Corps Receives Presidential Citation for Ebola Response

Radm. Helena Mishoe (front, c) presents a unit citation to the NIH officers for their response to Ebola.

Recently, active duty and ready reserve Commissioned Corps officers received authorization to wear the Presidential Unit Citation presented Sept. 24, 2015, by President Barack Obama during an Oval Office ceremony. Such ceremonies for unit awards rarely occur, so the occasion was special. 

The citation was awarded for “extraordinary courage and the highest level of performance in action throughout the response to the Ebola outbreak.” 

According to the citation, “Commissioned Corps officers were the only United States Government asset to provide direct patient care to health care workers with Ebola in West Africa.”  

On July 15, Radm. Helena Mishoe, NIH representative to the Surgeon General’s policy advisory council and NHLBI associate director for research training and diversity, presided over a special award ceremony to formally present the unit citation to the NIH officers. Acknowledging the historic honor, Mishoe called the officers to attention for the reading of the citation. It was the first formal recognition of those receiving the award in the presence of their fellow officers, colleagues, families and friends. Mishoe concluded, “This is a proud day for the corps, our agency and our nation.”