The Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military award for valor in combat, has always stood for actions that go above and beyond. The standards to award the Medal have evolved over time to reflect the changing nature of warfare. The current criteria were established in 1963 during the Vietnam War. By Federal Statute, recommendations for the Medal must be submitted within 3 years of the valorous act and the Medal must be presented within 5 years. Any submissions outside of this timeline require an Act of Congress to waive the time limits.

The Medal is authorized for any military service member who “distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

• While engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
• While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
• While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.”

All recommendations require thorough reports on the act itself, the battlefield and its setting. Every aspect of the action that led to the nomination is documented, from eyewitness statements, to the actions itself, to weather reports… every piece must be examined and verified.

Once the documentation is pulled together into a packet, the packet must go through the chain of command. At each step, it is evaluated. Does the action rise to the level of the Medal of Honor? Or does it deserve a different medal? The packet can be approved for the Medal of Honor, a lesser award, or for no medal at all.

Recommendation packets must be approved all the way up the military command structure. If approved at every step for the Medal of Honor, the packet then moves to the Department of Defense and begins the cycle there. It must again be approved by each department in the Department of Defense, all the way up the President as the Commander-in-Chief.

Once approved by the President, the recipient of the Medal is notified by the White House and preparations for the awards ceremony begins.

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About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor, inspiring America to live the values the Medal represents, and supporting Recipients of the Medal as they connect with communities across America.

Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are 63 living Recipients.

The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Medal of Honor Outreach Programs, the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society’s programs and operations are funded by donations.

As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.

Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s initiatives at cmohs.org.