The Transportation Distinguished Service Medal was established by Executive Order 12824 signed by President George Bush on December 7, 1992, under his authority as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
Effective Dates
The Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal has been in effect since December 7, 1992. It will presumably become obsolete on March 1, 2002, when the Coast Guard transfers from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security
Criteria
The Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal may be awarded to any member of the Coast Guard who has provided exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility while assigned in the Department of Transportation, or in other activities under the responsibility of the Secretary of Transportation, either national or international, as may be assigned by the Secretary.
Order of Precedence
The Transportation Distinguished Service Medal is worn only by Coast Guard officers. It is worn after the Navy Cross and before the Defense Distinguished Service Medal.
Devices
Additional awards of the Transportation Distinguished Service Medal are denoted by Gold Stars.
Designer
The Transportation Distinguished Service Medal was designed by Nadine Russell of the Army's Institute of Heraldry.
First Recipient
The first Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal was awarded to Admiral J. William Kime on December 11, 1992.
Description and Symbolism
Obverse
In the center of a silver medallion one half inch in diameter, there is a narrow-bordered blue triskelion facing counter-clockwise with one arm up. This medallion is contained within a raised border of continuous cable in gold, both of which are superimposed over crossed anchors on a circular field scored with raised rays. This field is in turn surrounded by a raised laurel wreath in green enamel, finished in gold. The laurel leaves form a continuous circle and the leaves point counter-clockwise.
The suspender which connects the medal to its ribbon is integral to the medal and consists of a miniature Coast Guard officer's cap device in gold. The blue triskelion is adapted from the Department of Transportation Seal. It surmounts two anchors crossed to imply cooperation and strength, and denotes the U.S. Coast Guard's affiliating with the Department of Transportation. The encircling wreath of laurel symbolizes honor and achievement. The pendant device, which simulates the Coast Guard's officer cap device, highlights the purpose of the medal.
Reverse
In the upper-central portion of the reverse there is a raised plaque for engraving the recipient's name. Above the plaque in two lines are the raised words, AWARDED TO; and below the plaque in four lines, the words FOR EXTRAORDINARY MERITORIOUS SERVICE. The plaque and inscription are contained within an incomplete circle (open at the bottom) consisting of the raised words, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
Ribbon
The ribbon to the Transportation Distinguished Service Medal consists of a predominant field of Old Glory Blue edged in white with two stripes of Paprika, each five-thirty seconds of an inch wide, a quarter of an inch in from each edge of the ribbon. The colors of the ribbon are traditionally associated with Department of Transportation awards and appear in different combinations in other Department of Transportation awards.
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