US military and civilian awards. America's highest honor. State awards of Russia Order of Honor for which they award

The medal is awarded for "outstanding gallantry and bravery, at the risk of life, and in excess of duty, in action against the enemies of the United States; in military operations involving confrontation with opposing foreign forces; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in military conflict with opposing armed forces in which the US is not a belligerent."

History of the medal

Creation

The first military award of the United States is considered to be the badge "For Military Merit", approved by George Washington in 1782. She was no longer awarded after the end of the American Revolutionary War. During the Mexican-American War, American soldiers were awarded the Certificate of Merit, which later received the status of a medal. Despite this, until the outbreak of the Civil War of 1861-1865 in the United States, there was no real medal for individual heroism in battle.

With the outbreak of war, a proposal to create such a medal was put forward by Senator James Grims. At first, Grims' proposal was rejected, but later the need for a medal became apparent. In December 1861, President Abraham Lincoln approved the creation of the Naval Medal of Valor. Navy Medal of Valor), which became the earliest version of the Medal of Honor. The design and production of the medal was entrusted to the Philadelphia Mint. The first to receive the new award was Private Francis Brownell for heroic actions on May 21, 1861.

Since the establishment of the medal, it has been established that the recipient must be a member of the US armed forces (but does not have to have American citizenship). There are known exceptions to this rule:

The last foreign citizen to be awarded the medal was Canadian Peter Lemon. Peter C. Lemon), who received a medal during the Vietnam War.

Award Discrimination

Name

The official name of the award is the Medal of Honor. It is often referred to as the Medal of Honor of the US Congress, which is a mistake, although formally the President of the United States really makes the award on behalf of Congress. The error is so common that the Medal of Honor Society, established by act of Congress and signed by President Eisenhower, is called the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. (Congressional Medal of Honor Society)(English) .

Presentation for the medal and awarding

The Medal of Honor is the only award that, in addition to the normal procedure for nominating military personnel for an award by the command (in this case, the nomination must be approved at all levels of the command hierarchy, up to the President of the United States), provides for the nomination of the medal by one of the members of Congress (usually on the initiative his constituency). Such representation shall be approved by a special act of Congress.

The Medal of Honor is usually awarded by the President of the United States. In the case of a posthumous award, the medal is awarded to the closest relatives of the recipient.

Privileges conferred by the medal

Possession of the Medal of Honor gives a number of privileges to its owner:

• the name of a member of the military who received the Medal of Honor may be entered on a special Medal of Honor List, after which the soldier becomes eligible to request an additional monthly pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs (1027, as of December 1, 2004).
• enlisted personnel continuing their service are additionally supplied with uniforms;
• 10% increase in military pension;
• free use of air transport subject to availability;
• children of persons awarded the Medal of Honor are enrolled in military academies, regardless of the availability of vacancies, provided that they meet all the requirements for candidates;
• Retired military personnel who have been awarded the medal are entitled to wear military uniforms "at their discretion". All other retired military personnel may only wear military uniforms to ceremonial occasions;
• the recipient's portrait and a bronze nameplate are placed in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon.

In addition to the benefits and privileges enshrined in law, there is a tradition according to which other military personnel, including the President of the United States, are the first to salute the recipients of the medal when they meet, regardless of the seniority of military ranks.

Description

Socket for carrying with civilian clothing

The Army Medal of Honor is made of gilded bronze. It is an inverted five-pointed star mounted on a green-enamelled ring in the form of a laurel wreath. On each ray of the star is a green clover leaf. In the center of the star there is a round bas-relief with a profile image of the head of the goddess Minerva in a military helmet. Around the bas-relief is a flat ring with an engraved inscription "United States of America". The reverse side of the medal is engraved with the inscription "From the Congress" (The Congress To), below which there is a place for the name and surname of the recipient. The star is attached with two rays to a rectangular plate on which the word "Valor" (Valor) is engraved. Above the plate is a relief bald eagle (symbol of the United States), which is attached to a blue moire hexagon, on which there are 13 white stars (symbolizing the first 13 states that formed the United States). The Medal of Honor is worn on a blue moiré ribbon over the neck knot of a tie.

On everyday military uniform instead of a medal, a block of the Medal is worn, it is strengthened separately 1/4 inch above the blocks of other awards.

When awarding a medal more than once, the second and subsequent medals are not worn, but a gold star for the naval medal is attached to the moire ribbon or block of the medal and oak leaves- for army and air force variants. This way of designating multiple awards of the same award is typical for the United States.

