Medal Of Valor
Cherrie Patete
An act of valor is considered to be above and beyond the call of duty; and exhibiting exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness and presence of mind along with unusual swiftness of action, regardless of his or her personal safety, in an attempt to save or protect human life.
To receive the Medal of Valor, public safety officers must be nominated by the chief executive officer of their employing agencies, recommended by the bipartisan Medal of Valor Review Board, and cited by the Attorney General. PLEASE NOTE: The background of Medal of Valor nominees may be reviewed as part of the selection process.
Each year CDCR holds the Medal of Valor (MOV) awards to honor employees and community members who distinguished themselves by acts of heroism, bravery, or service beyond the normal demands of correctional/community service.
The Silver Star medal is awarded for acts of bravery under extraordinary or unusual circumstances. The employee shall display courage in the face of potential peril while saving or attempting to save the life of another person or distinguish himself or herself by performing in stressful situations with exceptional tactics or judgement.
The Bronze Star is awarded for saving a life without placing oneself in peril. The employee shall have used proper training and tactics in a professional manner to save, or clearly contribute to saving, the life of another person.
The Red, White and Blue Heart Award has been introduced for serious injuries sustained in the line of duty by Missouri first responders beginning in the year 2021. The award may be presented to any Missouri peace officer, firefighter, paramedic, EMT or emergency first responder who under honorable circumstances is critically, seriously or fatally injured while performing official duties in the line of duty.
The annual award is to be conferred in recognition of first responders seriously injured and sustaining permanent impairment of health or death. The injury or condition must require long-term treatmentby a medical professional and considerable loss of time from duty. In a fatality incident, the award will be presented to a family member.
To be eligible for the Medal of Valor, a person must have been serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement officer or some emergency response role. State and local corrections, court and civil defense officers (emergency management personnel) are also eligible. The Medal of Valor was created in 2004 by Senate Bill 972 during the 92nd General Assembly. The first medals were awarded for acts of bravery performed during 2007.
The Public Safety Civilian Partnership Award is awarded to a civilian or group of civilians who provided valuable or courageous assistance to members of a Missouri public safety agency in an emergency situation or whose training of public safety officers can be directly linked to the saving of a life by a public safety agency. The Public Safety Civilian Partnership Award may be awarded to a citizen whose assistance was given without regard for their own personal welfare and had a positive bearing on the outcome of an incident. The Public Safety Civilian Partnership was first awarded in 2017 for acts performed in 2016.
The Public Safety Director's Leadership Medal was awarded in 2017 and 2018 to individuals at the command or staff level whose demonstrated actions in the areas of community-oriented engagement and collaborative community-based activities have promoted an environment of greater safety, security and cooperation for community members. Through their leadership, the award winner established a sustainable program or cultivated and/or enhanced relationships that encouraged the collaboration of two or more groups to create an identifiable and meaningful impact on public safety. It was discontinued after 2018.
The medal is awarded by the President of the Philippines to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and allied military personnel, including recognized guerrilla forces.[3][4] The Medal of Valor is held in such high regard that the President is required to salute the medal and the individual wearing it.[5]
The medal is described as a disc adorned with a golden sea-lion in relief holding the eight-rayed Philippine sun, and water waves composed of five blue ripples. The disk rests on a red cross with golden borders and crossed golden swords. The top-most flange of the cross contains three golden stars in a triangular pattern. A golden bar embossed with the phrase "For Valor" connects the medal to a sampaguita wreath consisting of ten white buds and twenty-two green leaves. The wreath serves as a link to the neck ribbon, which is crimson with eight golden stars arranged horizontally forming two parallel lines. The service ribbon, worn in lieu of the medal itself, is similarly crimson with eight golden stars arranged horizontally forming two parallel lines, five stars on the top line and three on the bottom.[1]
The phrase For Valor embossed on the bar has led some sources to call the medal the "Medal For Valor", and the Philippine Army itself refers to it this way.[9] However, other official Philippine government sources refer to it as the "Medal of Valor".[10]
The sea-lion represents the Office of the President of the Philippines. The eight-rayed sun represents the eight Philippine provinces that revolted against Spain. The blue ripples represent the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The crossed swords represent conflict with the enemy in defense of the nation; the three stars represent Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the three island groups of the Philippines, while the sampaguita wreath symbolizes the highest honor for courage and gallantry. The red coloration signifies bravery.[1]
In addition, they are exempt from tuition fees in public and private schools and other institutions of learning. Children of the recipient who wish to attend the Philippine Military Academy, if qualified, receive priority for commission into the Armed Forces of the Philippines upon graduation. They also receive free medication from both public and private hospitals.
