Presidential Service Badge - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Presidential Service Badge (or "PSB") is a badge of the United States military issued to service members who serve as full-time military staff to the President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

. Such personnel are stationed at the White House

White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...

and should not be confused with the senior military officers of the United States Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

who advise the President but are not assigned as direct Presidential aides. Each badge is stamped with a unique serial number which, when issued, associates that badge with a specific individual.

of June 1, 1960 was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

establishing a White House Service Badge

White House Service Badge

The White House Service Badge was a short lived military insignia which was issued between the years of 1960 and 1964 for United States armed forces military personnel stationed at the White House in a variety of duties....

. President Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...

retired the White House Service Badge and issued a separate Presidential Service Badge by signing on September 1, 1964.

Typical recipients include:

Military aide
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...

s to the President appointed from each of the services (pay-grade O-4 or higher) who, among other duties, rotate being the so-called "Emergency War Officer" with "The Football
Nuclear Football
The nuclear football is a briefcase, the contents of which are to be used by the President of the United States of America to authorize a nuclear attack while away from fixed command centers, such as the White House Situation Room...

", a briefcase containing nuclear
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...

decision-making tools kept within ready access of the president at all times,
White House military public affairs
Public affairs (military)
Public Affairs is a term for the formal offices of the branches of the United States Department of Defense whose purpose is to deal with the media and community issues. The term is also used for numerous media relations offices that are created by the U.S. military for more specific limited purposes...

officers,
Servicemembers assigned to the White House Communications Agency
White House Communications Agency
The White House Communications Agency , originally known as the White House Signal Detachment , was officially formed by the United States Department of War on 25 March 1942 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The WHSD was created to provide normal and emergency communications requirements in...

(WHCA), which supports Presidential communications worldwide,
Servicemembers assigned to the White House Transportation Agency
White House Transportation Agency
The White House Transportation Agency provides motor vehicle transportation to the White House as directed by the White House Military Office. This includes 24/7 ground transportation for the President's family, the White House staff, official visitors of the First Family and other authorized...

(WHTA), which provides motor vehicle transportation to the White House as directed by the White House Military Office
White House Military Office
The White House Military Office , an entity of the Executive Office of the President, provides military support for White House functions, including food service, Presidential transportation, medical support and emergency medical services, and hospitality services...

,
"Air Force One" Airmen assigned to the Presidential Airlift Group (PAG) Andrews AFB, Maryland
Marine Helicopter Squadron 1
HMX-1
Marine Helicopter Squadron One , is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron responsible for the transportation of the President of the United States, Vice President, Cabinet members and other VIPs...

(HMX-1) "Marine One
Marine One
Marine One is the call sign of any United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the President of the United States. It usually denotes a helicopter operated by the HMX-1 "Nighthawks" squadron, either the large VH-3D Sea King or the newer, smaller VH-60N "WhiteHawk", both due to be replaced by the...

" flight crew,
Marines assigned to the Marine Security Company
Marine Corps Security Force Battalion
The Marine Corps Security Force Regiment is a dedicated security and anti-/counter-terrorism unit of the United States Marine Corps. It provides security forces to guard high-value naval installations, most notably those containing nuclear vessels and weapons. It also provides Fleet Antiterrorism...

at Camp David
Camp David
Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States and his guests. It is located in low wooded hills about 60 mi north-northwest of Washington, D.C., on the property of Catoctin Mountain Park in unincorporated Frederick County, Maryland, near Thurmont, at an elevation of...

.

The PSB is awarded after at least one year of satisfactory service "to any member of the Armed Forces assigned to duty in the White House Office or to military units and support facilities under the administration of the Military Assistant to the President by the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, or, when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy, the Secretary of Transportation, upon recommendation of the Military Assistant to the President". It is accompanied by a certificate and miniature lapel version. The PSB is recorded in the awardee's military service records and is authorized for wear as a permanent decoration.

Recipients are the only Americans authorized to wear the "Presidential Seal or Coat of Arms" on their uniforms and civilian clothes.

A similar badge, the Vice Presidential Service Badge

Vice Presidential Service Badge

The Vice Presidential Service Badge is a U.S. military badge of the Department of Defense. It is awarded to members of the U.S. military, personnel of the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and personnel of the commissioned corps of the United States Public...

, exists for military personnel assigned to assist the Vice President of the United States

Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...

See also