Executive Order 12019 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 12019—Defense Meritorious Service Medal

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Thursday, November 3, 1977

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2 min read (323 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Jimmy Carter on 1977-11-03, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Defense Meritorious Service Medal." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ The Defense Meritorious Service Medal, with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances, shall be of appropriate design approved by the Secretary of Defense and shall be awarded under such regulations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.

▪ These regulations shall place the Defense Meritorious Service Medal in an order of precedence after the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal, but before the Meritorious Service Medal.

▪ No more than one Defense Meritorious Service Medal shall be awarded to any one person, but for each succeeding outstanding meritorious achievement or service justifying such an award a suitable device to be worn with that medal may be awarded under such regulations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Financial Institutions & Monetary Authorities

Total Words

323

2,030 characters

Estimated Read Time

2 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

19.8

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 12019, Jimmy Carter (Nov 3, 1977). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-12019-defense-meritorious-service-medal.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

ESTABLISHING THE DEFENSE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America, and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, it is hereby ordered as follows: SECTION 1. There is hereby established a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances, for award by the Secretary of Defense to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has rendered outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service while assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a specified or unified command, a Defense agency, or other such joint activity as may be designated by the Secretary of Defense. SEC. 2. The Defense Meritorious Service Medal, with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances, shall be of appropriate design approved by the Secretary of Defense and shall be awarded under such regulations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe. These regulations shall place the Defense Meritorious Service Medal in an order of precedence after the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal, but before the Meritorious Service Medal. SEC. 3. No more than one Defense Meritorious Service Medal shall be awarded to any one person, but for each succeeding outstanding meritorious achievement or service justifying such an award a suitable device to be worn with that medal may be awarded under such regulations as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe. SEC. 4. The Defense Meritorious Service Medal or device may be awarded posthumously and, when so awarded, may be presented to such representative of the deceased as may be deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Defense. JIMMY CARTER The White House, November 3, 1977. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 3:53 p.m., November 3, 1977]