Awards of the United States Department of State

The Secretary's Award is "presented to employees of State, USAID, and Marine guards assigned to diplomatic and consular facilities in recognition of sacrifice of health or life, in the performance of official duties."

This award could be presented to members of the foreign affairs communities who were held hostage or captive while serving overseas on official orders.

The Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service "recognizes those individuals who, while traveling or serving abroad on official business, are killed or incur a serious illness or injury that results in death, permanent incapacity or disability."

[2] The Superior Honor Award is presented to groups or individuals in recognition of a special act or service or sustained extraordinary performance covering a period of one year or longer.

The Meritorious Honor Award is presented to groups or individuals in recognition of a special act or service or sustained outstanding performance.

[3] The award recognizes individual excellence in the development, negotiation and/or implementation of national policy and solutions to counter country-specific, regional and/or global nonproliferation, counter-proliferation, political-military, arms control, verification, and/or noncompliance challenges facing the United States.

This annual award recognizes the high standards of performance which characterize the work of Civil Service Secretaries in the department and abroad.

It is granted annually to one Civil Service Secretary whose performance is judged by a selection committee to exemplify most clearly these high standards.

This award, made possible by the support of former Ambassador to Iceland, Charles E. Cobb, is presented to career members of the Foreign Service serving in an ambassadorial appointment for noteworthy success in developing trade between other nations and the United States.

The Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service is presented to a Non-Career Ambassador who (a) has used private sector leadership and management skills to make a significant impact on bilateral or multilateral relations and (b) has done so in a manner that best reflects the foreign service culture of uncommon commitment in carrying out United States foreign policy through proactive diplomacy.

The winner, if an employee of the agencies covered by the Foreign Affairs Manual, receives a certificate signed by the Secretary of State and $10,000.

The award is named in honor of Daniel E. O'Connor, who died in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.

It is made possible by an endowment from the Vincent Astor Foundation and is named, at the request of the donor, in memory of Ambassador James Clement Dunn.

It recognizes outstanding contributions by a senior level State Department employee in advancing U.S. interests in the international economic field.

This award is given to a Department of State officer serving in a management position who has made notable contributions to the efficiency and quality of services at post.

These awards specifically recognize achievements in the area of promoting women as participants in the political and economic processes or as policy shapers.

This award specifically recognizes individual excellence in the development, negotiation and/or implementation of national policy and solutions to counter country-specific, regional and/or global nonproliferation, counter-proliferation, political-military, arms control, verification and/or noncompliance challenges facing the United States.

The selection panel will determine award recipients on the basis of the following criteria: This award recognizes significant contributions in the field of public diplomacy and the special qualities that reflect the integrity, courage, sensitivity, vision, and dedication to excellence that were so highly exemplified in the life of Edward R. Murrow, the Director of the United States Information Agency from 1961 to 1964.

Selection will be based on the nominee's: This annual award recognizes the high standards of performance which characterize the work of Foreign Service Office Management Specialists in the department and abroad.

This annual award is named in honor of Ambassador Raphel and recognizes the special qualities that he brought to both U.S. diplomacy and the work of the Foreign Service.

The award is granted to an individual in international affairs who embodies the special human qualities and extra effort put forth by Ambassador Raphel to promote and develop the people around him, especially entry-level officers.

This award is presented to the department employee who most exemplifies the late Ambassador's commitment to peace and the alleviation of human suffering caused by war or civil injustice.

The Value Engineering Awards Program is an acknowledgment of exemplary achievements and encourages additional projects to improve in-house and contractor productivity.

Award winners from each DoD component are eligible for selection in the following five categories: program/project, individual, team, organization, and contractor.

Additional "special" awards are given to recognize innovative applications or approaches that expand the traditional scope of value engineering use.

Just as its name implies, the Time Off From Duty Award recognizes special acts or other efforts that contribute to the quality, efficiency, or economy of U.S. Government operations.

All employees, regardless of pay plan or rank, members of other agencies and the armed services, and private citizens and foreign officials are eligible for the Certificate of Appreciation.

Notable recipients include Donald J. Cooke, L. Bruce Laingen, John W. Limbert Jr., Alan B. Golacinski, and Barry M. Rosen, all of whom spent 444 days as hostages after Iranian activists took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in November 1979.

If someone wishes to wear war service decorations or civilian medals at formal day or evening events, they should check with the protocol officer.

The order of precedence for Department of State awards for active duty Civil and Foreign Service personnel, for display purposes, is as follows.