U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards

On August 8, 2002, the Border Patrol launched its awards and medals program, with Chief Gustavo De La Viña bestowing the inaugural two medals at the Chief's Conference in Swanton Sector, Vermont. Chief Patrol Agent Paul E. Conover received the Purple Cross Medal for injuries sustained during a 1982 gunfight with a murder suspect in Redford, Texas. Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Charles C. Whitmire earned the Chief's Commendation Medal (later repurposed as the USBP Achievement Medal) for his outstanding performance during the 2002 Winter Olympics' security operations in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Assistant Chief William V. Beaumet, in collaboration with the U.S. Army's Institute of Heraldry, originally developed the awards program, including designing the medals and ribbons. Upon transferring to the Border Patrol Academy in Glynco, Georgia, the program was passed on to Assistant Chief Randy Gallegos, who continued the procurement of the initial medals. In June 2002, Assistant Chief Dan Harris took over the program.

In August 2002, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Beaumet was asked to design certificates to accompany the first two awards, completing them just in time for the Chief's Conference.

Despite the creation and proposal of numerous awards, many were never implemented. By 2004, the Chief's Commendation Medal had been awarded only once and subsequently fell into disuse. The Newton-Azrak Award and Purple Cross Medal sets were the only distinctions consistently presented to employees.

See the files below for the early proposals:

In 2018, U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters sought to enhance employee recognition. Building upon the groundwork laid by Chief Beaumet, Assistant Chief Clifford Gill contributed to the development of the USBP Honorary Awards Program, which reauthorized the USBP 75th Anniversary Award for wear and repurposed two previously designed awards from the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry for use within the agency.

All USBP Honorary Awards were authorized for wear as per the 2019 Interim Wear Guidance for USBP Honorary Awards.

Since the 2019 guidance, the USBP has revised its uniform policy multiple times. The USBP Uniform and Grooming Standards 2025 continues that evolution by incorporating and refining the interim guidance on the wear of Authorized Devices and USBP Honorary Awards.

On April 23, 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol superseded the original IOP and incorporated the updated Purple Cross criteria into the 2023 USBP Honorary Awards and Recognitions Program IOP.

U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards, showing the Newton-Azrak Award, USBP Purple Cross Medal, USBP Commendation Medal, USBP Achievement Medal, USBP 75th Anniversary Medal, and the USBP Centennial Medal

Prior to the establishment of this program, the U.S. Border Patrol had limited formal mechanisms to recognize the achievements, service, and heroism of its employees. The introduction of honorary awards marked a significant shift in formally acknowledging workforce contributions and upholding organizational values.

USBP Honorary Awards overview

-	Newton-Azrak Award	USBP Commendation Award	USBP Achievement Award	Purple Cross
Purpose	Recognizes conspicuous heroism beyond the call of duty by USBP employees, open for continuous individual and team nominations.	For teams and individuals to recognize: Exceptional meritorious achievement, Extraordinary heroism, or Recognizing other significant awards	For teams and individuals to recognize: Meritorious achievement, Heroism, or Recognizing other lower level awards.	To commemorate significant injuries and assault related wounds suffered in the scope of duty.
Tier	1st tier for valor	2nd tier for valor (Awards for heroism/valor distinguished with a "V" device), 1st tier for performance	3rd tier for valor (Awards for heroism/valor distinguished with a "V" device), 2nd tier for performance	Assault related injuries distinguished with a "V" device.
Awarded by	Chief, U.S. Border Patrol	Chief, U.S. Border Patrol	Chief Patrol Agents or HQ directorate heads	Chief, U.S. Border Patrol

Newton-Azrak Award

USBP Newton-Azrak Award Medal

The Border Patrol's highest honor is the Newton-Azrak Award. The award is named for Border Patrol Inspectors Theodore Newton and George Azrak, who were murdered by two drug smugglers in San Diego County in 1967. See this link for the full story of their sacrifice.

Newton-Azrak Award graphic by the Army Institute of Heraldry (TIOH). TIOH spec sheets for the award.

Criteria
May be awarded to any USBP employee who performs a conspicuous act of heroism:

The act performed must be above and beyond the call of duty.
The act performed must present an imminent and personal danger to the life of the individual.
The individual must have knowledge of the risks involved and voluntarily assume them.

See this link for a history of the award and a list of its recipients.

USBP Purple Cross

USBP Purple Cross Medal

This is the U.S. Border Patrol wound award. It may be used to commemorate injuries suffered in the scope of duty as well as injures due to assault related events.

USBP Purple Cross graphic by TIOH. TIOH spec sheets for the award.

