The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC), one of the eight uniformed services of the United States, has the authority to issue various awards, commendations, and other insignia to its members. These include individual honor awards, unit honor awards, service awards, training ribbons, special skill badges, and identification badges. The following PHSCC awards are listed in the service's order of precedence: [1] [2] [3]
 | Public Health Service Presidential Unit Citation - the highest unit decoration of the Public Health Service. |
 | Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation - the second highest unit decoration of the Public Health Service. |
 | Public Health Service Unit Commendation - the third highest unit decoration of the Public Health Service. |
The following awards are awarded by various associations and organizations related the PHS mission and may be worn on the uniform (in order of precedence shown) when attending a function of that association: [5]
 | Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service (COA) [6] |
 | Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) |
 | Reserve Officers Association (ROA) |
  | Bronze letter "V" device worn on the Distinguished Service, Meritorious Service, and the Outstanding Service Medals to indicate an award for valor. |
  | 5/16th inch gold stars are worn on the Distinguished Service, Meritorious Service, Surgeon General's Exemplary Service, Outstanding Service, Commendation, Achievement, and PHS Citation Medals to indicate subsequent awards. |
  | In lieu of five gold 5/16th inch stars, a silver 5/16th inch star is worn. |
  | 3/16th inch service stars in bronze are worn on campaign, unit, and service awards to indicate subsequent awards. In lieu of five bronze stars, a silver star is worn. |
 | A gold frame is placed around the Presidential Unit Citation to indicate a second award. [7] |
  | The Expeditionary Attachment is worn centered on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar. [8] |
Commissioned Corps officers may wear two authorized special skills badges and two breast or identification badges on the Corps uniform. Badges of the USPHS take precedence over badges earned in other uniformed services. [3] [9] [10]
The United States has eight federal uniformed services that commission officers as defined by Title 10 and subsequently structured and organized by Titles 10, 14, 32, 33 and 42 of the U.S. Code.
The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States. The Surgeon General's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG), which is housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
The United States Public Health Service is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services concerned with public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The Assistant Secretary for Health oversees the PHS. The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) is the federal uniformed service of the PHS, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.
The awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces include various medals, service ribbons, ribbon devices, and specific badges which recognize military service and personal accomplishments of members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career.
The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, also referred to as the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service, is the uniformed service branch of the United States Public Health Service (PHS) and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States alongside the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. The commissioned corps' primary mission is the protection, promotion, and advancement of health and safety of the general public.
An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a specific set of decorations and awards of the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, and Department of the Air Force.
The Recruiter Badge is a decoration of the United States uniformed services that is awarded to personnel who have performed recruitment duties as service recruiters. The Recruiter Badge is issued by every branch of the U.S. uniform services except for the Marine Corps and the NOAA Commissioned Corps. With the exception of the U.S. Army, a Recruiting Service Ribbon is also awarded to those personnel who have completed successful tours as recruiters.
The Public Health Achievement Medal is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Officer Corps and to members of any Uniformed Services of the United States whose accomplishments or achievements are of outstanding or unique significance to the missions of the Corps. It is the ninth-highest award awarded by the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
Identification badges of the uniformed services of the United States are insignia worn by service members conducting special duties, many of which can be awarded as permanent decorations if those duties are performed successfully. There are a few identification badges that are awarded to all services, others are specific to a uniform service. The Office of the President and Vice President and department/service headquarters badges are permanent decorations for those who successfully serve in those assignments. Some of the service level identification badges can be permanent decorations and others are only worn by a service member while performing specific duties, such as the Military Police Badge.
The assistant secretary for health (ASH) is a senior U.S. government official within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The position is a statutory office and the holder of the office serves as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services's primary advisor on matters involving the nation's public health. The assistant secretary oversees all matters pertaining to the United States Public Health Service (PHS), the main division of the Department of Health and Human Services, for the secretary and provides strategic and policy direction. The Public Health Service comprises almost all of the agency divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services including the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the eight federal uniformed services, comprising more than 6,500 uniformed health professionals who serve with the Department of Health and Human Services, or are assigned to work within other federal agencies, including the United States Armed Forces.
The Public Health Service Smallpox Eradication Campaign Ribbon is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Officer Corps and to members of any other uniformed service of the United States
The Public Health Service Ebola Campaign Medal is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It recognizes service in responding to an outbreak of the Ebola virus.
The Public Health Service Crisis Response Service Award is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It recognizes service in response to a crisis within the United States.
The Public Health Service Global Response Service Award is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It recognizes service in response to a crisis outside the United States.
The Public Health Service Response Service Award is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It recognizes deployments to meet a public health need or to support a National Special Security Event.
The Public Health Service Recruitment Service Award is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It recognizes contributions to recruitment efforts.
The Public Health Service Bicentennial Unit Commendation Award is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It recognizes service during the bicentennial of the U.S. Public Health Service.
The Public Health Service Regular Corps Ribbon is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It recognizes membership in the Regular Corps of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.
The Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Commendation is a decoration of the United States Public Health Service presented to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. It is the third-highest unit award of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.
The Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service, often referred to as the Commissioned Officers Association (COA), is a professional association of officers of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps. It is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the interests of the USPHS Commissioned Corps. COA describes itself as a "nationally recognized member-based organization" formed to "protect and enhance the public health and safety of the United States by supporting and advancing the interests of the Commissioned Corps and its officers." It describes itself as the only organization "that works exclusively on behalf of active, inactive, and retired" USPHS Commissioned Corps officers.
