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The Distinguished Service Medal is a high level military and civilian decoration of the United States of America which is issued for meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United States armed forces or other Uniformed services. There is also the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service which is the highest medal that can be awarded to a career government employee.

The Distinguished Service Medal is issued both as a military decoration and civilian award. The following versions (awarded by the agency or department head) of the Distinguished Service Medal are currently issued by the United States government:

• Defense Distinguished Service Medal
• Army Distinguished Service Medal
• Navy Distinguished Service Medal
• Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
• Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal

For non-military or civilians, the Distinguished Civilian Service Award or Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service is commonly the highest award and medal provided to civilian employees within agencies of the federal government of the United States. In order of precedence, the Distinguished Civilian Service Award (DCSA) often precedes the agency's Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

• Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award
• Navy Civilian Distinguished Service Award
• Air Force Civilian Distinguished Service Medal
• NASA Distinguished Service Medal
• National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal
• Defense Threat Reduction Agency Distinguished Service Medal
• Defense Commissary Agency Distinguished Service Medal
• ATF Distinguished Service Medal
• Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal
• Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal
• Department of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal
• Department of Justice Distinguished Service Medal
• Department of Interior Distinguished Service Medal^[1]

The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force use the term, Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service for its highest honorary award:

• Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service
• Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service

• Civil Air Patrol Distinguished Service Medal

Any false verbal, written or physical claim to an award or decoration authorized for wear by authorized military members or veterans is a federal felony offense punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $5000 fine.

• http://www.fws.gov/hr/HR/DSA.htm