The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth version existing for acts of joint military service performed under the Department of Defense.
Ronald A. Route is a retired Vice Admiral and former Naval Inspector General of the United States Navy and a former President of the Naval War College. On July 16, 2013, Vice Admiral Route was named President of the Naval Postgraduate School.
Franklin A. Welch was the ninth Master Chief Petty Officer of the United States Coast Guard. Welch entered the Coast Guard in 1980 after graduating from Shades Valley High School Class of 1978, in Birmingham, Alabama. A former Master Chief Quartermaster, he served in office from October 10, 2002, to June 14, 2006, and served in the Coast Guard for over 26 years.
Awards and decorations of the state defense forces are presented to members of the state defense forces in addition to regular United States military decorations and state National Guard military decorations. Each of the state governments of the United States maintains a series of decorations for issuance to members of the state defense forces, with such awards presented under the authority of the various state adjutants general and/or respective state defense force commanders.
Rear Admiral Robert Dunham Reilly Jr. was a United States Navy Surface Warfare Flag Officer who retired from active duty in January 2010 after 34-plus years of military service. His last assignment was as the 24th commander of the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC).
Rear Admiral William VanMeter Alford Jr. was the chief of staff for the United States Pacific Command between August 2004 and September 2007.
Major General Gregory Lynn Wayt served as Adjutant General of Ohio under Governors Bob Taft and Ted Strickland.
Brigadier General Rodney L. Johnson was a senior officer of the United States Army as the 9th Commanding General of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the 12th Provost Marshal General of the Army.
Jody A. Breckenridge is a former commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's Pacific Area.
Robert Thomas Moeller (1951–2011) was a United States Navy vice admiral who last served in active duty as the first deputy to the commander for military operations, U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), until his departure in April 2010. USAFRICOM was formally stood up in October 2007, as a subunified command initially of U.S. European Command, under the command of General William E. Ward, who was first commander of USAFRICOM.
Garland Porter “Gar” Wright Jr. is a retired Rear Admiral of the United States Navy. His final active duty assignment was as deputy director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. He previously served as Commander Joint Task Force 134, and prior to that as Deputy Chief of the Navy Reserve. He is a 1977 graduate of the United States Naval Academy where he was co-captain of Navy's first national championship Sailing team and named an intercollegiate "All American."
John C. Acton is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who served as the Director of Operations Coordination for DHS. Acton formerly served as Director of the DHS Presidential Transition Team.
Master Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Eric Anthony "Rick" Trent served as the seventh Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from July 1, 1994, to May 31, 1998.
Ronald James Rábago is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who in 2006 became the first person of Hispanic American descent to be promoted to flag rank in the United States Coast Guard. He retired as the assistant commandant for engineering and logistics and the United States Coast Guard's chief engineer in 2014.
David A. Morris is an American major general (retired) who is the founder and owner of Decisive Edge, LLC, a consulting firm focused on the development of business strategies for the Special Operations and intelligence communities.
Richard Wayne Hunt is a United States Navy vice admiral who served as Director - Navy Staff. He retired from active duty in November 2013.
Daniel S. Mastagni is a retired Rear Admiral of the United States Navy Reserve who, from July to September 2003 served as Commander Naval Forces Korea.
Scott Eugene Sanders received his commission in May 1980 from the United States Naval Academy and was designated a naval aviator in 1982. After completing training in the E-2C, he reported to the Seahawks of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 126. While at VAW-126, he made deployments to the Mediterranean and Caribbean aboard USS John F. Kennedy.
Thomas L. Brown II was a retired United States Navy officer and the first Navy officer to command Special Operations Command South, based in Homestead Joint Air Reserve Base, Florida.
