Nominating an Individual for the DS Memorial

Diplomatic Security (DS) continually seeks the names of individuals who lost their lives in the line of duty for possible inclusion on the DS Memorial. We also seek digital photographs and other information about individuals already included on the memorial. 

To nominate an individual, please review the criteria below, and if they apply to the individual, please fill out and return the DS Memorial nomination form.  If you have questions, contact DSPublicAffairs@state.gov 

The DS Memorial Selection Committee, comprised of the DS senior leadership, meets approximately once a year to review nominations for final approval by the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security. 

Criteria for a Nomination 

NOTE: Those who die of natural causes while employed by DS are not eligible to be included on the Memorial Wall. 

Many DS personnel risk injury and death in their critical roles to support Diplomatic Security’s mission to provide a secure environment for the conduct of U.S. diplomacy. Those who meet the criteria for DS memorialization lost their lives in the line of duty. Individuals included are: 

• Employees of DS (Foreign Service, Civil Service, Security Protective Specialists); 
• Military personnel assigned to, reporting to, or supporting DS or a Regional Security Office (Marine Security Guards, U.S. Navy Seabees, U.S. military personnel engaged in the defense or evacuation of a diplomatic post); 
• DS contract personnel (DS Uniformed Protective Officers, Local Guard Force, Foreign Service National-Investigators, Personal Services Contractors, and Private Security Contractors); 

• Host-nation security personnel assigned to protect our diplomatic missions. 

These individuals died either overseas or in the United States: 

• As the result of an act of terrorism, or in the performance of duty while serving in areas of hostilities or other exceptionally hazardous conditions where the death is a direct result of such hostilities or hazards; or 
• As the result of an act of targeted violence against an employee motivated solely by that employee’s affiliation with the U.S. government; or 
• As a consequence of their employment with DS. 

Providing Additional Information on the DS Fallen 

To submit a digital (or scanned) photograph or additional information about an individual already included on the DS Memorial, please contact DS Public Affairs (DSPublicAffairs@state.gov). 

Privacy Act Statement

Authorities: The information is sought pursuant to:

• 5 U.S.C. 301 (Departmental regulations)
• 5 U.S.C. 7531-33 (National Security)
• 18 U.S.C. 1114 (Protection of officers and employees of the U.S.)
• 22 U.S.C. 4802 (Responsibility of Secretary State)
• 44 U.S.C. 3101 (Records management by agency heads)
• L. 104-106, Section 5113 (Federal Information Security Act)

Purpose: The information collected is used by the Department of State to nominate Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty while in service to the Department of State. The data collected is information of the person who nominates a deceased DS employee, which includes their name, personal phone number, personal email address, and personal address.

Routine Uses: The information collected will not be disclosed outside of the Department of State. The information provided on the Routine Uses for the system can be found in the System of Records Notice State-36, Security Records.

Disclosure: Disclosure of this information is voluntary. Failure to provide the information requested may result in the DS personnel not getting nominated and/or recognized for their service to the Department of State.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

This Web Application Contains PII

The term “PII”, as defined in OMB Memorandum M-07-1616 refers to information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.

Any suspected compromise to the application or information herein must be immediately reported to the Cyber Incident Response Teams (DS/CTS/CIRT – cirt@state.gov) and the DS Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO – dsissogroup@state.gov).