Currently, the law states that in order to receive the medal, you must be actively serving in the U.S. Additionally, the children of Medal of Honor recipients, if they qualify, can be admitted to United States military academies without meeting the quota or nomination requirements.Īlthough there are obviously no gender restrictions related to the Medal of Honor, only one woman in history has received it: Mary Edwards Walker, who served as a surgeon during the Civil War. The Congressional Medal of Honor also comes with many benefits, including a pension of about a thousand dollars per month (in addition to any other pensions they may be receiving), an entitlement to Space A air transportation, additional uniform allowances, privileges regarded commissaries and exchanges, a ten percent increase in retirement pay, their own Medal of Honor flag, and permission to wear their uniform whenever they like, so long as they abide by the usual regulations. For the forty years prior to 2010, all Medals of Honor had been given posthumously. It wasn’t until November of 2010 when Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta was given the award that it was bestowed on a living person. Because of this, the Congressional Medal of Honor has often been bestowed posthumously upon fallen heroes who demonstrated incredible valor while alive. Normally, these individuals were wounded or even killed in the effort of defending freedom and furthering the cause of the United States military in whatever place around the world they were serving.
Recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor are those who have performed acts of valor that reach above and beyond the call of duty. What Does the Congressional Medal of Honor Represent? However, “Medal of Honor” is the award’s official name, and it is referred to as such within United States Code. The Congressional Medal of Honor stands apart from its Army, Navy, and Air Force counterparts, such as the Army Medal of Honor established in 1862 and the Navy Medal of Valor established in 1861. 19 of these recipients were second-time receivers of the award. Since the award’s creation in 1861, it has been awarded more than 3,500 times to distinguished soldiers, marines, coast guardsmen, sailors, and airmen from nearly every military conflict in which America has been engaged. This award is given by the president of the United States in the name of the United States Congress. There are many awards one can earn in the military the most prestigious of these is the Congressional Medal of Honor.