Awards Records Cleanup

When to Run Cleanup

Three triggers.

• Marine joins the section. Run within 90 days.
• Marine approaching a promotion board. Run 6 months out.
• Marine returning from a deployment. Run within 60 days of return.

A fourth trigger fires for Marines transitioning. Cleanup before EAS prevents post-service VA disputes.

What to Pull

For each cleanup audit, pull.

• OMPF awards section on Marine Online.
• Awards Branch view (where accessible to the unit).
• Marine's personal copies of citations and certificates.
• Section copies from prior unit transfers.
• Any deployment award rosters from S-1.

Compare these sources. Gaps surface where the Marine has a citation in hand but OMPF shows nothing.

Common Gaps in Inherited Records

• End-of-tour award from prior unit approved but never entered.
• Combat Action Ribbon approved during deployment but routing stalled.
• Unit award (PUC, MUC, NUC) earned but not added to inherited records.
• Foreign award worn without acceptance authorization documentation.
• Joint service award from prior joint duty assignment lost in routing.
• MOVSM nomination approved but entry stalled.

Each gap has a recovery path. Lost entries can rebuild from the citation copy and the routing history.

What the Marine Brings

Coach the Marine to bring to the cleanup.

• Personal copies of every citation.
• Award certificates.
• Deployment papers showing combat zone time.
• Joint duty paperwork.
• Foreign award documentation.

A Marine who does not have personal copies has a harder cleanup. Build the personal records habit at the next counseling session.

Submitting Cleanup Corrections

Each gap routes individually.

• Identify the missing entry.
• Pull the source citation.
• Build a correction request through S-1.
• Submit to MMPB-3.
• Track to closure.

A correction request without a source citation routes back. The Marine and the section need the citation copy. Pull from the prior unit if not available locally.

Pre-Board Cleanup Discipline

For Marines in the promotion zone, the cleanup audit drives:

• Every approved award present in OMPF.
• Citation language matches.
• Combat designations correct.
• Star devices for subsequent awards correct.
• Letters of Commendation filed.
• Page 11 commendatory entries present.

Boards score what they see. The cleanup ensures they see everything.

End-of-Tour and Transition Cleanup

Before a Marine PCSes or transitions, run a final audit.

• All current unit awards entered.
• End-of-tour award approved and entered.
• Combat awards from deployments resolved.
• Foreign awards documented.
• DD-214 components clean for transition.

Cleanup at the gaining unit costs more time and surfaces fewer source documents. Do it before the Marine departs.

Common Cleanup Failures

• Cleanup deferred until the board cut-off has passed.
• Marine has no personal copies and the prior unit cannot provide.
• Correction submitted without source document.
• Foreign award acceptance authorization gap not closed.
• Joint award from joint command never followed through Marine Corps records.

Where to Go Next

• Awards OMPF verification for the post-ceremony check.
• Records cadence for the broader audit rhythm.
• Promotion board prep for the Marine-specific board cleanup.