| Award for Valor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Medal |
| Awarded for | "Acts of valor or outstanding performance under unusually difficult or dangerous circumstances" |
| Presented by | United States Department of State |
| Eligibility | Foreign Service, Civil Service, US Military |
| Status | Obsolete, replaced with the Award for Heroism |
 Ribbon | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Award for Heroism |
| Next (lower) | Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service |
The Award for Valor is an obsolete award of the United States Department of State. It has since been replaced with the Award for Heroism. It was presented to employees of State, USAID and Marine guards assigned to diplomatic and consular facilities in recognition of acts of valor or outstanding performance under unusually difficult or dangerous circumstances, whether or not in connection with the performance of assigned duties.
The award consisted of a gold medal set and a certificate signed by an assistant secretary, an official of equivalent rank or the Chief of Mission.
The basic difference between the Award for Valor and the Award for Heroism is that the Valor Award was issued in 10K gold whereas the Heroism Award is issued in sterling silver. The ribbon reflects this; the designs are almost identical, but the color scheme indicates the precious metal issued with the respective awards.
The following criteria were applicable to granting an Award for Valor:
Upon authorization, members of the U.S. military may wear the medal and ribbon in the appropriate order of precedence as a U.S. non-military personal decoration.