Presidential Service Badge
The Presidential Service Badge is a special decoration for those members of the United States military who serve as full time military support staff to the President of the United States. Such personnel are stationed at the White House and should not be confused with the senior military officers of the Department of Defense who advise the President but are not assigned as direct Presidential aides.
Such personnel, who would be entitled to the Presidential Service Badge, include White House military public affairs officers, special aides to the President appointed from each of the military services, as well as some enlisted personnel who serve as military security support personnel to the Secret Service. The most famous position, to which is entitled the Presidential Service Badge, is the "Emergency War Officer", which is a military officer, pay-grade O-4 or above, who shadows the President of the United States at all times with a briefcase, known as "the football", containing the launch codes to the United States arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Subsequent to White House service, the Presidential Service Badge is authorized for continued wear on a military uniform and is entered in military service records as a permanent decoration.
A similar badge exists, known as the Vice Presidential Service Badge, for those military personnel assigned to assist the Vice President of the United States.
See also: Military badges of the United States