For wearing with civilian clothing, a hexagonal rosette of the colors of the ribbon of the medal with 13 stars is provided.

Options

Navy Medal of Honor is the oldest version of the award. Established December 21, 1861 under the name of the Medal of Valor (Medal of Valor). During its existence, it has undergone minimal design changes. Since the United States Marine Corps does not have its own version of the medal, its members are awarded the Navy Medal of Honor, as are members of the Coast Guard.

Early versions of the U.S. Army Medal of Honor

Army Medal of Honor was established July 12, 1862. At first, it had minor differences from the Navy version. In 1896, the design of the ribbon was changed, and in 1904 the design of the medal itself was seriously changed. The first army version of the award was received by Private Jacob Parrot (Eng. Jacob Parrott) in 1862.

Maltese cross, better known as Cross Tiffany(after the name of the company that developed its design), was established in 1919. During this period, the US Navy practiced awarding the Medal of Honor for heroism in non-combat situations, and the Tiffany Cross was intended to be awarded exclusively on such occasions, while the Navy Medal of Honor itself remained an award for heroism in combat. The new medal was not very popular and was abolished in 1942. One of the reasons for the abolition, perhaps, was its external similarity with the German Iron Cross.

United States Coast Guard Medal of Honor formally appeared in 1963, but was not assigned to anyone and at the moment does not even have its own design. The only member of the Coast Guard, signalman 1st class Douglas Munro (eng. Douglas Munro), awarded for participation in the battle for Guadalcanal, received a naval medal.

Air Force Medal of Honor developed in 1963 and established in 1965 . Although the US Air Force separated from the army into an independent branch of service in 1947, all four Medals of Honor, which were awarded to military pilots during the Korean War, were of the army type. The new medal was first awarded to Major Bernard Fischer for rescuing a downed comrade on March 10, 1966 during the Vietnam War. It differs from the army version in a larger size, and instead of the head of Minerva, it depicts the head of the Statue of Liberty.

Medal flag

Flag of the Medal of Honor

All military personnel awarded the Medal of Honor after October 23, 2003 must receive a special flag along with the medal. The flag was created by the US Military Institute of Heraldry. United States Army Institute of Heraldry ) based on a design developed on his own initiative by Vietnam War veteran 1st Sergeant Bill Kendall of Jefferson, Iowa. Kendall created his own version of the flag in honor of Captain Darell Lindsey (Eng. Darrell Lindsey), bomber pilot Paul Smith, posthumously awarded during the Iraq War.

It is also supposed to give this flag to all living on this moment Veterans with the Medal of Honor. The first solemn ceremony of presenting the flags took place on September 30, 2006 on board the Constitution sailing ship.

Special legal status

The Medal of Honor is the only US award whose private resale or production of copies is prohibited by federal law. The same section of the law establishes a significantly more severe punishment for illegal wearing of the Medal of Honor than is provided for other US awards.

Unlike the illegal wearing of a medal, false award claims (unless they are made to receive collateral benefits) are not a crime and are being combated. public organizations veterans. According to some reports, the number of impostors exceeds the number of those actually awarded the medal.

Awards statistics

In parentheses are the years of US involvement in these armed conflicts:

March 2, 1994 by Presidential Decree Russian Federation has been approved Order of Honor. Changes to the Statute of the Order and its description were made by the Decree of January 6, 1999. According to the Statute, the Order of Honor is awarded to citizens for high achievements in state, industrial, research, socio-cultural, social and charitable activities, which made it possible to significantly improve the living conditions of people , for merits in the training of highly qualified personnel, the upbringing of the younger generation, the maintenance of law and order.

The badge of the Order of Honor is made of silver in the form of an eight-pointed cross, the rays of which are covered with blue enamel. On front side cross is a medallion, in the center of which, on a white enamel background, is a relief image of the State Emblem of Russia, framed by a laurel wreath. The number of the order is placed on the reverse side of the cross.

Mounting and wearing method: The order is worn on a pentagonal metal block, which is covered with a silk moire ribbon. Ribbon of the Order of blue color, with a wide white longitudinal strip located closer to the right edge of the ribbon. According to the Statute, the Order of Honor is supposed to be worn on the left side of the chest, in the presence of other orders of the Russian Federation - after the Order "For Military
merit." Dimensions. Diameter - 42 mm.

