Essayons medal
U.S. Army Engineers
History of the Essayons Medal
The “Essayons Medal” is not an official formally recognized military award. The medal comes from the term “Essayons,” which refers to the motto of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which started using it around 1840. “Essayons,” which is a French phrase that stands for “Let us try.”
The Essayons Award is an award presented by the Army Engineer Association. It was introduced in 2006 to recognize the regiment’s engineer spouses and to pay homage to all the great spouses across the Engineer Regiment.
This is to honor spouses who have voluntarily contributed significantly to the morale, welfare, and spirit of the engineer units and organizations.
Essayons Medal Criteria
Award eligibility criteria for approval.
- The nominee should be the spouse of an engineer Soldier or engineer Department of Defense civilian.
- The nominee’s spouse should be a member of AEA.
- The nominee should be a spouse who has voluntarily provided significant contributions and support to the Engineer Corps, engineer units, engineer families, and/or multiple communities.
- Most importantly, the spouse must possess qualities that set the individual apart from other Engineer Corps spouses or their peers.
- Spouses associated with Active, Reserve, or National Guard units are eligible. Retired individuals are also eligible.
- The award will not be presented as an “end-of-tour” award that recognizes performance/contributions made during a single assignment. The presentation of the Essayons Award to the recipient should be scheduled during very special events such as formal dinners, retirements, and similar affairs.
Essayons Award Pricing
Award: Essayons – $50
Expedited Processing: $25
Expediting processing is available through the online award submission portal as long as the proposed presentation date is at least two weeks after the award submission. Please note this time does not start until the award has been fully approved and is ready for processing.
Expedited Shipping:
Expedited shipping is available once awards are fully approved and processed. Expedited shipping costs will vary depending on the location at which it is to be shipped.
Please contact our awards team at [email protected] or at 573.329.6678 if you have any questions.
Before submitting for an Essayons Medal
Please note that a NEW online awards processing system is in place. Please verify the following information before submitting for an award.
Requestor: Anyone can be a requestor for an Essayons Medal.
Nominee: Ensure the nominee meets the above criteria and the spouse is a member of the Army Engineer Association.
Approving Authority: Approval for this award is the Engineer BN/District Commanders who are also members of the Army Engineer Association.
Please ensure that you know the AEA member number and the email associated with that membership prior to submitting for the award.
Submit for an Essayons Medal
Please verify all award submission requirements have been met prior to submitting for an Essayons Medal.
Questions about awards?
For any questions about AEA awards, please email our team at [email protected] or give us a call at 573.329.6678. Our team is available Monday – Friday 0830 – 1530.
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