The Secretary’s Award for Valor 2017
The 2017 Secretary’s Award for Valor is the highest departmental recognition for extraordinary acts of valor by an employee, occurring while on or off duty. The award is only to be given in extraordinary circumstances to those who have demonstrated extraordinary courage in a highly dangerous, life-threatening situation or emergency under extreme stress and involving a specific act of valor, such as saving another person’s life or property. Both civilian and military employees of the Department are eligible for this award.
CBP Guatemala Advisors Team
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Myrna Irizarry
Manuel Levario
For remarkable service and humanity in facilitating the emergency evacuation of 10 Guatemalan burn victims, all young girls, to the United States for medical treatment. CBP is adopting these processes for future medical emergency evacuations.
Daniel J. Broadhurst
United States Coast Guard
Washington, D.C.
For courageously and selflessly responding, while off duty, to a horrible vehicle collision that left one person dead and 15 others injured.
FPS Defense Tactics Instructors Team - Region Three
National Protection and Programs Directorate
Arlington, Virginia
Jarrid Isaac-Wright
George H. Marggraff
Devin Cummins
Daniel McQueen
Trevor W. Erdmann
Jennings M. Davenport
Jason A. Gueringer
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
For quick and sustained action that saved the life of a fellow Instructor who suffered a heart attack.
Federal Protective Service Region 10 Seattle Command Group
National Protection and Programs Directorate
Seattle, Washington
Darold D. Grant Jr.
Odell N. Mefford
Shaunn E. McClellan
Brian M. Desens
Joshua K. Wood
Sean S. McGregor
Carlos R. Cruz-Alfonso
Jeffrey Bungabong
For the rescue of three Seattle police officers.
ICE-HSI Miami Violent Gang Task Force
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Miami, Florida
Danny Moran
Kevin Selent
For selfless courage in rescuing two police detectives who were shot during a "Project New Dawn" gang surge enforcement operation.
Mario Estevane
United States Coast Guard
San Diego, California
For extraordinary heroism while swimming in dangerous waters to rescue an injured rock climber who fell more than 50 feet from a cliff.
Presidential Protection Division - Peru Expedition Team
United Stated Secret Service
Washington, D.C.
Lisa A. Irby
Christian K. Ebel-Orr
Stephen J. Kenny
Roberto M. Loaisiga
Demetrios P. Malamis
Jamie R. Marcella
Joshua J. McDowell
Ryan Y. Nordyke
Charles B. Owens
Georg A. Wagner
Christopher M. Watson
John M. Woodruff
For outstanding management of the medical evacuation of an officer after he was bitten by a venomous snake, while continuing to protect first daughter Malia Obama on her visit to the remote outskirts of the Amazon River Basin in Peru.
Rio Grande Valley Sector
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Rio Grande, Texas
William Creighton
Faustino Ramos
For extraordinary courage in response to an active shooting that injured a state trooper in the Rio Grande Valley.
Timothy S. Sturgell
United States Secret Service
Washington, D.C.
For selfless courage and decisive action that saved a West Point cadet from drowning.