The statute of the order involves awarding mainly for labor achievements: for an outstanding contribution to the development of the state; for many years of effective work in the field of healthcare, education, mass sports and elite sports. The award can be presented to both Russian and foreign citizens. For Russian citizens, as a rule, preliminary awarding with some other order of the Russian Federation is expected. The first holders of the order were military builders (23 people) for the restoration of the destroyed infrastructure in the Chechen Republic (May 1996) and the personnel of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for the successful elimination of the consequences of a large-scale earthquake in the city of Neftegorsk (September 1996).

Subsequently, the order was awarded, mainly, according to the totality of achievements - for successful many years of work in any socially significant area. Three people were awarded twice - Russian diplomat A. I. Antonov; scientist, doctor of medical sciences S. I. Kolesnikov and the famous figure skater E. V. Plushenko. It is interesting that the wording of Plushenko's awards in 2007 and 2014 is almost identical: "for high sports achievements", but in 2014 the phrase was added: "for high sports achievements at the XXII Olympic winter games". In 1996, Vladimir Putin was awarded the Order of Honor (at the time of the award he was the 1st Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of St. Petersburg). This is the first and, as of 2015, the only Russian order that Putin has been awarded. In the entire history of the order, only one organization was awarded it - the Moscow Sovremennik Theater "for success in the aesthetic education of youth" (1996).

The highest award a member of the United States of America can receive. There are three options - Army Medal of Honor, Air Force Medal of Honor, Navy Medal of Honor.

The Army Medal of Honor was established by President Lincoln on July 12, 1862. At first it was intended to be awarded only to the lower ranks for outstanding feats on the battlefield, but by an act of Congress on March 3, 1863, it was extended to officers. The first medal was minted on March 25, 1863. The largest number The number of awards made by the medal refers to the initial time before July 9, 1918, when Congress decided that the medal was awarded only for exceptional merit and heroic deeds.

The medal is presented personally by the President of the United States on behalf of Congress. The medal is awarded for "outstanding gallantry and bravery, at the risk of life, and in excess of duty, in action against the enemies of the United States; in military operations involving conflict with opposing foreign forces; or while serving with friendly foreign forces involved in a military incident with opposing forces in which the United States is not a belligerent." The fact of valor, courage and self-sacrifice, shown in conditions associated with a huge risk to life, must be repeatedly witnessed by eyewitnesses as a unique act. Evidence is subject to scrutiny.

Navy Medal of Honor(Navy Medal of Honor) is the oldest variant of the award. Established December 21, 1861 Original name - Medal of Valor (Medal of Valor). The medal was designed by William Wilson & Sons. During its existence, the naval award has practically not undergone changes, it has only touched the pads of the medal. The medal has the shape of an inverted five-pointed star, at the ends of the rays there are laurel leaves symbolizing victory and oak leaves symbolizing power. In the center, in a circle of 34 stars, according to the number of states that were part of the United States in 1862, an image of two figures is engraved: the goddess of wisdom, Minerva, holding a fascia in her left hand - a symbol of power, in her right - a shield, personifying the unity of the states and kneeling , recoiling from the goddess, a man holding a ball of snakes in his hands. The figure of a man personifies discord, and the composition in general - the victory of wisdom over discord.

Army Medal of Honor(Army Medal of Honor) was established on July 12, 1862. At first, the only difference from the Navy variant was the form of attaching the medal to the block - instead of the anchor, it was made in the form of an eagle spreading its wings and holding a saber in its claws, sitting on 2 crossed cannons. In 1896, the design of the ribbon was changed, while maintaining the same colors, and in 1904 Congress approved absolutely new design medals. Designed by General George L. Gillespie. New option retained the shape of an inverted five-pointed star, although laurel and oak leaves now surrounded it on the outside and were covered with green enamel, the scene with Minerva in the center was replaced by the profile of a goddess in a helmet. The eagle, which connected the medal with the block, was placed on a bar with the inscription Valor framed by a bunch of arrows. The colors of the ribbon were also changed - 13 stars representing the first states of the United States were placed on a blue moire field.
The design of the modern United States Army Medal of Honor is based on Gillespie's design. It is made of gilded bronze and is an inverted five-pointed star mounted on a green-enamelled ring in the form of a laurel wreath. On each ray of the star is a green clover leaf. In the center of the star there is a round bas-relief with a profile image of the head of the goddess Minerva in a military helmet. Near the bas-relief is a flat ring engraved with the inscription "United States of America". On the reverse side of the medal is engraved the inscription "From the Congress" (The Congress To), below which there is a place for the name and surname of the recipient. The star is attached with two rays to a rectangular plate on which the word "Valor" (Valor) is engraved. Above the plate is a relief bald eagle (symbol of the USA), which is attached to a blue moire hexagon, on which 13 white stars (symbolizing the first 13 states that formed the USA) are placed, a blue moire neck ribbon is connected to it.

