The Secretary's Distinguished Service Award is an award of the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

. It is presented at the discretion of the Secretary of State in recognition of exceptionally outstanding leadership, professional competence, and significant accomplishment over a sustained period of time in the field of foreign affairs. Such achievements must be of notable national or international significance and have made an important contribution to the advancement of U.S. national interests. The award is personally authorized by the Secretary of State provided that one of the criteria eligibility in Foreign Affairs Manual is met. It may be presented to members of the foreign affairs communities. The award consists of a gold medal set and a certificate signed by the Secretary of State. The specific criteria for the issuance of the Secretary’s Award is determined by the Secretary of State.

Nominating and approval procedures

Nominations for the Secretary's Distinguished Service Award are normally initiated by the Secretary of State. However, officials at assistant secretary or higher level who wish to recommend an individual for this award may do so by submitting a memorandum of justification, cleared by the Director General, to the Executive Secretary of the Department.

Military use

Upon authorization, members of the U.S. military may wear the medal and ribbon in the appropriate

order of precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...

as a U.S. non-military personal decoration.

Notable recipients

Kristie Kenney Kristie Anne Kenney is a former senior U.S. diplomat who served as the 32nd Counselor of the United States Department of State from 2016 to 2017. She is a recipient of the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award and held the nation's h ...

, former U.S Ambassador to Thailand, the Philippines, Ecuador and former Counselor of the State Department *

Marca Bristo Marca Bristo (June 23, 1953 – September 8, 2019) was an American disability rights activist. Life and career Bristo was born Marcia Lynn Bristo on June 23, 1953, in Albany, New York, and was raised on a family farm in Castleton-on-Hudson, Ne ...

, disability rights activist *

Constance Berry Newman Constance Ernestine Berry Newman (born July 8, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American attorney and diplomat who served as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from July 2004 to April 2005. Early life and educati ...

, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, September 2005 *

Daniel Bennett Smith Daniel Bennett Smith (born March 6, 1956) is an American diplomat who served as the director of the Foreign Service Institute and acting United States Secretary of State at the presidential transition of Joe Biden. He has held the rank of career ...

, U.S. Ambassador to Greece *

David Petraeus David Howell Petraeus (; born November 7, 1952) is a retired United States Army general and public official. He served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from September 6, 2011, until his resignation on November 9, 2012. Prior to ...

, General, U.S. Army *

Raymond T. Odierno Raymond Thomas Odierno (8 September 1954 – 8 October 2021) was an American military officer who served as a four-star general of the United States Army and as the 38th chief of staff of the Army. Prior to his service as chief of staff, Odiern ...

, General, U.S. Army *

Lloyd Austin Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is a retired United States Army four-star general who, since his appointment on January 22, 2021, has served as the 28th United States secretary of defense. He is the first African American to serv ...

, General, U.S. Army *

William M. Fraser III General (United States), General William M. Fraser III (born August 17, 1952) is a retired United States Air Force officer who served as Commander, United States Transportation Command. He previously served as Commander, Air Combat Command from S ...

, General, U.S. Air Force *

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

, General, U.S. Army and former U.S. Secretary of State *

John Beyrle John Ross Beyrle (born February 11, 1954) is an American diplomat. A career Foreign Service Officer and specialist in Russian and Eastern European affairs, he served as List of Ambassadors of the United States to Russia, Ambassador of the United S ...

, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Bulgaria *

Llewellyn Thompson Llewellyn E. "Tommy" Thompson Jr. (August 24, 1904 – February 6, 1972) was an American diplomat. He served in Sri Lanka, Austria, and for a lengthy period in the Soviet Union, where his tenure saw some of the most significant events of the Cold ...

, Ambassador to the Soviet Union * Earl R. Miller, former U.S. Ambassador to

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

and

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

, issued on May 20, 2022.

References

{{reflist Awards and decorations of the United States Department of State Distinguished service awards United States Department of State

Nominating and approval procedures

Military use

Notable recipients

See also

References