Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal — Military Decorations

Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Medal and Ribbon Design Images

The Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal comes with a unique service ribbon, which is worn on the recipient's uniform in situations where the full medal is not worn. If you have earned this decoration, you can wear the service ribbon on your ribbon rack.
Design of the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal

The medal is a gold medallion. A tall ship sailing left is centered on the front of the medal. The ship is encircled by the engraved words, US COAST GUARD and DISTINGUISHED SERVICE.

What is the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Decoration?

The service ribbon has a wide central turquoise stripe surrounded by two thin white stripes and two royal purple stripes on the edges.

The United States military sorts decorations into categories called Classes and Types. The Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal medal is classified as a Personal Decoration of the type Distinguished Service Medal.

How Do You Earn the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal?

The Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to any member of the U.S. Coast Guard who distinguishes themselves by meritorious service to the United States Government in a duty of great responsibility. The action or duty must be above what is normally expected and must have been a part of the success of a major command or project. The decoration is typically awarded to senior flag officers, such as the Commandant of the Coast Guard. However, others may receive the ribbon if exceptional service is enacted.

The bestowing authority of the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal is the Secretary of Homeland Security. Prior to the Coast Guard’s lateral movement to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, the award was authorized by the Secretary of Transportation, and prior to 1967, it was authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Displaying the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal

The Order of Precedence of the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal is 11, and this precedence is used when placing the associated service ribbon on your uniform ribbon rack. You can see a full list of decorations in the order of precedence on the Decorations homepage.

The award is the Coast Guard equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal. It is worn after the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and before the Silver Star Medal.

Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Associated Branches

Coast Guard

Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Associated Branches

Coast Guard

Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal and the Stolen Valor Act

The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 is a federal law that makes it illegal for any person to falsely claim to be the recipient of certain military awards, "with the intention of obtaining money, property, or other tangible benefit by convincing another that he or she received the award".This decoration is covered by the Stolen Valor act. Fraudulently claiming to have received a Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal can result in punishment including a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both


Back to top