US Air Force Medal of Honor(Air Force Medal of Honor) was approved in 1956. The design is based on the army version of the medal, since it was she who was awarded the military personnel of the Air Corps of the United States Army - the predecessor of the Air Force. This US award is approximately 50% larger than the size of the Army Medal of Honor. Instead of the head of Minerva, it depicts the head of the Statue of Liberty, and the eagle on the medal mount is replaced with the emblem of the United States Air Force.

United States Coast Guard Medal of Honor formally originated in 1963, but was not assigned to anyone and at the moment does not even have its own design.

The Medal of Honor is worn on a blue moiré ribbon over the neck knot of a tie, only with full dress uniform. On everyday military uniforms, a medal block is worn instead of a medal. In accordance with the status of the medal, its block should be the first, located on the right in the top row of blocks.

The Medal of Honor is the only one whose private resale or production of copies is prohibited by federal law. The same section of the law establishes a far more severe punishment for illegal wearing of the Medal of Honor than is provided for other awards in the United States.

Unlike the illegal wearing of a medal, false award claims (if they are not made to receive related material benefits) are not a crime, and public organizations of veterans are fighting such actions.

On November 15, 1990, by a joint decision of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Medal of Honor Day was established, which is celebrated on March 25 - the anniversary of the first medal award.

During the 2nd World War, 464 people were awarded this award.

It is known that for the owners of such awards as, for example, the Order of Honor, certain benefits are provided for services, goods, and movement by various modes of transport. It can be both discounts and full payment for certain public services.

So, let's consider what requirements are needed to receive an award and what are the advantages of having it.

Appearance of the Order

The award is covered with enamel, in turn, it is made of silver. The shape resembles an eight-pointed cross with a rounded medallion in the center. The medallion is also covered with white enamel. Inside it is the coat of arms of the Russian Federation. The image is bordered by a laurel wreath. All badges of orders have a standard diameter of forty-two millimeters. On each of them, on the reverse side, you can find a license plate.

An eight-millimeter bar and tape (twenty-four millimeters wide) are intended to be attached to the wearer's clothing. The medal is accompanied by a certificate of assignment to its owner, where the corresponding number is indicated. Also, this number is entered into the database in order to quickly find the owner of the award if necessary.

Terms of receipt

Of course, getting an award is not easy. To do this, you need to make a significant contribution to the development and promotion of your country among others. Based on this, the owner of the Order of Honor can be awarded to him for:

• high achievements in the field of science, which made it possible to raise the level of Russia among the scientific or technological sphere, new developments;
• merits associated with medical activities and health care: implementation innovative technologies to provide medical services;
• productive public and state activities for the benefit of the country, the development of Russian culture;
• high success in sports and its promotion among young people, adolescents, children, popularization of certain sports, leading to a leading position in world competitions;
• modernization of the education system, as well as a significant contribution to the system of training specialists, raising the level of educational institutions in Russia;
• popularization of Russian culture, history, creativity of Russian authors, raising the level of education among the citizens of the Russian Federation.

Tip: not everyone can receive such an award, and a minimum percentage of the population owns it.

Often a medal is issued to persons who already have other official state. awards. It can also be awarded to persons who do not have Russian citizenship, but who have made a significant contribution to the development of international relations.

Possible perks

Privileges are often given for state awards. Holders of the Order of Honor are entitled to an addition to their pension. To do this, you must contact the nearby multifunctional center and present Required documents, a list of them is on the website of the State Services. Data can also be sent by letter or email.

In addition to this benefit, the owner of the award can be issued the title of labor veteran, but only on condition that he fully complies with the stated criteria and requirements. A person awarded the title of labor veteran has the full right to:

• completely free public transport;
• partial payment of utilities;
• vacation guarantee at any time;
• free medical services. For example, completely free production of dentures, as well as their subsequent repair.

The pension supplement for labor veterans ranges from 300-400 to 600 rubles. Pension indexation is carried out every six months.

