Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the Medal of Valor Ceremony

Good morning. Please be seated.

The Medal of Valor is our nation’s highest award for public safety officers.

Today, we recognize an extraordinary group of such officers who were nominated for this award by public safety leaders from across the country because of their acts of courage and heroism in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The Medal of Valor Board then recommended each of these honorees to me for recognition.

And it is now my great privilege to be here, alongside President Biden, as he confers the awards.

It is also a great privilege to welcome the loved ones, friends, and colleagues of the honorees who are with us here. We know that your support along the way has made all the difference.

The 15 honorees we recognize today demonstrated acts of “extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty.” Two of those honorees made the ultimate sacrifice.

To the families and loved ones of 2nd Lieutenant Jared Lloyd and Officer Jason Shuping – we know that nothing will ever be enough to recognize all that you have lost.

You have our deepest condolences, our gratitude, and our enduring commitment to honor the courage with which Lieutenant Lloyd and Officer Shuping lived their lives.

The public safety officers we honor today are true heroes.

They put themselves in the line of fire to protect their communities and their fellow officers.

They demonstrated to all of us, and to our country, what true courage looks like.

And they did this not for public recognition, but because they are true public servants.

To our honorees and their loved ones, and to the dedicated public safety officers all across the country who go to great lengths every day for the American people, we say thank you.

Thank you for your heart. Thank you for your determination.

And thank you for being indispensable partners in everything the Department of Justice does to try to help keep our communities safe.

I am now honored to introduce President Biden, who has demonstrated time and again his commitment to our nation’s public safety officers.

Thank you, Mr. President, for your support of the extraordinary public servants who keep our communities and country safe, and for bringing us together today.

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