PCS and Awards Timing

Start Here If You Are New to PCS Award Timing

You are six months out from a PCS. Your XO mentions an end-of-tour award is being written up. Your senior enlisted leader cuts you a counseling sheet noting "transfer with award." You wonder whether the award lands in your record before you detach, what happens if it does not, and whose responsibility it is to keep the package moving.

PCS season produces more lost or delayed awards than any other period. End-of-tour awards have to clear several routing steps before the Marine detaches, and Marines who PCS without their award sometimes wait months or years to see it post to MCTFS. MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 (the current Military Awards Guidance for Permanent Change of Station Season MARADMIN) sets the deadlines designed to prevent this. This page walks you through the timing rules from your seat as a General Marine. By the end you will know.

• The hard deadlines for end-of-tour awards relative to your detachment date
• How the meritorious-period-end date drives the calendar
• Who originates the award when you are between two units (the detaching unit, not the gaining unit)
• What happens if your award misses the cutoff and you PCS without it
• Where your award lands if you detach before approval
• How to track an in-transit award from your new duty station

Every fact on this page comes from MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25, MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25, SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Chapter 1 and Appendix 1A, MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J w/ CH 1, and current MMPB-3 Military Awards Section guidance.

Why PCS Award Timing Matters

End-of-tour awards capture a Marine's performance during the recently-completed assignment. The originator (typically the Marine's reporting senior at the detaching unit) builds the package. The detaching unit's chain of command endorses. The package routes to the approval authority per MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25. Once approved, the certificate prints, the citation gets recorded, and the award posts to OMPF and MCTFS.

Each step takes time. If the package starts late, the chain compresses, the approval authority gets the package after the Marine has detached, and the presentation ceremony either happens at the gaining unit (with no one there who witnessed the qualifying service) or never happens at all.

Three reasons the timing matters specifically.

• Your DD-214 generates from MCTFS at the start of terminal leave. Awards approved after the start of terminal leave miss the DD-214 unless an administrative correction follows.
• Your gaining unit handles the presentation cold. The new chain of command did not witness the service. Citation language is harder to validate. Photographs at the new unit do not carry the same weight as recognition by the chain that earned the award alongside you.
• Late awards risk getting lost. Packages routing through detaching unit, mailroom, gaining unit, gaining S-1, gaining chain of command have multiple handoff points where the package stalls.

The MARADMIN 093/25 Deadlines

Per MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25, the controlling deadlines for end-of-tour awards are tied to the Marine's detachment date and the approval authority for the award. The MARADMIN provides specific lead times for award originators to ensure approvals process before detachment.

General Rule. Award Recommendations Should Reach the Approving Authority 60 Days Before Desired Presentation

Per MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J w/ CH 1 paragraph 3.b.(2), award recommendations should reach CMC (MMPB-3, historically MMMA) 60 days prior to desired presentation date for awards routed to CMC.

For the typical Marine end-of-tour award (NAM, NC, MSM), this means the originator at the detaching unit submits the package to the chain of command with enough buffer for the chain to endorse, the approval authority to decide, and the certificate to print before the Marine detaches.

A working backwards calendar.

• 90 days out from detachment. Originator drafts the Summary of Action. Senior enlisted leader and reporting senior review.
• 75 days out. Award recommendation form signed. Package enters iAPS.
• 60 days out. Package reaches the approval authority (or CMC for higher awards).
• 30 days out. Approval authority decides. Certificate prints.
• 14 days out. Presentation ceremony.
• Detachment day.
• 30 days post-detachment. OMPF and MCTFS reflect the award.

SECNAV-Level Awards. 90 Days Minimum

Per MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J w/ CH 1, awards routed to SECNAV (Bronze Star and above for non-combat, Distinguished Service Medal, etc.) require 90 days lead time. The longer chain (CMC endorsement, SECNAV decision) drives the longer cycle.

