U.S. Senator Richard Lugar received a prestigious award from Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta Monday.

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Lugar, and former Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia, were presented with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service for their work in reducing nuclear threats.

Lugar and Nunn authored a law that created the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program in 1992, which has led to thousands of warheads, missile silos and other weapons being destroyed. The Nunn-Lugar act has expanded to over 80 countries.

The medal is is the nation's highest civilian defense award.