MARADMIN 080/21 - Military Awards Guidance for the 2021 Permanent Change of Station Season

Scope

MARADMIN 080/21 published the Department of the Navy Personal Military Decoration (PMD) processing guidance for the 2021 Marine Corps PCS season from HQMC Manpower Management Military Awards Branch (MMMA). The message covered nominee identification, IAPS origination and format rules during the Awards Manual citation format transition, submission timelines, expedite requests, retirement award dating, Combat Action Ribbon eligibility relative to combat conditions PMDs, and the recurring mistakes MMMA saw in PMD packages.

Audience

Unit Award Administrators (UAAs). Award originators. Awarding authorities. S-1 and IPAC personnel processing awards in IAPS.

Key clauses

• Identifying nominees. Before PCS season, UAAs download the unit outbound roster from MCTFS and publish it to command leadership. Originators identify high performers deserving of PMDs and submit recommendations early enough to finish before the planned presentation date. The message names a best practice: track recommended awards on a spreadsheet and brief pending PMD status to the unit commander on a regular basis until PCS season ends or every pending PMD completes.
• PMD format. Every DoN PMD from a Marine Corps command originates in IAPS with a Summary of Action. SECNAV M-1650.1 limits the SOA to two pages. The IAPS SOA field has no character limit, so originators verify length with the print PDF button.
• Citation format transition. The Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual changed the citation format, and IAPS updates were still pending at release. Until completion, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and below carried a 1250 character limit in all capital letters. Meritorious Service Medal and above carried a 1650 character limit in standard sentence format with the IAPS update in progress. Later season messages raised the upper limit to 1670.
• Opening sentences. Each DoN PMD has a unique opening sentence and two authorized closing formats. Name the nominee unit only to the point of clear identification. "The Battalion Intelligence Officer of 3d Battalion" is inadequate. "The Battalion Intelligence Officer of 3d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment" identifies one unit.
• Citations and certificates. Signed certificates and citations match the PMD level approved in IAPS. The certificate and citation attach to the certificate section of the IAPS case so MMMA uploads the award into the recipient OMPF.

Timelines

• PMD nominations arrive at the final awarding authority at least 60 days before the desired presentation date.
• CMC-approved awards, for example a Legion of Merit in connection with transfer, reach CMC (MMMA) in IAPS no later than 60 days before the planned presentation.
• SECNAV-approved awards, Distinguished Service Medal and higher, reach CMC (MMMA) in IAPS no later than 90 days before the planned presentation.
• UAAs pull a unit timeliness report from IAPS to calculate the average approval time at their command and advise originators on submission timing.

Expedite requests

MMMA acts on expedite requests for retirement, relief and appointments, or change of command. A General Officer or their Chief of Staff signs the request. MMMA takes no action on requests signed by direction. An expedite reduces the votes required by the HQMC Military Awards Board without guaranteeing completion by the presentation date. The request explains the need. Administrative oversight and operational tempo are not acceptable justifications.

Retirement and separation awards

The end of action date for a separation or retirement award is the presentation date or a date before terminal leave commences, whichever comes first. This window lets MCTFS report the award so the DD-214 records it. An award reported after terminal leave begins normally misses the DD-214 and forces the Marine to request a correction to the DD-214 and service record.

Combat Action Ribbon and combat conditions PMDs

Combat Action Ribbon criteria in SECNAV M-1650.1 are more restrictive than the criteria for combat conditions PMDs, which include the Bronze Star Medal and PMDs with the C device. A Marine receives a PMD with a C device or a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service under combat conditions without automatically qualifying for the Combat Action Ribbon. In the other direction, qualifying for the Combat Action Ribbon satisfies the personal exposure to hostile action requirement for the C device or the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service under combat conditions.

Common mistakes

• Incorrect opening or closing sentences.
• Inconsistent action dates across the NAVMC 11533, SOA, citation, and certificate.
• Incorrect action dates for Marines separating from service.
• Dates on the certificate differing from the IAPS approval date.
• "Great credit" used below the Air Medal.
• A commander approving an award outside their awarding authority.
• A commander directing rescission and origination of a lesser award. Only the official with approval authority downgrades or disapproves.
• The approved IAPS award differing from the citation and certificate presented.
• A Marine commander approving a DoN PMD for a foreign service member. SECNAV is the awarding authority for DoN PMDs to all foreign service members per SECNAVINST 1650.1J.
• Failing to attach the signed citation or certificate to the IAPS certificate field for OMPF upload.

References cited inside the message

• SECNAVINST 1650.1J, Department of the Navy Military Awards Policy
• SECNAV M-1650.1, Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual
• MCO 1650.19J w/CH-1, Administrative and Issue Procedures for Decorations, Medals, and Awards

Status

Superseded. MARADMIN 093/25 cancels this message together with MARADMINs 065/20, 132/22, 086/23, and 222/24 and publishes the enduring PCS season guidance. Retained in the registry for citations anchored to the 2021 season. Applicable to the total force at release. Released by BGen Michael J. Borgschulte, Director, Manpower Management Division. POC at release was Capt N. D. Hooker, HQMC MMMA.