SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UNIFORM POLICY FOR THE AWARD OF DECORATIONS TO MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

SEC. 557. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UNIFORM POLICY FOR THE AWARD OF DECORATIONS TO MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. (a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings: (1) The role and importance of civilian nationals of the United States as Federal employees and contractors in support of operations of the Armed Forces worldwide has continued to expand. (2) The expanded role performed by those civilians, both in the United States and overseas, has greatly increased the risk to those civilians of injury and death from hostile actions taken against United States Armed Forces, as demonstrated by the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, in which scores of Department of Defense civilian and contractor personnel were killed or wounded. (3) On September 20, 2001, the Deputy Secretary of Defense approved the creation of a new award, a medal for the defense of freedom, to be awarded to civilians employed by the Department of Defense who are killed or wounded as a result of hostile action and at the same time directed that a comprehensive review be conducted to develop a more uniform approach to the award of decorations to military and civilian personnel of the Department of Defense. (b) Commendation of Creation of New Award.—Congress commends the decision announced by the Deputy Secretary of Defense on September 20, 2001, to approve the creation of a new award, a medal for the defense of freedom, to be awarded to civilians employed by the Department of Defense who are killed or wounded as a result of hostile action. (c) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should act expeditiously to develop a 115 STAT. 1119more comprehensive, uniform policy for the award of decorations to military and civilian personnel of the Department of Defense.