For Marines being recommended for higher awards at end of tour, the package has to start much earlier. A NAM submitted 60 days out is typical. A Bronze Star Medal at end of tour has to start 4 to 6 months out.

Valor and Combat Awards. Each Echelon Acts Within 10 Working Days

Per SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Appendix 1A.2.b.(2) and MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25, valor awards have a separate fast-track timeline. Each echelon acts within 10 working days of receipt. The total timeline from origination to approval runs as short as 60 days for low-level valor awards and is intended to keep valor recognition moving.

If a Marine's end-of-tour recognition includes a valor or combat award (V device on a NC, BSM with V, etc.), the valor timeline runs in parallel with the standard PCS timing.

The Meritorious Period End Date

Per MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 paragraph 7.a, the meritorious period for an end-of-tour award normally ends two weeks before the start of terminal leave for retirement awards (covered on the Retirement Awards and DD-214 page).

For non-retirement PCS awards, the meritorious period end date typically aligns with one of two dates.

• The Marine's detachment date (the day the Marine departs the detaching unit).
• A specific date selected by the originator that captures the recognized performance period (which sometimes falls earlier than detachment if the award covers a discrete period of service that ended before the actual detachment).

The meritorious period end date drives the citation language ("for service from X to Y") and the timing math. Originators set this date when drafting the award and align it with the chain's endorsement timeline.

Who Originates the Award (Detaching Unit, Not Gaining Unit)

Per SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 paragraph 1.2.b.(1), award nominations are originated by a commissioned officer senior in grade or position to the awardee at the time of the act or service period. For end-of-tour awards, the senior at the time of service is the senior at the detaching unit, not the gaining unit.

Translation. Your old unit writes you up. The new unit does not. If your end-of-tour award has not been originated by the time you detach, the originator at the old unit retains the responsibility to draft and submit the package. The new unit cannot originate an award for service performed at the previous unit.

This rule has two practical consequences.

• If you suspect your detaching unit is not moving on your award, surface it through your reporting senior at the old unit before you detach. After you detach, the lever you have on the old unit drops sharply.
• The detaching unit's senior enlisted leader and S-1 are accountable for the package after you depart. Document who is tracking the package and how to reach them.

What Happens If Your Award Misses the Cutoff

Three failure modes typically appear when an award misses the PCS deadline.

Mode 1. Package Submitted Late, Approved After Detachment, Presented at Gaining Unit

The package submits late, routes through the chain after the Marine detaches, gets approved, and the certificate ships to the gaining unit for presentation. Per MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J w/ CH 1, this is the typical recovery path.

The Marine's gaining commander handles the presentation, often months after the qualifying service. The ceremony reads the citation aloud, the gaining commander pins the medal, and the Marine's photo gets taken at the new unit. The award posts to OMPF and MCTFS through the standard records flow.

The downside. The gaining chain did not witness the service. The presentation feels disconnected. Some Marines decline the formal ceremony and accept the certificate via mail.

Mode 2. Package Stalls in Transit, Award Disappears

The package sits in someone's inbox. The detaching unit's senior moves on. The gaining unit has no visibility into the missing award. Months pass with no resolution.

This is the worst-case mode and the reason MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 exists. To recover.

• Coordinate with your former S-1 (the detaching unit) to confirm the package status in iAPS.
• If the package is still in iAPS but stalled, the former chain of command continues to own the routing.
• If the package is not in iAPS, the recommendation has to be re-originated. After you detach, this requires the former originator to re-engage. Per SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 paragraph 1.2.b.(1), the originator must be senior at the time of service.
• For older issues outside the standard correction window, the procedures in SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Chapter 8 cover beyond-time-limit corrections.

Mode 3. DD-214 Generated Before Approval (Separation Cases)

For Marines separating, the DD-214 generates from MCTFS at the start of terminal leave per MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 paragraph 7.a. Awards approved after this date miss the DD-214 unless the Marine pursues an administrative correction.

