 Nine Puerto Ricans have been awarded the United States' highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—while seven have been awarded the Navy Cross and eighteen have been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force.Actions which merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree to be above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations but not meeting the criteria for the Medal of Honor.