Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor
Army, Navy, and Air Force versions of the Medal of Honor
Awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U.S. Congress
Type	U.S. military medal with neck ribbon (Decoration)
Eligibility	Military personnel only
Awarded for	Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	U.S. Navy: December 21, 1861 U.S. Army: July 12, 1862 U.S. Air Force: April 14, 1965
First awarded	March 25, 1863: American Civil War, U.S. Army recipient
Last awarded	July 18, 2016
Total awarded	3,515
Posthumous awards	621
Distinct recipients	3,496
Precedence
Next (higher)	None
Next (lower)	Army: Distinguished Service Cross Navy and Marine Corps: Navy Cross Air Force: Air Force Cross Coast Guard: Coast Guard Cross

The Medal of Honor is the United States of America's highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U.S. Congress to U.S. military personnel only. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. Personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy version. US awards including the Medal of Honor do not have post-nominal titles and while there is no official abbreviation, the most common abbreviations are "MOH" and "MH".

The Medal of Honor was created as a Navy version in 1861 named the "Medal of Valor", and an Army version of the medal named the "Medal of Honor" was established in 1862 to give recognition to men who distinguished themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity" in combat with an enemy of the United States. Because the medal is presented "in the name of Congress", it is often referred to as the "Congressional Medal of Honor". However, the official name is "Medal of Honor", which began with the U.S. Army's version. Within United States Code the medal is referred to as the "Medal of Honor", and less frequently as "Congressional Medal of Honor".

The Medal of Honor is usually presented by the President in a formal ceremony at the White House, intended to represent the gratitude of the American people, with posthumous presentations made to the primary next of kin. According to the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States, there have been 3,515 Medals of Honor awarded to the nation's soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen since the decoration's creation, with just less than half of them awarded for actions during the four years of the American Civil War.