Which is the highest Army award during wartime?

• A. The Medal of Honor
• B. The Purple Heart
• C. The Silver Star
• D. The Distinguished Service Cross

Answer: (A)

Precedence of Army valor awards in combat is tested here. The highest Army decoration for valor in combat is the Medal of Honor, and it recognizes acts of conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. It is awarded by the President in the name of Congress, highlighting its exceptional status and setting the standard for all other valor awards. This makes it surpass the Purple Heart, which is for being wounded or killed in action; the Silver Star, for gallantry in action at a high level but not to the extraordinary degree required for the Medal of Honor; and the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest decoration for extreme valor in combat. So, in wartime, the Medal of Honor is the ultimate recognition of battlefield heroism.