Established in 1985, the Army’s Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service honors individuals who have participated in a “hands-on” manner in an operation or act of a humanitarian nature intended to assist an individual or individuals. Nominations should address a period of service in which the individual performed humanitarians deeds or actions, and documentation must be presented that provides evidence substantiating meritorious, on-site participation in the act or operation before the award can be presented. The exception to this is when the Secretary of Defense designates an act or operations as a “Humanitarian Act of Operation,” at which point major Army commands may process the award for employees who participated in the act or operation without the need for unique and separate justification of the award for each participant.
The award may be approved by any commander at the major Army command level or above, but achievements of such a stature that they deserve Army-wide recognition should be submitted to the Secretary of the Army for approval.