This report also describes the process involved in reconsidering an individual for receipt of the medal (including what assistance a Member may provide in this process). The benefits that are made available to MoH recipients are listed. This report briefly describes the history of the MoH and the criteria and rules used in awarding the medal. Members and staff of Congress often ask the Congressional Research Service to provide information concerning the awarding of the Medal of Honor (MoH). Six rescinded awards have been reinstated. In certain cases, the award has been rescinded. Since the award's inception, the laws and regulations that apply to it have changed. Nineteen individuals have been double recipients of the award. Since it was first presented in 1863, the medal has been awarded 3,512 times to 3,493 recipients. For this reason, it is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is awarded by the President in the name of Congress. The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award for bravery. The two most recent recipients from World War I, Army Private Henry Johnson and Army Sergeant William Shemin, were awarded Medals of Honor posthumously by President Obama on June 2, 2015.įor information on recent recipients, see CRS Report R元0011, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2014, and CRS Report R43939, Medal of Honor Recipients in the 113th Congress: A Fact Sheet. These cases, however, represent the exception and not the rule. These cases are often based on technical errors, lost documents or eyewitness accounts, or other factors that justify reconsideration. In a very limited number of cases, the medal has been awarded outside the legal restrictions concerning time limits.

Generally speaking, this type of legislation is rarely enacted. On a number of occasions, legislation has been offered to waive certain restrictions and to encourage the President to award the Medal of Honor to particular individuals.

Since the award’s inception, the laws and regulations that apply to it have changed. Recipients of the Medal of Honor are afforded a number of benefits as a result of this award. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for bravery.

Do medal of honor recipients get paid