Winners Selected by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Honored Next Month
Washington, D.C. — The Congressional Medal of Honor Society has announced the 27 finalists for this year’s Citizen Honors Awards. BriGette McCoy, resident of the Sixth Congressional District, is a finalist for the Community Service Award, which recognizes a community-based organization for its exceptional impact or mission in supporting our nation’s military service members and families.
“We recognize and know that women’s stories have the power to transform the world,” said Rep. McBath (GA-06). “I’m incredibly proud to see BriGette honored as a finalist for this honor. She is a pillar in our community, and her strength in sharing her story serves as an inspiration to all of us.”
"It has been my mission to inspire women veterans to identify, connect, and empower themselves and others. This tremendous recognition is humbling, and I am grateful our organization and community was chosen as a finalist by the legacy of the Medal Of Honor recipients and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society,” said Ms. McCoy.
Ms. McCoy is an Army veteran who was raped by her superior while deployed in Europe. She struggled through hardship, sustained a brain injury, and went on to found a successful nonprofit for women veterans. She has since had the courage to testify before Congress about the effects of military sexual trauma and share her story in the media as an advocate for veterans. She is currently the pro-bono CEO of the Women Veteran Social Justice Network, a national network with more than 20,000 members.
The honorees receive the awards from a group of Americans whose actions have defined the words courage and selfless service — the living members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. These brave Americans have received the Medal of Honor for their acts of valor performed during wartime and present the Citizen Honors awards to Americans who are showing courage and dedicating themselves to service here at home. The Citizen Honors categories include the Single Act of Heroism, the Service Act Award, the Community Service Award, the Young Hero Award, and the Youth Service Award. The finalists were selected through two rounds of judging by an independent panel, with the final round judged exclusively by Medal of Honor recipients. More than 110 nominations from around the country were received for the prestigious awards.
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society was chartered by Congress in 1958 to create a brotherhood among the living Medal of Honor recipients; to protect and uphold the dignity and honor of the Medal; to promote patriotism and love of country; and to inspire our youth to become worthy and dedicated citizens of our nation. Its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. Today, there are 71 living recipients of the Medal of Honor.