Summary

So, what privileges does the owner of the Order of Honor have? The medal does not have particularly outstanding features, but is included in the register of those suitable for obtaining the title of veteran of labor. It is thanks to this title that you can get benefits for travel, payment for medical services.

To clarify whether you can receive the appropriate benefits, you must go to the MFC at the place of residence and provide all the necessary documents confirming the right to wear the order. This will be enough not only to find out full information about possible payments, but also to apply for the title of labor veteran if necessary.

The Order of Honor is a Russian state award established by the President of the Russian Federation in 1994. This distinction is awarded to citizens for great achievements in industrial, charitable, research, social, social and cultural activities, which significantly improved people's lives, as well as for merits in educating the younger generation, maintaining law and order and the rule of law, and training qualified personnel. As a rule, the order is awarded to people who already have other state signs differences.

Wearing order

The Order of Honor must be worn on the chest on the left side; in the presence of other awards, this distinctive sign is located after the Order of Naval Merit. For everyday wear and special occasions a miniature copy of the award is provided. The ribbon of the order is worn on civilian clothes.

Description

The distinctive sign is made of silver and looks like an eight-pointed cross, which is covered with blue enamel. In its center there is a round medallion, it is covered with white enamel and contains the image of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation, which is bordered by the Order of Honor and has a diameter of 42 millimeters. The reverse side is smooth, without enamel, in its lower part there is a relief sign "No", and after it the number of the award is engraved. With the help of a ring and an eyelet, the insignia is connected to a pentagonal block, which is covered with a blue moire silk ribbon with a longitudinal white stripe. The width of the strip is 2.5 millimeters, and the width of the tape itself is 24 millimeters. The strip lags behind the right edge of the tape by 5 millimeters.

Wearing a miniature and ribbon

A miniature copy of the Order of Honor is worn on a block. Between the ends of the cross, the distance is 15.4 mm, from the top of the lower corner to the middle of the upper side, the height of the block is 19.2 mm. The top side is 10 millimeters long and each side is 16 millimeters long. The length of the sides forming the bottom corner is 10 millimeters.

In the case of wearing the ribbon of the order on uniforms, a bar 8 millimeters high is used. A miniature metal (with enamel) image of a distinguishing sign in the form of a rosette is attached to the ribbon. The distance between the ends of the cross is 13 millimeters, the diameter of the rosette is 15 millimeters.

Knights of the Order of Honor

This distinction was awarded to state and political figures, including Vladimir Putin. Many leaders and employees of various Russian institutions and enterprises, artists, and military personnel have been awarded the Order of Honor. It was awarded to church ministers, doctors, astronauts and even foreign citizens (for example, a citizen of Ukraine, singer Sofia Rotaru). Athletes also often received it. So, figure skater Evgeni Plushenko was awarded the Order of Honor twice: in 2007 and in 2014.

Order of the Badge of Honor

This award was established in 1935 in the USSR and was awarded until the collapse of the country, and then was replaced by the order, which we have now examined. At the same time, the numbering of characters was not interrupted. In total, more than 1 million 581 thousand awards were made. The badge was awarded for high achievements in research, production, state, cultural, sports, social and other socially useful activities, and in addition, for the manifestation of civic prowess. The order was awarded not only to citizens of the Soviet Union, but also to associations, enterprises, institutions, as well as entire cities, districts and other settlements. The insignia was also awarded to foreign citizens and enterprises.

Description of the award

The Order of the Badge of Honor is presented in the form of an oval, framed on the sides with oak twigs. In the center are the figures of a worker and a worker, who carry banners symmetrically located to the right and left of them. The banners bear the inscription: "Proletarians of all countries, unite!" At the top of the order is present and below it against the background of the banners there is a relief inscription "USSR", below - the inscription "Badge of Honor". The star and the banners are covered with ruby-red enamel and bordered with gilded rims along the contours. The inscriptions and poles of the banners are gilded, and the general background of the order, its lower part and oak branches are oxidized. The order itself is made of silver, its width is 32.5 millimeters, its height is 46 millimeters. With the help of a ring and an eyelet, it is connected to a pentagonal block, covered with a light pink moiré silk ribbon with two longitudinal stripes along the edges of orange. The width of the strips is 3.5 mm each, the width of the tape is 24 mm. Those awarded with the Order of the Badge of Honor wear it on their chest (on the left side).

Among the people, the award was called "Jolly Fellows". The fact is that quite shortly before the establishment of the distinctive sign, a film with this name was released on the screens, and the image presented on the order evoked direct associations with it.