Secretary of Defense Awards and Information

(Click the Award title for more information)

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Secretary of Defense Medal
for the Global War on Terrorism

This medal, commonly known as the GWOT medal, was approved on August 9, 2007 and unveiled by the Department of Defense (DoD) on February 26, 2008. The GWOT medal was created to recognize and honor the contributions of DoD civilians in direct support of our military members engaged in operations to combat terrorism.

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Secretary of Defense Medal
for the Defense of Freedom

On September 27, 2001, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced approval of the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom for DoD civilian employees who were killed or wounded as a result of the tragic events of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The award is equivalent to the Purple Heart and the same criteria applies in determining eligibility for DoD civilians.