Per SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Appendix 1A, awards within the 3-year origination window remain eligible for posting to OMPF and MCTFS, but the DD-214 itself requires an administrative correction through the National Personnel Records Center using DD Form 215DD Form 215 (a corrected DD-214 supplement).

How to Track an In-Transit Award From Your New Unit

If you have already detached and your end-of-tour award has not landed in MCTFS, work through this sequence.

Step 1. Confirm Submission Status

Contact your former S-1 (detaching unit) and request confirmation that the award package was entered into iAPS. The S-1 should be able to provide.

• iAPS routing number
• Date the package was entered
• Current routing position (which echelon currently holds the package)

Step 2. Track Through the Approval Authority

If iAPS shows the package routed to the approval authority but no decision has come back.

• For O-5 commander approvals (NAM, NAM with R device, MOVSM, individual Certificate of Commendation per MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25 paragraph 3.a.4), the former battalion or squadron commander is the approval authority. Confirm the package has reached them.
• For O-6 commander approvals (NC, NC with R device, unit Certificate of Commendation per MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25 paragraph 3.a.3), the former regimental or group commander.
• For O-7 commander approvals (MSM, MSM with R device, Air Medal non-valor per MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25 paragraph 3.a.2), the former MEF commanding general or equivalent.
• For O-9 commander approvals (LM for retirement, LM with R device, DFC per MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25 paragraph 3.a.1), the former MARFOR commander or equivalent.
• For SECNAV-level awards (BSM, NM, DSM, etc.), the package routes to CMC (MMPB-3) and then to SECNAV.

Step 3. Coordinate Through Your Gaining S-1

Your gaining S-1 coordinates the eventual presentation and records entry. The gaining S-1 does not own the routing of the in-transit package, but they do own the presentation logistics once the certificate arrives at the new unit.

Step 4. Escalate to MMPB-3 If Stalled

If the package has been stuck for over 90 days and the former chain of command is not responsive, escalate to MMPB-3 directly. Email smb_hqmc_pers_awards@usmc.mil with.

• iAPS routing number
• Date submitted
• Last known routing position
• Your current contact information

MMPB-3 is allowed to query the routing chain on your behalf and re-engage the original endorsement chain.

Special Cases

PCS Mid-Tour Without Detachment Award

Some Marines PCS without an end-of-tour award (the qualifying service did not warrant recognition). This is normal. Awards are discretionary. A clean PCS without an award is not an administrative failure.

PCS to a Joint Billet

Marines PCSing into a joint billet sometimes receive a Marine Corps end-of-tour award and then accumulate a joint award during the joint tour. The two awards are separate, processed through different chains, and post to MCTFS independently. The Joint Service Awards page on this site covers the joint side.

PCS During Combat Deployment

Marines PCSing while forward deployed face a compressed timeline. The detaching unit's reporting senior typically finishes the deployment alongside the Marine, writes the award after redeployment, and submits through the post-deployment chain. The administrative deadline anchors to the detachment date, but the practical timeline runs through the unit's redeployment cycle.

Posthumous Awards During PCS Period

Per SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Appendix 2B paragraph 2B.5.c (Purple Heart) and MCO 3040.4MCO 3040.4 (Casualty Assistance), posthumous award presentations route through the Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) at the family's location, not at any specific unit. PCS timing rules do not apply to posthumous cases.

Common Questions Marines Ask

I am detaching in 90 days. My XO has not even started my award package. What do I do?

Surface it directly with your reporting senior or senior enlisted leader. Per MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25, the timeline is tight at 90 days for a CMC-level award and very tight for a SECNAV-level award. The originator (typically the XO or a delegated officer) needs the package in iAPS within 30 days to make the cycle.

I detached two months ago and my end-of-tour award still has not posted. What is my recourse?