There have been 41 Medal of Valor recipients since 1935. Of these recipients, 17 are living. As of 2017[update], five of them were in active service: Cirilito Sobejana, Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Noel Buan, Herbert Dilag and Custodio Parcon.[11] Buan retired from active service in 2018.[12]
The portraits of Medal of Valor recipients are displayed in the Hall of Heroes at Camp Aguinaldo, headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Quezon City.[13] The Hall of Valor at the Philippine Military Academy also showcases the portraits of PMA Medal of Valor recipients.[14]
The official number of Philippine Medal of Valor recipients is currently given as forty-one (41).[2] However, Mary Grace Baloyo, a Philippine Air Force pilot who died in a crash on 26 March 2001 and is on record as being conferred the medal by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on 3 April 2001, is not included in the summary of recipients.[44][47]
In 2018, Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order creating the Arizona Medal of Valor, an award that recognizes and honors the public safety officers and first responders who put their lives on the line to protect the safety of Arizonans.
The Arizona Medal of Valor honors those serving in an official capacity at an Arizona public agency as a peace officer, firefighter, first responder or other law enforcement capacity, including a correctional officer, who engaged in an extraordinary act of valor, courageousness or heroism while on the job.
Medal of Valor nominations may only be submitted to the review board by completing the online submittal form through the link below. Nominations should include sufficient detail to allow for a thorough review.
Today, President Obama awarded the Medal of Valor to thirteen public safety officers at the White House. The Medal of Valor is awarded to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in an attempt to save or protect others from harm.
He also discussed how he's taking action to reform our criminal justice system to help ensure that public safety officers have the ability to enforce the law and keep their communities safe:
Officer Mario Gutierrez (Miami-Dade Police Department, FL) for bravery and composure while enduring a violent attack. Officer Gutierrez sustained multiple stab wounds while subduing a knife-wielding assailant who attempted to set off a massive gas explosion that could have resulted in multiple fatalities.
Patrolman Louis Cioci (Johnson City Police Department, NY) for courageously resolving a volatile encounter with a gunman. After witnessing the murder of his fellow officer, Patrolman Cioci pursued and apprehended the gunman at a crowded hospital, thereby saving the lives of employees, patients, and visitors.
Officers Jason Salas and Robert Sparks (Santa Monica Police Department, CA), and Captain Raymond Bottenfield (Santa Monica College Police Department, CA) for courage and composure in ending a deadly rampage. Officer Salas, Officer Sparks, and Captain Bottenfield placed themselves in mortal danger to save the lives of students and staff during a school shooting on the busy campus of Santa Monica College.
Major David Huff (Midwest City Police Department, OK) for uncommon poise in resolving a dangerous hostage situation. Major Huff saved the life of a two-year-old girl after negotiations deteriorated with a man holding the child captive at knife point.
Officer Donald Thompson (Los Angeles Police Department, CA) for courageous action to save an accident victim. While off-duty, Officer Thompson traversed two freeway dividers and endured first- and second-degree burns while pulling an unconscious man to safety from a car moments before it became engulfed in flames.
Officer Coral Walker (Omaha Police Department, NE) for taking brave and decisive action to subdue an active shooter. After exchanging gunfire, Officer Walker single-handedly incapacitated a man who had killed and injured multiple victims on a shooting spree.
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