This award recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to national security and international affairs (including defense, military affairs, diplomacy, foreign assistance and trade). This medal is accompanied by a $3,000 monetary award.
Position: Chief, Amputee Patient Care Service
Agency: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Achievement:Enables combat amputees to lead active lives and potentially return to duty, through an internationally recognized rehabilitation program that uses a novel sports medicine approach.
Position: Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Johnson Space Center
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Location: Houston, Texas
Achievement: Provided medical, nutritional, psychological, survival and engineering expertise learned from space exploration to help 33 Chilean miners who were trapped 2,300 feet underground for 69 days.
Position: ActingProject Manager, Medical Support Systems Project Management Office
Agency: U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity
Location: Fort Detrick, Maryland
Achievement: Developed a state-of-the-art medical evacuation kit to provide life-saving treatment and emergency transportation to soldiers severely wounded by roadside bombs.
Position: Director, Office of Economic Growth, Pakistan Mission
Agency: U.S. Agency for International Development
Location: Pakistan
Achievement: Led USAID’s Economic Growth Office in Pakistan, helping to build the program from a two-person office to a $200 million initiative.
Position: Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs
Agency: U.S. Department of State
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Leads the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, a major public/private effort to enhance the economic, social and political status of Afghan women.
This medal recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to national security (including defense, military affairs, and intelligence) and is accompanied by a $3,000 award.
Position: Science Advisor, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information, Plans and Strategy
Agency: Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Designed the thermobaric bomb credited with helping win the war in Afghanistan and develops anti-terrorism technologies for the Pentagon.
Position: Joint Personnel Recovery Agency Representative to U.S. Central Command
Agency: U.S. Department of Defense
Location: MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
Achievement: Architect of the military's personnel recovery efforts that have successfully rescued more than 1,000 people in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Position: Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
Agency: U.S. Department of Defense
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Achievement: Implemented use of Radio Frequency Identification by the military, transforming military logistics for the 21st century.
Position: Division Chief, Imagery and Geospatial Sciences
Agency: National Imagery and Mapping Agency
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Achievement: His technological innovations provide American military personnel with real-time information they need to ensure operational success and protect our national security.
This medal recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to international affairs (including diplomacy, foreign assistance, and trade) and is accompanied by a $3,000 award.
Position: Special Assistant to the Ambassador
Agency: U.S. Department of State
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Achievement: Averted an impending health crisis during the 2006 Lebanon-Israeli armed conflict by helping to get fuel reserves into the country, which kept major power plants open.
Position: Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator
Agency: U.S. Agency for International Development
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Led the U.S. recovery and reconstruction efforts after the Asia Tsunami and South Asia Earthquake.
Position: Political Advisor for the Coalition Provisional Authority
Agency: U.S. Department of State
Location: Dhi Qar Province, Iraq
Achievement: Organized 15 local elections in southern Iraq and developed a voting system that the U.N. used as the basis for the January 2005 national elections.
Position: Director, Regional Programs
Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Division
Location: San Francisco, California
Achievement: Led U.S. efforts to help Iraqis rebuild their electrical infrastructure and acted as the Administrative head of multiple Iraqi ministries; also led Army Corps of Engineers’ recovery efforts at Ground Zero.
Position: Energy Attaché
Agency: U.S. Department of Energy
Location: Kiev, Ukraine
Achievement: Riaz Awan has devoted his career to the swift, safe and secure permanent closure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. He is helping coordinate the construction of a new concrete shelter over the destroyed reactor, and advises Ukrainian authorities to ensure that terrorists and rogue states cannot access nuclear materials.
The Service to America Medals are presented annually by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service to celebrate excellence in our federal civil service.