Criteria
May be awarded to any employee who, while in the scope of duty, sustains:

Protracted or permanent impairment of any bodily function;
Fatal injury;
Injury as the result of an assault with a deadly weapon, which requires treatment by a medical professional; or
Injuries attributed, directly or indirectly, from an attack by an assailant with the following factors:
- The injury or wound cannot be attributed to bravado or gross negligence; and
- Any act of valor may be distinguished with the addition of a "V" device to affix to the ribbon.

The nomination must convey the veracity of the claim.

See this link for a list of some of its recipients.

USBP Commendation Award

USBP Commendation Medal

Originally designed to be the USBP Distinguished Career Service Award under the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the designed was repurposed as the USBP Commendation Award. Although the USBP Distinguished Career Service Award existed in the INS, the medal set was never authorized or issued. Any of the USBP Distinguished Career Service Awards in existence were created as prototypes and never presented to a recipient.

Design
TIOH began with the obverse of the Great Seal of the United States. The field of 13 stars were replaced with the USBP patch. The USBP motto, "Honor First" was placed on the ribbon between the wings and the USBP patch. The USBP's year of inception, "1924", was placed on the shield. The 22 stars represent the 21 sectors that existed at the time the award was designed plus the USBP Academy.

USBP Commendation Award graphic by TIOH. TIOH spec sheets for the award.

Criteria
Awarded to an employee or a group for exceptional meritorious achievement or service. The acts or services must be accomplished or performed in a manner above that normally expected, and sufficient to distinguish the recipient(s) above those performing similar services, or

Awarded to an individual or a group for extraordinary lifesavings efforts not involving heroism,
Awarded to an individual for extraordinary heroism, not justifying the Newton-Azrak Award, or
Awarded to a group for extraordinary heroism.

Awards of the U.S. Border Patrol Commendation for acts of extraordinary heroism are distinguished with the addition of a “V” device affixed to the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar.

See this link for a list of some of its recipients.

USBP Achievement Award

USBP Achievement Medal

Originally designed to be the Chief's Commendation Medal under the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the design was repurposed as the USBP Achievement Award. The Chief's Commendation Medal was awarded to one person in 2002.

Criteria
Awarded to an employee or a group for meritorious achievement or service based on sustained performance or specific achievement of a superlative nature, and shall be of such merit as to warrant more recognition than is possible by non-traditional awards, but which is not significant enough to justify the U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Award, or

Awarded to an individual or a group for lifesavings efforts, exceeding expectation, not involving heroism,
Awarded to an individual or a group for heroism, not justifying the U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Award.

Awards of the U.S. Border Patrol Achievement for acts of heroism are distinguished with the addition of a “V” device affixed to the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar.

USBP Achievement Award graphic by TIOH. TIOH spec sheets for the award.

See this link for a list of some of its recipients.

USBP 75th Anniversary Medal

Criteria

Awarded to every Border Patrol Agent and Aircraft Pilot serving on and immediately before May 28,1999.
Agents hired after May 28, 1999 shall not be eligible to receive the award.
Border Patrol Agents attending the Academy on May 28, 1999, shall be eligible to receive the award upon graduation.

TIOH spec sheets for the award.

HonorFirst note: The criteria for the 75th Anniversary Medal applied only to Border Patrol Agents and Aircraft Pilots, which led to some professional staff (non-agent) employees feeling overlooked in recognition programs. In contrast, the USBP Centennial Medal was awarded to all employees, reflecting a broader recognition approach.

USBP Centennial Medal

Criteria

Awarded to every USBP employee serving on and immediately before May 28, 2024.
Employees hired after May 28, 2024, shall not be eligible to receive the award.
Border Patrol Agents attending the Academy on May 28, 2024, shall be eligible to receive the award upon graduation.

TIOH graphics and spec sheets for the award.

Symbolism

Medal. Gold denotes honor. The laurel wreaths symbolize achievement. The 22 stars and rays represent the sectors composing the Border Patrol. The continental United States celebrates the hundred years of service provided by the agents who safeguard the borders of the nation.
Ribbon. Blue represents the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Gold symbolizes the border of the United States. Green signifies land. Black and White honors past and current achievements of the agents and officers.

Relationship of USBP Honorary Awards to other Recognitions

The USBP Honorary Awards are designed to displace non-traditional awards as the recognition item for lessor yet worthy achievements, service and heroism. Further, the intent for USBP Achievement Award is for the decoration to be given generously, to be presented to approximately 10% of the workforce per year.

Actions recognized by the Newton-Azrak Award, Purple Cross Award and U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Medal are to be the primary source of USBP nominees for all exterior awards:

DHS Secretary’s Awards
Annual Commissioner’s Awards
Department of Justice, Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor
Congressional Medal of Bravery
Other similar recognitions

Most exterior awards systems recognize less than 10% of the nominations (90% failure to recognize). By recognizing a Border Patrol employee with an USBP Honorary Award first, it is ensured that the employee action is recognized and that the recognition is given by the their organization, the U.S. Border Patrol.

