Awards and decorations of the Public Health Service

Example of awards, special skills badge, and identification badges of the USPHS Commissioned Corps as worn on the service dress uniform of RADM Scott Giberson.

The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC), one of the seven 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 Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medals
• Public Health Service Meritorious Service Medal - worn after the Defense Superior Service Medal and before the Surgeon General's Medallion.
• Surgeon General's Medallion - worn after the Public Health Service Meritorious 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 Legion of Merit.
• Public Health Service Outstanding Service Medal - worn after the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and before the Meritorious Service Medal of other uniformed services.
• Public Health Service Commendation Medal - worn after the Joint Service Commendation Medal and before the Commendation Medal of other uniformed services.
• Public Health Service Achievement Medal - worn after the Joint Service Achievement Medal and before the Achievement Medal of other uniformed services.
• Public Health Service Citation Medal - worn after the Achievement Medal of other uniformed services and before the Combat Action 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 Hazardous Duty Award
• Public Health Service Foreign Duty Service Award
• Public Health Service Special Assignment Service Award
• Public Health Service Isolated Hardship Service 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 (COA)^[6]
• Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS)
• Reserve Officers Association (ROA)

Badges and insignia

PHSCC's Field Medical Readiness Badge, the corps's only special skills badge, recognizes officers who have exceeded force readiness standards while engaged in Corps deployment(s).

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][7]

• Surgeon General Badge (SG)
• Deputy Surgeon General Badge (DSG)
• Officer-in-Charge Badge (OIC)
• Chief Professional Officer Badge (CPO)
• Field Medical Readiness Badge (FMRB) ^[8]
• Recruiter Badge^[4]
• Associate Recruiter (AR) Badge^[4]
• Department of Health and Human Services Identification (HHS ID) Badge
• Other badges and insignia issued by other uniformed services

See also

• Awards and decorations of the United States government
• United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
• Uniformed services of the United States

References

1. "CC 26.3.3 Wear of Ribbons and Medals" (PDF). http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/. United States Public Health Service. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2012. External link in |work= (help)
2. "USPHS Commissioned Corps Management Information System, Awards Information, Types of Recognition & Awards Criteria". http://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/. United States Public Health Service. Retrieved 5 August 2012. External link in |work= (help)
3. U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Decorations & Insignias USPHS, dated 20 May 2015, last accessed 27 August 2016
4. "PHS NO. 382, Implementation of an Associate Recruiter Lead Badge (ARLB) and PHS Recruitment Service Ribbon (RSR)" (PDF). http://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/. United States Public Health Service. 4 March 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2012. External link in |work= (help)
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.
7. "PPM 08-019 Wear of Skill and Breast Badges" (PDF). http://dcp.psc.gov/. United States Public Health Service. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2012. External link in |work= (help)
8. "CCI 511.02 Field Medical Readiness Badge" (PDF). http://ccrf.hhs.gov/ccrf. United States Public Health Service. 26 July 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2012. External link in |work= (help)

External links

• U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Homepage
• USPHS Medals and Awards (CCI 500 Series)
• U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Ribbons