Contact your former S-1 to confirm the iAPS routing number and current package status. If the package is in transit, work the chain through your former unit's S-1. If the package was never entered, surface to your former reporting senior to re-engage. If 90 days have passed with no movement, escalate to MMPB-3 at smb_hqmc_pers_awards@usmc.mil.

I PCS this month and my award is approved but the certificate has not arrived. Will I miss the presentation?

Coordinate with your detaching S-1 to expedite the certificate. If the certificate arrives after detachment, the gaining unit handles the presentation. The award itself is approved and posts to MCTFS regardless of where the ceremony happens.

My retirement is in 6 months. How do I make sure my retirement award lands on the DD-214?

Per MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 paragraph 7.a, the meritorious period for a retirement award should end roughly two weeks before terminal leave starts so MCTFS reflects the award before DD-214 generation. The Retirement Awards and DD-214 page on this site covers the timeline by award level.

What is the difference between an end-of-tour award and a retirement award for timing purposes?

End-of-tour awards close out a tour and the Marine continues service at a new duty station. Retirement awards close out a career and the Marine separates. The timing rules differ. End-of-tour awards anchor to detachment date. Retirement awards anchor to terminal leave start, which sits earlier than the actual retirement date.

I am being mediboard'd. Does that change the timing?

Yes. Marines processing through the Disability Evaluation System (DES) have specific timelines tied to PEB findings, separation orders, and terminal leave dates. Coordinate with your S-1 and the Wounded Warrior Regiment / Battalion if applicable. The basic principle (awards have to land in MCTFS before DD-214 generation) still applies but the dates compress.

Is iAPS something I track myself for my own award package?

iAPS is an administrative system the unit S-1 accesses, not a Marine-facing portal. You do not have direct iAPS access. The S-1 (current or former) is the source of routing status.

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 PCS timing. 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 CMC-level approval routing. 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 (SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 paragraph 1.3, MCO 1650.19JMCO 1650.19J, and earlier MARADMINs). When you see MMMA in those documents, the function continues today under MMPB-3.

For current Marine Corps PCS 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 (DD Form 215DD Form 215 corrected DD-214 supplements, replacement certificates, MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 paragraph 10.k templates), route through MMPB-31 channels.

Routing by Issue

• Active duty Marines PCSing within 90 days. Your detaching unit's S-1 and reporting senior are first stops. The detaching unit owns the package origination.
• In-transit awards stuck after detachment. Former S-1 first, then MMPB-3 if stalled over 90 days.
• Approval authority by award level. See MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25 paragraphs 3.a.1 through 3.a.6 for the delegation structure (O-5 NAM, O-6 NC, O-7 MSM, O-9 LM-retirement and DFC).
• DD-214 corrections after a missed award. National Personnel Records Center using DD Form 215DD Form 215, routed through MMPB-31.
• SECNAV-level award approvals (BSM, NM, DSM, etc.). Through CMC (MMPB-3) to Department of the Navy awards adjudication.

Where to Go Next on This Site

• Awards Overview lays out the three categories of awards and the routing flow.
• Retirement Awards and DD-214 covers the parallel timing rules for retirement awards (different deadlines, different terminal-leave anchor).
• Verifying Your Awards in OMPF walks through the verification steps after the award lands.
• Receiving an Award covers presentation logistics whether at the detaching or gaining unit.

Related Roles

• Leaders identify deserving Marines for end-of-tour awards 90 to 180 days out, draft Summaries of Action, and route through the chain to clear the MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 deadlines.
• Admin at S-1 enters award packages into iAPS, tracks routing, processes approved certificates, and posts to OMPF and MCTFS. The detaching unit's S-1 retains accountability for in-transit packages after the Marine departs.
• Commanders endorse awards routed through their level, exercise judgment on award levels, and ensure subordinate units meet MARADMIN 093/25MARADMIN 093/25 timing for end-of-tour recognition.

End-of-tour awards are won during the tour but earned through the administrative timeline at the end. Surface the recognition early, work the chain, and verify the package routes before you detach.