Recipients of significant governmental and non-governmental recognitions may be awarded USBP Honorary Awards.

Purpose

Provides the recipient with a recognition item authorized for wear.
Enables the recognition of employees for worthy actions occurring before the implementation of the USBP Honorary Award Program.
Communicates to non-recipient employees that the Border Patrol values the actions of its workforce.
Communicates to non-recipient employees that workforce actions are valued.
Aligns with principles of Equity Theory and Expectancy Theory by reinforcing the perceived fairness and value of employee recognition.

Criteria
Nominations to receive a USBP Honorary Award for significant governmental and non-governmental recognitions will be based on the following criteria:

Only current USBP employees are eligible.
The event must have occurred while the employee was employed by CBP, the USBP or a legacy CBP organization.
The nomination must be based on convincing information to establish the veracity of the claim.

USBP Honorary Awards Conversion Chart

Past Award Received*	Converts to USBP Honorary Award
Congressional Medal of Bravery	U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Medal with “V” Device
DOJ Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor	U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Medal with “V” Device
DHS Secretary’s Valor Award	U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Medal with “V” Device
CBP Medal of Honor for Heroism	U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Medal with “V” Device
CBP Meritorious Service Award for Valor	U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Medal with “V” Device
DHS Secretary’s Awards, including but not limited to: Exceptional Service Meritorious Service Unity of Effort Exemplary Service Excellence Diversity Management Volunteer Service Unit Award	U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Medal
Commissioner’s Annual Awards, including but not limited to: Commissioner’s Integrity Award Best Practices, Efficiency, and Innovation Award Law Enforcement Officer Award Excellence in Mission Support CBP Ambassador Award Customer Service and Professionalism Award Diane Dean and Jose Melendez-Perez Anti-Terrorism Award Mission Integration Award Special Recognition Award Invictus Award	U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Medal
Commissioner’s Humanitarian Award	U.S. Border Patrol Achievement Medal with “V” Device
Commissioner’s Blue Eagle Award	U.S. Border Patrol Achievement Medal
Commissioner’s Unit Citation Award	U.S. Border Patrol Achievement Medal

* The USBP Awards Coordinator should be contacted for information concerning the conversion of any awards not listed.

Distinguishing of Past Acts of Under-Recognized or Unrecognized Heroism, Injuries or Wounds

Purpose

Authorizes the consideration of all past acts of under-recognized or unrecognized heroism, injuries or wounds within an employee’s USBP career.
Provides the employee with a recognition item authorized for wear.
Provides a tangible representation to the recipient that their action is appreciated and worthy of recognition.
Provides assurance to the recipient that their actions aligned with the highest standards of duty and professionalism, regardless of the outcome.
Communicates to non-recipient employees that workforce actions are valued.
Aligns with principles of Equity Theory and Expectancy Theory by reinforcing the perceived fairness and value of employee recognition.

Criteria
USBP Honorary Awards are available to distinguish past acts of under-recognized or unrecognized heroism, injuries or wounds based on the following criteria:

Only current USBP employees are eligible.
The event must have occurred while the employee was employed by the USBP.
The nomination must be based on convincing information to establish the veracity of the claim.

Nominations to distinguish past acts will follow the same process as outlined for the recommended USBP Honorary Award.

USBP Honorary Award Guidance Tables

This guidance was not incorporated in the 2023 USBP Honorary Awards and Recognitions IOP update.
It is provided here for reference and to preserve historical context.

The tables are to be used as guidelines to assist in identifying appropriate employee recognitions based on the type of accomplishment:

Table #1 – Administrative accomplishments
Table #2 – Acts of heroism and valor
Table #3 – Law enforcement actions
Table #4 – Lifesaving actions

If more than one table may be used to evaluate an employee's accomplishment, the table most advantageous to the employee should be used.

The guidance tables, originally developed to assist in award determinations, do not address all worthy acts or categories of achievement. Historically, Honorary Awards have been used to recognize employee achievements for a tour of duty, retirement, or other commendable situations.

Table #1 - ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AWARD GUIDANCE

This table is used to determine the appropriate award for an employee performing administrative functions. A simple matrix evaluating the value of the achievement/accomplishment to the extent of the application identifies the award to which the employee should be nominated. For example, an employee that creates a "substantial" change to a program that impacts a sector (extended), should be nominated for a USBP Achievement Award.

