Soldier's Medal
| Soldier's Medal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Medal |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Equivalent | Navy - Navy and Marine Corps Medal Air Force - Airman's Medal Coast Guard - Coast Guard Medal |
| Next (lower) | Bronze Star |
The Soldier's Medal is a military award of the United States Army. It was introduced by a law passed by U.S. Congress on July 2, 1926. The criteria for the medal are: "The Soldier's Medal is awarded to any person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy." (Army Regulation 600-8-22).
Often, the medal is awarded to soldiers who risk their lives to save other people. The medal can be awarded in peacetime if the soldier's heroism is held to be equal to or greater than the level which would have justified an award of the Distinguished Service Cross (which is only awarded for valor) if the act had taken place in combat. An enlisted recipient who is eligible for retirement pay (20 years or more of service) will receive an increase of 10 percent in retirement pay, just as if the soldier had earned the DSC.
The first medals were awarded on October 17, 1927 to John F. Burns and James P. Martin, for heroism during a fire and to James K. Wilson and Cleophas C. Burnett for saving people from drowning.
Notable recipients of the Soldier's Medal include Colin Powell, who was awarded the decoration during his second tour in Vietnam (1968-69) when he was injured in a helicopter crash and, despite his wounds, rescued two comrades from the burning wreckage. In 1968 three soldiers were awarded with this medal for their intervention in the My Lai Massacre (1968). They were Hugh Thompson, Jr., Lawrence Colburn and Glenn Andreotta; Andreotta was awarded the decoration posthumously. In 2001, following the terrorist attack on The Pentagon, the US Army issued an unprecedented number of these awards (28), to personnel who risked their own lives to assist their fellow comrades in the wake of the attack. A partial list of recipients include : SSG Christopher Braman, CPT Franklin Xia Yitao, LTC Paul Anderson, LTC Thomas Cleary, III, SGT Matthew Rosenberg, LTC Gerald Barrett, and COL Roy Wallace.
The most recent recipient of the Soldier's Medal is 2LT Daniel Patrick O'Connor, of the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. O'Connor, (then a specialist) risked his life when he rushed across a mountain roadway to render lifesaving aid to a motorcycle victim, subjecting himself to the victim's blood and gasoline from the overturned motorcycle in close proximity to the victim. The victim survived, albeit losing his left leg. 2LT O'Connor was nominated for the medal when he was an enlisted soldier in September 2006. 2LT O'Connor was awarded the medal on February 25th, 2008, upon his subsequent return to the unit after commissioning from the US Army Officer Candidate School.
The Soldier's Medal is considered to be equivalent to the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the Airman's Medal, and the Coast Guard Medal.
See also
- Awards and decorations of the United States military
- Awards and decorations of the United States Army
- List of military decorations
External links
| Decorations | |
|---|---|
| Good conduct | |
| Unit awards | |
| Service ribbons | |
| Defunct | |
