Established in May of 1956, the Army Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service honors individuals who have made substantial contributions to the Armed Forces but are not eligible for the Army’s Honorary Awards. Neither Army civilian employees nor personnel are eligible.
The medal features an eagle adapted from the United States Seal appearing in front of a triangle; a laurel wreath frames the lower portion of the medal. The reverse of the medal reads “FOR DISTINGUISHED CIVILIAN SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES” and includes a space on which to engrave the recipient’s name. The ribbon is white with thin vertical stripes of blue, red, and blue separated by white toward the outer edges.