Joint Service Awards

Start Here If You Are New to Joint Service Awards

You orders to a joint billet. A combatant command staff. A Joint Task Force headquarters. A Defense Department agency. Two years later you finish the tour and your senior says you are getting a Defense Meritorious Service Medal. You wonder how DoD-level awards work, where they sit on your rack relative to your Navy and Marine Corps decorations, and what records process them differently.

Joint awards exist outside the Department of the Navy chain. The Department of Defense issues them under separate authority through the Joint Awards Branch. This page walks you through the joint awards system from your seat as a General Marine. By the end you will know.

• What joint awards are and why they sit in a separate category
• The five joint personal decorations top to bottom (DDSM, DSSM, DMSM, JSCM, JSAM)
• The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) and the hard rule on official orders
• Where joint awards sit in the order of precedence relative to DON awards
• How a Marine in a joint billet gets a joint award processed
• How joint awards post to your record alongside your DON awards
• Wearing rules and the oak leaf cluster device used for subsequent awards

Every fact on this page comes from DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33 Volume 3 (the Manual of Military Decorations and Awards), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 1650.10 series, SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Chapter 1 (for joint award precedence within DON ordering), MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J w/ CH 1, MARADMIN 398/10MARADMIN 398/10 (covering the JMUA orders rule), and current MMPB-3 Military Awards Section guidance.

What Joint Awards Are

Per DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33 Volume 3, joint awards recognize Service Members assigned to joint billets, joint headquarters, or joint task force units. The framework traces back to the Goldwater-Nichols DoD Reorganization Act of 1986, which established joint duty as a distinct category of military service requiring its own recognition system.

Joint awards differ from DON awards in three ways.

• The approval authority sits at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the combatant commander, depending on the award level.
• The awards process routes through the Joint Awards Branch, not through CMC (MMPB-3).
• The order of precedence places joint personal decorations at specific positions within the DON awards rack, generally between DON awards of equivalent grade.

Joint awards are not Marine Corps awards. The Marine Corps records them in MCTFS and on the DD-214, but the Marine Corps did not issue them.

Why Joint Awards Matter to You

Joint duty is increasingly common across a Marine's career. Captains and majors rotate to combatant command staffs. Senior enlisted serve on Joint Task Force headquarters. Marines on Joint Officer Handbook tracks build joint experience for the path toward general officer. Joint awards are the recognition mechanism for that work.

A joint personal decoration on your record signals.

• Service in a joint billet recognized at the DoD level
• Performance crossing service boundaries (working alongside Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard counterparts)
• Eligibility for joint duty credit under the Goldwater-Nichols framework

For senior officers tracking toward joint qualification (JQO designation), joint awards stack alongside duty history as evidence of joint experience.

The Five Joint Personal Decorations

Per DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33 Volume 3, the joint personal decorations from highest to lowest are.

Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM)

The highest joint personal decoration. Awarded for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense, in a position of unique and great responsibility.

• Approved by the Secretary of Defense
• Typically awarded to general or flag officers in joint key positions (Combatant Commander, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Vice Chairman, Service Chiefs in joint roles, very senior joint billets)
• Most Marines never see a DDSM in their service period

Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM)

The second-highest joint personal decoration. Awarded for superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility.

• Approved by the Secretary of Defense
• Typically awarded to general/flag officers and senior O-6 colonels in joint billets
• Roughly equivalent in stature to the Legion of Merit on the DON side, sitting in joint billets

Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM)

The third joint decoration. Awarded for non-combat meritorious service or achievement at a joint duty assignment.

• Approved by the Combatant Commander or equivalent joint authority for most Marines, with the Secretary of Defense retaining authority for higher-profile awards
• Awarded to officers and senior enlisted serving in joint headquarters and joint billets
• Roughly equivalent in stature to the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) on the DON side
• The DMSM is the most common joint decoration Marines see at the field grade and senior enlisted level

Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM)

The fourth joint decoration. Awarded for meritorious achievement or service.

