14 USC § 2739 - Coast Guard medal

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t14/s2739"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "14 USC § 2739 - Coast Guard medal"
title_number: 14
title_name: "COAST GUARD"
section_number: "2739"
section_name: "Coast Guard medal"
chapter_number: 27
chapter_name: "PAY, ALLOWANCES, AWARDS, AND OTHER RIGHTS AND BENEFITS"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "AWARDS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 535, § 493; renumbered § 2739, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 116(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4226; Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], §§ 8505(a)(32), 8506(f), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4749, 4752.)"
---


# § 2739. Coast Guard medal

The President may present, but not in the name of Congress, a medal to be known as the Coast Guard medal, of appropriate design, with accompanying ribbon, together with a rosette or other device to be worn in lieu thereof, to any individual who, while serving in any capacity with the Coast Guard, displays heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy.

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**Source Credit**: (Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 535, § 493; renumbered § 2739, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 116(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4226; Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], §§ 8505(a)(32), 8506(f), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4749, 4752.)

### Historical and Revision Notes

This section establishes a new medal to be known as the Coast Guard Medal, which is intended to be a parallel award to the Navy and Marine Corps Medal of the Navy, to be awarded under the same circumstances as that medal is awarded to personnel of the Navy (see title 34, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 356b). 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021— substituted “individual” for “person” and “displays” for “distinguishes himself by”.

2018— renumbered  as this section.