In the lower center is the stacked inscription "Department of the Navy Civilian Service Achievement"[1] The colors of the ribbon are myrtle green with three orange stripes.

These colors are consistent with the equivalent award for military service members (the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal).

Naval Forces Europe-Africa (CNE-A) identified a lack of honorary awards for civilian Department of the Navy (DoN) employees.

By excluding achievements of a more narrow scope or impact, a majority of the workforce was omitted from receiving recognition for their contributions until they are well advanced in their careers, if at all.

In July 2017, CNE-A signed the proposal to the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) requesting for the addition of the two newly-designed civilian honorary medals.