• Approved by the joint command authority where the Marine served (typically the Joint Task Force Commander, the Combatant Commander, or a delegated joint chief of staff)
• Roughly equivalent to the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (NC) on the DON side
• The JSCM is the most common joint decoration Marines see at the company grade and mid-level enlisted ranks

Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM)

The fifth joint decoration. Awarded for meritorious achievement or service.

• Approved by the joint command authority
• Roughly equivalent to the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NAM) on the DON side
• The JSAM is the entry-level joint decoration. Junior enlisted Marines and company grade officers in joint billets typically see this award first

Subsequent Awards

Per DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33 Volume 3, subsequent awards of joint personal decorations are denoted by an oak leaf cluster on the ribbon and medal. The bronze oak leaf cluster represents the second through fifth awards. The silver oak leaf cluster represents five additional awards (so a Marine with 6 awards wears one silver oak leaf cluster, and a Marine with 7 awards wears one silver plus one bronze).

This is different from the DON convention of stars on Navy and Marine Corps awards. The oak leaf cluster is a DoD device, not a DON device, and goes on the joint award ribbon only.

The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA)

Per DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33 Volume 3, MARADMIN 398/10MARADMIN 398/10 paragraph 2.A note, and MARADMIN 379/22MARADMIN 379/22 paragraph 2.a note, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) recognizes joint headquarters units for meritorious service or achievement. Two layered eligibility rules apply.

Eligibility Rule 1. Assignment by Orders

Per MARADMIN 398/10MARADMIN 398/10 paragraph 2.A note, the JMUA applies only to personnel with official orders to the joint unit. The note is firm.

"PER REF B [DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33], THE JMUA IS INTENDED FOR THE HEADQUARTERS ONLY. SERVICE UNITS AND INDIVIDUALS DEPLOYED IN SUPPORT OF A JTF, BUT NOT ASSIGNED AND/OR ATTACHED TO THE JTF BY OFFICIAL ORDERS, ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE JMUA, EVEN IF THEY ARE UNDER THE OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF THE JTF."

Translation. Operational control (OPCON) is not enough. Tactical Control (TACON) is not enough. Forward deployment in support of the JTF is not enough. The Marine has to be assigned to the joint headquarters by official orders. If your orders say "Joint Task Force Bronx Headquarters" or "Multi-National Force Iraq Headquarters" you are eligible for the JMUA covering the qualifying period. If your orders say "1st Bn, 5th Marines, in support of Multi-National Force Iraq," you are not, even if you spent the whole tour at the JTF compound.

This rule catches Marines off guard. Many Marines assume that physical deployment to a JTF area of operations qualifies. It does not.

Eligibility Rule 2. 30-Day Participation Minimum (MARADMIN 692/20, restated in MARADMIN 379/22)

Per MARADMIN 692/20MARADMIN 692/20 paragraph 2.a note (originating source) and MARADMIN 379/22MARADMIN 379/22 paragraph 2.a note (restated), even Marines properly assigned by orders must meet a 30-day participation threshold.

"Only those members of the Armed Forces of the United States who were present at the time and directly participated in the service or achievement for at least 30 days or more, if the period cited is less than 30 days, members are authorized to wear the JMUA ribbon. Personnel must be assigned and/or attached by official orders to the joint unit or task force headquarters receiving the JMUA."

Three layered conditions.

1. Present at the time of the recognized service or achievement.
2. Directly participating in the service or achievement.
3. For at least 30 days, or the full duration if the cited period is shorter than 30 days.

Commander Waiver Authority for the 30-Day Minimum

Per MARADMIN 692/20MARADMIN 692/20 paragraph 2.a note (and MARADMIN 379/22MARADMIN 379/22 paragraph 2.a note), the commander of the cited unit is allowed to waive the 30-day minimum time requirement on an individual basis. The waiver is discretionary and applies only to.

• Reserve personnel on active duty
• TDY and/or TAD personnel

The waived individual must, in the commander's opinion, have contributed directly to the achievement cited and been assigned on official orders to the cited joint unit during the approved time period.

The waiver is not automatic. It requires affirmative determination by the commander of the cited joint unit. A reserve Marine on a 25-day active-duty period attached to a joint headquarters does not auto-qualify. The joint commander has to invoke the waiver authority.

How JMUA Awards Are Announced

Per MARADMIN 398/10MARADMIN 398/10 paragraph 2 and similar follow-on MARADMINs, JMUA approvals appear in periodic Marine Corps awards-update MARADMINs that list approved JMUAs by joint headquarters and qualifying period. The list is also maintained on the Manpower Marines website. Marines with orders to a listed joint unit during the listed period are eligible to wear the ribbon.

Subsequent JMUA Awards

Per DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33 Volume 3, subsequent JMUA awards are denoted by an oak leaf cluster on the ribbon (same convention as joint personal decorations).

Where Joint Awards Sit in the Order of Precedence

Per SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Chapter 1 and the DoD-published precedence list, joint awards interleave with DON awards in the order of precedence on the Marine's awards rack. The general rule is that joint awards sit at positions reflecting their stature relative to DON awards.

A simplified ordering for the joint awards relative to common DON decorations.

1. Medal of Honor (MOH) - DON top
2. Navy Cross (NX)
3. Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM) - joint top
4. Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) - DON
5. Silver Star Medal (SS)
6. Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM)
7. Legion of Merit (LOM)
8. Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
9. Navy and Marine Corps Medal (NM)
10. Bronze Star Medal (BSM)
11. Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM)
12. Meritorious Service Medal (MSM)
13. Air Medal
14. Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM)
15. Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (NC)
16. Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM)
17. Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NAM)

Verify the current order of precedence with the SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Chapter 1 ordering rules and your unit's senior enlisted leader before final placement on the rack. The Wearing Your Awards page on this site walks through exact placement.

Unit awards (PUC, NUC, MUC, JMUA) sit in their own block above CE&S awards but below personal decorations. The JMUA sits within the unit award block in its joint position.

How a Joint Award Gets to a Marine

The flow runs through the joint command, not through MMPB-3.

Step 1. Originator at the Joint Command

The joint chain of command originates the award. A Marine assigned to a joint billet has a joint chain of command (joint reporting senior, joint commander). The originator drafts the package and routes it through joint endorsement.

Step 2. Joint Awards Branch Processing

The package routes to the Joint Awards Branch within the relevant joint command. For Combatant Command awards, the COCOM J-1 / Joint Awards Branch handles processing. For OSD-level awards (DDSM, DSSM), the Joint Staff awards office processes.

Specific approval authorities per DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33.

• DDSM. SECDEF.
• DSSM. SECDEF.
• DMSM. Combatant Commander or equivalent joint authority for most cases. SECDEF for higher-profile awards.
• JSCM. Joint authority where assigned (typically COCOM or JTF commander).
• JSAM. Joint authority where assigned.
• JMUA. SECDEF approves on recommendation from the joint authority.

Step 3. Service Concurrence

Per MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J w/ CH 1 paragraph 8, joint personal awards are routed to CMC (MMPB-3, historically MMMA) for Marine Corps service-level concurrence prior to the joint approval authority's decision. This concurrence step is administrative, not a separate approval, but it gives the Marine Corps awareness of joint awards being processed for Marines.

Step 4. Presentation Ceremony

Per joint awards procedures, the joint commander presents the award. The presentation follows similar format to a DON award (citation read aloud, medal pinned, photograph taken).

Step 5. Records Update

The joint awards office sends the approved award documentation to CMC (MMPB-3) for entry into the Marine's OMPF and MCTFS. The Marine Corps records the joint award alongside DON awards. The DD-214 reflects the joint award at separation per MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25.

Verifying Your Joint Award in Your Records

Joint awards take longer to land in MCTFS than DON awards. The flow runs joint chain to joint awards branch to service concurrence to service records to MCTFS. Verify within 60 days of presentation.

Step 1. Pull Your OMPF

Use the Online Records Management Application (O-RMA). Look for.

• Joint award certificate
• Joint award citation
• Joint awards-branch routing documentation
• Page 11 entry documenting the joint award

Step 2. Pull Your Master Brief Sheet (MBS)

Through Marine Online (MOL). Verify.

• Joint award entry with correct DoD code
• Date of action
• Oak leaf cluster indicator if subsequent award

Step 3. If Anything Is Missing or Wrong

Coordinate with your S-1, who routes the correction through MMPB-3. MMPB-3 contacts the joint awards branch of the issuing joint command for documentation reconstruction. Standard administrative correction procedures apply per MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J w/ CH 1.

Wearing Joint Awards

Per Marine Corps Uniform Regulations and DoD Manual 1348.33DoD Manual 1348.33.

Position on the Rack

Joint awards interleave with DON awards in the order of precedence. The JSCM and JSAM sit between higher-tier DON decorations and lower-tier DON decorations as listed above.

Devices

• Oak leaf cluster (bronze, then silver) for subsequent joint personal decorations and the JMUA. This device is unique to joint and DoD awards and does not appear on DON awards.
• Combat distinguishing devices (V) on joint awards follow the same valor/combat criteria as DON awards. The DDSM, DSSM, DMSM, JSCM, and JSAM are eligible for the V device when criteria are met.

Joint Awards on Different Uniforms

The joint award wear convention follows Marine Corps Uniform Regulations for Marines. The same ribbon-versus-medal rules apply across Service A, Service B, Blues, and Evening Dress. The Wearing Your Awards page on this site covers uniform-by-uniform placement.

Common Questions Marines Ask

I deployed in support of a Joint Task Force but my orders said my parent unit. Am I eligible for the JMUA?

Per MARADMIN 398/10MARADMIN 398/10 paragraph 2.A note, no. The JMUA requires official orders to the joint unit headquarters. Service units in support of a JTF, even under OPCON of the JTF, are not eligible. The rule is firm and consistently enforced.

I served on a Combatant Command staff for two years. Why is my joint award taking longer to post than my Marine Corps awards?

Joint awards route through the joint awards branch of the issuing command, then to the Marine Corps for service concurrence, then to MCTFS. The path is longer than a Marine Corps award routed straight through MMPB-3. Sixty to ninety days from presentation to MCTFS posting is typical.

I have a Defense Meritorious Service Medal and a Meritorious Service Medal. Which is higher?

The DMSM sits one position higher than the MSM in the order of precedence per the DoD-published list. The two awards are roughly equivalent in stature but the DMSM appears first on the rack.

Why does the Joint Service Commendation Medal use an oak leaf cluster while the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal uses a star?

Oak leaf clusters are the DoD-wide device convention. The Department of the Navy uses gold and silver stars on its decorations. When a Marine wears both joint and DON awards, the rack carries both device types depending on which ribbon you are looking at.

I served in a joint billet but did not get a joint award. Should I have?

Joint awards are discretionary, like all awards. The chain of command at the joint command exercises judgment. A Marine completing a normal joint duty assignment with no exceptional contributions might not warrant a joint personal decoration. Talk to your senior at the joint command if you believe your performance warranted recognition.

My joint award certificate has a typo in my name. How do I get it fixed?

Coordinate with your S-1, who routes the correction through MMPB-3 to the joint awards branch of the issuing command. The joint command issues the corrected certificate. The MCTFS entry has to be updated separately through the standard Unit Diary correction process.

I am being assigned to a joint billet. What should I do to set myself up for joint award eligibility?

Two practical steps. First, verify your orders specify the joint unit by name and not the parent service unit, since assignment-by-orders is the JMUA eligibility test. Second, keep your performance records sharp. Joint reporting seniors typically write joint awards based on your performance during the joint tour. The same fundamentals earning DON awards (mission accomplishment, leadership, technical excellence) earn joint awards.

A NATO assignment offered me both a NATO Meritorious Service Medal and a JSCM. Are they duplicative?

No. The NATO Medal is a foreign award (covered on the Foreign Awards page) and follows SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Chapter 7 procedures. The JSCM is a U.S. joint award. The two recognize different aspects of the same tour and are processed through different channels. Both land on the rack if approved.

Where to Go for Help

A Note on HQMC Awards Office Designations

The Marine Corps reorganized its awards office over time. Three designations show up in policies tied to joint awards processing on the Marine Corps side. Get the distinction right so you route requests correctly.

• HQMC Manpower Performance Branch, Military Awards Section (MMPB-3). The current umbrella office handling Marine Corps awards adjudication, policy interpretation, and service concurrence on joint awards. Listed on the Manpower Marines website at https://www.manpower.marines.mil/Divisions/Manpower-Management/Performance-Branch/Military-Awards/.
• HQMC MMPB-31. A sub-element under MMPB-3 specifically handling administrative actions on awards. This includes administrative change requests, replacement certificate procedures, and the administrative correction templates referenced in MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 paragraph 10.k. MMPB-31 is NOT the same as MMMA. The two have different functions.
• CMC (MMMA), Military Awards Branch. The historical designation appearing in older policy documents (MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J references to MMMA for service concurrence on cross-service awards, MARADMIN 398/10MARADMIN 398/10, and earlier MARADMINs). When you see MMMA in those documents, the function continues today under MMPB-3.

For current Marine Corps joint awards questions, contact MMPB-3.

• Email. smb_hqmc_pers_awards@usmc.mil
• Phone. 703-784-9342
• Website. https://www.manpower.marines.mil/Divisions/Manpower-Management/Performance-Branch/Military-Awards/

For administrative corrections on joint award entries, route through MMPB-31 channels per MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25.

Routing by Issue

• Joint personal decoration nomination during a joint tour. Joint reporting senior at the joint command, routed through the joint awards branch.
• Joint award presentation logistics. Joint commander or designated joint chief of staff.
• Service concurrence step on joint personal awards. CMC (MMPB-3) per MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J w/ CH 1 paragraph 8.
• JMUA assignment verification. Your orders document, the joint awards branch of the issuing command, and the MARADMIN list of approved JMUAs.
• DDSM and DSSM approval (SECDEF level). Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff Awards.
• DMSM, JSCM, JSAM approval (Combatant Command level for most cases). The COCOM J-1 / Joint Awards Branch.
• Joint award corrections in MCTFS. Your S-1 routes through MMPB-3.

Where to Go Next on This Site

• Awards Overview lays out the three categories of awards and where joint awards fit.
• Wearing Your Awards covers ribbon precedence (including the joint award positions interleaved with DON awards), oak leaf cluster placement, and devices.
• Verifying Your Awards in OMPF walks through the verification steps in detail.
• Foreign Awards covers NATO and UN awards which sometimes overlap with joint tours.
• Unit Awards covers the JMUA alongside DON unit decorations (PUC, NUC, MUC).

Related Roles

• Leaders at joint billets identify Marines for joint awards, draft summaries of action through the joint reporting chain, and coordinate with the joint awards branch.
• Admin at S-1 processes joint award documentation when it returns from the joint command, posts to OMPF and MCTFS, and routes corrections through MMPB-3.
• Commanders endorse joint award packages routed through the joint chain, exercise judgment on Marines under their command in joint billets, and ensure JMUA-eligible Marines have orders properly documented.

Joint duty has its own recognition system. Work the joint chain, document your performance the same way you would for a DON award, and verify the result lands in your record on both sides.