessed 30 March 2013

[6] "Who We Are". Commissioned Officers Association. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-04-06.

[7] "COMMISSIONED CORPS INSTRUCTION 511.01" (PDF). Commissioned Corps Issuance System (CCIS). US Department of Health and Human Services. 19 January 2021. p. 7. Retrieved 22 April 2021.

[8] "Commissioned Corps Instruction 511.01" (PDF). US Department of Health and Human Services. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.

[9] "PPM 08-019 Wear of Skill and Breast Badges" (PDF). dcp.psc.gov/. United States Public Health Service. 28 August 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.

[10] Public Health Service Music Ensemble Badge, United States Army Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 23 August 2020

[11] "CCI 511.02 Field Medical Readiness Badge" (PDF). ccrf.hhs.gov/ccrf. United States Public Health Service. 26 July 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 5 August 2012.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]