-	LIMITED Affects functions, mission, or personnel of one station or the equivalent.	EXTENDED Affects functions, mission, or personnel of one sector or the equivalent.	BROAD Affects functions, mission, or personnel of three or more sectors or the equivalent.
MODERATE Change or modification of an operating principle or procedure with limited use impact.	Non-traditional Award	Non-traditional Award	USBP Achievement Award
SUBSTANTIAL Substantial change or modification of procedures. An important improvement to the value of a product, activity, program, or service.	Non-traditional Award	USBP Achievement Award	USBP Commendation Award
EXCEPTIONAL Initiation of a new principle or major procedure: a superior improvement to the quality of a critical product, activity, program, or service.	USBP Achievement Award	USBP Commendation Award	USBP Commendation Award

Table #2 - HEROIC AND VALOROUS ACT AWARD GUIDANCE

This table is used to determine the appropriate award for an employee who faced danger while in the scope of duty. The nominator would determine the level of danger an employee faced and gauge the employee's level of performance during the action. For example, an employee who faced "great danger" while performing "beyond the call of duty" should be nominated for a USBP Commendation Award with "V" Device.

Lifesavings actions not involving danger to the employee are recognized under Table #4. Such actions are NOT acts of heroism/valor. Employees must face danger to receive a valor award. See the definitions near the bottom of this page.

-	EXPECTED	EXCEEDED EXPECTATION	BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY
DANGER Employee faces personal risk of bodily harm during the action.	Non-traditional Award	Non-traditional Award	USBP Achievement Award with "V" Device
GREAT DANGER Employee faces personal risk of great bodily harm during the action.	Non-traditional Award	USBP Achievement Award with "V" Device	USBP Commendation Award with "V" Device
GRAVE DANGER Employee’s life is placed in peril of death or s/he faces serious bodily harm during the action.	USBP Achievement Award with "V" Device	USBP Commendation Award with "V" Device	Newton-Azrak Award

Table #3 - LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION AWARD GUIDANCE

This table was developed to provide a means to recognized employees for performing their primary function. Recognitions under this table should be presented in greater numbers than any of the other tables.

In utilizing this table, the nominator would determine the intersection of the employee's actions. For example, an employee making an "exceptional" "misdemeanor" arrest/seizure should be nominated for the USBP Achievement Award.

-	ADMINISTRATIVE	MISDEMEANOR	FELONY
ROUTINE Routine enforcement actions and seizure amounts	No award	No award	Non-traditional Award
SUBSTANTIAL Substantial enforcement actions and seizure amounts	Non-traditional Award	USBP Achievement Award	USBP Achievement Award
EXCEPTIONAL Exceptional enforcement actions and seizure amounts	Non-traditional Award	USBP Achievement Award	USBP Commendation Award

Table #4 - LIFESAVING ACTION AWARD GUIDANCE

An employee’s performance during a lifesavings act is the primary measure to identify the proper award.

Lifesaving actions under this table do not involve danger to the employee. If danger is present, then the action should be considered heroic/valorous and Table #2 used to evaluate the appropriate recognition.

EXPECTED	EXCEEDED EXPECTATION	EXTRAORDINARY
Non-traditional Award	USBP Achievement Award	USBP Commendation Award

Definitions

Danger - Employee faces personal risk of bodily harm during the action.
Great Danger - Employee faces personal risk of great bodily harm during the action.
Grave Danger - Employee’s life is placed in peril of death or s/he faces serious bodily harm during the action.

Beyond the call of duty – A voluntary course of action taken in the scope of duty while facing actual or potential danger, the omission of which would not justly subject the employee to censure for failure to meet expectation. The action usually includes the acceptance of existing danger or extraordinary responsibilities.

Heroism / Valor – The minimum measure of bravery, gallantry or courage by which an employee may be recognized with the U.S. Border Patrol Achievement Award with a “V” device. Heroism is determined based on the level of actual or potential physical risk the employee faced in relation to their level of performance while in the scope of duty. Responding in the face of perceived danger does not qualify as heroism / valor.

Extraordinary Heroism / Valor - The minimum measure of bravery, gallantry or courage by which an employee may be recognized with the U.S. Border Patrol Commendation Award with a “V” device. Extraordinary heroism is determined based on the level of actual or potential physical risk the employee faced in relation to their level of performance while in the scope of duty. Responding in the face of perceived danger does not qualify as heroism / valor.

Conspicuous Heroism / Valor - The measure of bravery, gallantry or courage by which an employee may be recognized with the Newton-Azrak Award. Conspicuous heroism is an action taken by an employee while facing grave danger, performing above the call of duty and in the scope of duty.

Line of Duty - Any action that an employee is obligated or authorized by law, rule, regulation, or written condition of employment to perform or for which the employee is compensated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards