The Distinguished Sea Service Award is an annual award of the

Naval Order of the United States The Naval Order of the United States was established in 1890 as a hereditary organization in the United States for members of the American sea services. Its primary mission is to encourage research and writing on naval and maritime subjects and pr ...

recognizing a recently retired flag or general office of the maritime services of the United States.

History

In 1998, Captain John Brasel of the New York Commandery of the Naval Order of the United States proposed that the Order give an annual award "to recognize the exemplary service of a senior flag officer of one of the maritime services, who is finishing a continuous career of active service." The award is always made in a formal ceremony, preferably during the Naval Order's annual congress. Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr., was the first recipient in 1990.John C. Rice, Jr., Naval Order of the United States: Past-Present-Future. (Paduchah, KY: Turner Publishing Company, 2003), p. 17.

Recipients

* 1990 Admiral

William J. Crowe, Jr. William James Crowe Jr. (January 2, 1925 – October 18, 2007) was a United States Navy admiral and diplomat who served as the 11th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and as the ambassado ...

, USN (Ret.) * 1991 General

Alfred M. Gray, Jr. Alfred Mason Gray Jr. (born June 22, 1928) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1 July 1987 until his retirement on 30 June 1991 after 41 years of service. Early lif ...

, USMC (Ret.) * 1992 Admiral

Paul A. Yost, Jr. Paul Alexander Yost Jr. (January 3, 1929February 9, 2022) was an admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 18th commandant from 1986 to 1990. Early life and career He was a native of St. Petersburg, Florida. He graduated from ...

, USCG (Ret.) * 1993 Admiral

Carlisle A.H. Trost Carlisle Albert Herman Trost (April 24, 1930 – September 29, 2020) was a United States Navy officer who served as the 23rd Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from July 1, 1986 to June 29, 1990. He oversaw ...

, USN (Ret.) * 1994 Vice Admiral John H. Fetterman, Jr., USN (Ret.) * 1995 Admiral David E. Jeremiah, USN (Ret.) * 1996 General

Walter E. Boomer General Walter Eugene Boomer (born 22 September 1938) is a retired four-star general and assistant commandant of the United States Marine Corps and business executive. Boomer led all Marines in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm during ...

, USMC (Ret.) * 1997 Admiral Stanley R. Arthur, USN (Ret.) * 1998 Admiral Leighton W. Smith, USN (Ret.) * 1999 Admiral Robert E. Kramek, USCG (Ret.) * 2000 Admiral

Joseph W. Prueher Joseph Wilson Prueher (born November 25, 1942) is a former admiral of the United States Navy who was United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 1999 to 2001. He was succeeded as ambassador by Clark T. Randt Jr. Early lif ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2001 General

Anthony C. Zinni Anthony Charles Zinni (born September 17, 1943) is a former United States Marine Corps general and a former Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). From 2001 to 2003, he served as a special envoy for the United States t ...

, USMC (Ret.) * 2002 Admiral Archie Clemins, USN (Ret.) * 2003 Admiral

James Loy James Milton Loy (born August 10, 1942) is a retired admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the acting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in 2005 and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) from November 4, 2003, to Ma ...

, USCG (Ret.) * 2004 Admiral

Robert J. Natter Admiral Robert Joseph Natter is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet/Fleet Forces Command from 2000 to 2003. Military career Natter was born April 9, 1945, at his home in Trussville, Alabama. He enlis ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2005 Admiral

James O. Ellis Admiral James Oren Ellis Jr. (born July 20, 1947) is a retired 4-star admiral and former Commander, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. He was President and Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Nuclear Power Operatio ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2006 Admiral

Vern Clark Vernon Eugene Clark (born September 7, 1944) is a retired admiral who served as the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) of the United States Navy. He retired on July 22, 2005, making his tenure of five years the second-longest serving CNO behind Arlei ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2007 Admiral

Thomas Fargo Admiral Thomas Boulton Fargo (born June 13, 1948) served in the United States Navy during the late 20th century and early 21st century. He served as Commander, United States Pacific Command, at Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii from May 2, 2002 to Febr ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2008 General

James L. Jones James Logan Jones Jr. (born December 19, 1943) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general and consultant who served as the 21st United States National Security Advisor from 2009 to 2010. During his military career, he served as th ...

, USMC (Ret.) * 2009 Admiral

William J. Fallon William Joseph Fallon (born December 30, 1944) is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who retired after serving for over 41 years. His last military assignment was as Commander, U.S. Central Command from March 2007 to March 2008. ADM ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2010 General

Peter Pace Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace was the first Marine officer appointed as chairman and the first Marine officer to be appointed ...

, USMC (Ret.) * 2011 Admiral Thad W. Allen, USCG (Ret.) * 2012 Admiral

Michael Mullen Michael Glenn Mullen (born October 4, 1946) is a retired United States Navy admiral, who served as the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2007, to September 30, 2011. Mullen previously served as the Navy's 28th chief of ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2013 Admiral

Timothy J. Keating Timothy John Keating (born November 16, 1948) is a retired United States Navy admiral. During his career, he served as commander of Carrier Group Five, the United States 5th Fleet, the United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace D ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2014 General

James Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th US secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. During his 44 years in the Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Per ...

, USMC (Ret.) * 2015 MCPON Rick West, USN (Ret.) * 2015 Admiral

James G. Stavridis James George Stavridis (born February 15, 1955) is a retired United States Navy admiral, currently Vice Chair, Global Affairs and Managing Director of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rocke ...

, USN (Ret.) * 2016 SMMC

Micheal Barrett Micheal P. "Mike" Barrett (born April 5, 1963) is a retired United States Marine who served as the 17th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, succeeding Carlton W. Kent on June 9, 2011. As the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Barrett was the hig ...

, USMC (Ret.) * 2016 Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr., USCG (Ret.) * 2017 MCPOCG

Michael P. Leavitt Michael Phillip Leavitt (born Fruitland, Idaho, September 11, 1960) was the eleventh Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG). He assumed the position from MCPOCG Charles W. Bowen on May 21, 2010 and was relieved on May 22, 2014, ...

, USCG (Ret.) * 2017 Admiral Jonathan Greenert, USN (Ret.)

References

{{reflist United States Navy United States Coast Guard United States Marine Corps Military awards and decorations of the United States Awards and decorations of the United States Navy