1. GROUP 1: Identify 5 things that are right with the Army Awards Program.
GROUP 2: Identify 5 things that are wrong with the Army Awards Program.

2. Learning Objective Action: Review the Awards and Decorations Program
Condition: Senior HR Leaders in a classroom environment working individually and as a member of a small group, using doctrinal and administrative publications, practical exercises, case studies, personal experience, handouts, and discussion with an awareness of the Operational Environment (OE) variables and actors.
Standard:
With a minimum of 70% accuracy, identify award processing guidelines, determine eligibility and approval authorities, verify award submission data, maintain accountability of all award / badge recommendations, complete Part V of the DA Form 638, and advise personnel on awards procedures.

3. Army Awards Program Goals and Philosophy:
Objective - To provide tangible recognition for:
To foster mission accomplishment
Recognize excellence of both military and civilian members
Motivate personnel to high levels of performance and service
Acts of valor
Exceptional service or achievement
Special skills or qualifications
Acts of heroism not involving actual combat
AR , para 1-1 and para 1-12 (a)

4. Awards Overview
A decoration and decision as to which award is appropriate are both subjective determinations made by the commander.
MILITARY AWARDS
Will not be based upon grade.
Should reflect both the level of responsibility and manner of performance.
Should consider the degree of achievement or effectiveness on the unit as the predominate factor.
Are not automatically entitled to an individual upon departure from an assignment.
May be replaced with certificates / letters which may be appropriate for departing individuals.
Will not be used as prizes in contests.
Are not limited to a specific number per unit.
STANDARDS OF SERVICE
Awards will be processed expeditiously and recorded in military orders and certificates by the final approving authority within 60 days.
Typed recommendations are the norm during peacetime. Handwritten recommendations are acceptable during wartime conditions.
A final record of each recommendation will be maintained for historical purposes.
Awards should be received at a formal presentation (medal, certificate, and orders) before leaving an assignment or transition from active duty.
Awards and Decorations Boards may be used to advise commanders on appropriate levels of recognition (optional).

5. Disapproved / Downgraded Awards
Awards – The Basics
POLICIES
Submitted within two years the of the act, achievement, or service to be honored
If lost, may be resubmitted provided there is conclusive evidence of submission and of loss/failure to act on recommendation
Soldiers who are flagged or whose service is other than honorable cannot receive decorations (Exceptions: flagged for failed APFT; overweight with GO waiver; retirement awards; awards for valor)
Period is limited to the period of service during which the individual served under the recommending command
Only one decoration is authorized for the same act, achievement, or period of service
Awards for Retirement may reflect last 10 years of service
Disapproved / Downgraded Awards
Reconsideration or appeals must be submitted within one year from the date of the awarding authority’s decision
Resubmitted only if new, substantive and material information is furnished
Must be forwarded through the same official channels as the original recommendation
For wartime awards, the above applies but if the wartime awards approval authority does not wish to act on the reconsideration request it is forwarded to the Military Awards Branch (HRC) for final decision
Interim Awards
To ensure recognition, the appropriate authority may promptly award a suitable lesser award pending final action on a recommendation for a higher award
Example: ARCOM may be awarded as an interim award for heroism and for which a recommendation for the award of the DFC or the Soldier’s Medal has been submitted

6. Awards Submission Timelines Backwards Planning is key!
Example
Backwards Planning is key!
Submit to Brigade 75 Days prior to presentation date
Submit to Brigade 45 Days prior to presentation date
Loss Date
Goal = All deserving Soldiers PCS or transition with an award
Brigade must submit MSMs to HQ 60 days prior to presentation date for GO consideration
“Presentation Date” may differ from “Through Date” of award

7. Planning Considerations
Individual Soldier Records updates
SOPs updated with current:
HRC awards policies
Theater awards policies
Commander’s award philosophy
S-1 Soldiers trained / cross-trained
Award supplies – binders, medal sets, certificates, coins, printer supplies
Task Organization once deployed
Unit Awards / Campaign Credit
HRC
Awards 7

9. Categories of Individual Awards
Decorations
Good Conduct Medal
Service Medals / Service Ribbons
Badges / Tabs
Certificates / Letters
Foreign Awards 9

10. Individual Decorations10

11. Army Good Conduct Medal
Awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity throughout a specified period of continuous enlisted active Federal military service
Eligible personnel:
Active Component enlisted Soldiers
Active Guard Reserve (AGR) enlisted personnel
Retroactively to eligible Army of the United States (AUS) enlisted
Other Army enlisted as directed by the Secretary of the Army
Ready Reserve enlisted ordered to AD under Title 10, USC
S-1s generate an eligibility report and forward to units
Company commanders are the approval authority to award the AGCM to enlisted personnel serving under their command

12. Service Medals and Ribbons
Service (campaign) medals and service ribbons
denote honorable performance of duty within
specified limited dates in specified
geographical areas.
National Defense
Service Medal
Southwest Asia
Service Medal
Afghanistan
Campaign Medal
Iraq
Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism
Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal
AR , Chapter 5

13. Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medal Service Stars
One Bronze Service Star is authorized for wear on the ACM/ICM for one or more days of participation in each campaign designated below.
Liberation of Afghanistan
Consolidation I
Consolidation II
Consolidation III
Transition I
11 Sep Nov 01
1 Dec Sep 06
1 Oct Nov 09
1 Dec Jun 11
1 Jul 11 - TBD
OEF
Liberation of Iraq
Transition of Iraq
Iraqi Governance
National Resolution
Iraqi Surge
Iraqi Sovereignty
New Dawn
19 Mar May 03
2 May Jun 04
29 Jun Dec 05
16 Dec Jan 07
10 Jan Dec 08
1 Jan Aug 10
1 Sep Dec 11
OIF

14. Badges
COMBAT
IDENTIFICATION
SPECIAL SKILL
MARKSMANSHIP

15. Combat Badges Combat Infantryman Badge Combat Action Badge
Combat Medical Badge

16. Wartime Decorations Soldier’s Medal Bronze Star Air Army Commendation
The following are awards authorized to be awarded for wartime valor, service or achievement:
Distinguished
Service
Cross
Silver
Legion of
Merit
Flying
Honor
Achievement
Meritorious

17. PROCESSING PROCEDURES
Purple Heart Criteria
During wartime the Secretary of the Army delegates to wartime commanders authority to award the Purple Heart (PH).
A “wound” is defined as an injury to any part of the body from an outside force or agent sustained.
A key issue commanders must consider is the degree to which the enemy caused injury.
The PH differs from all other individual decorations in that an individual is not “recommended” for the decoration; rather he or she is entitled to it upon meeting specific criteria.
PROCESSING PROCEDURES
Request for consideration of the Purple Heart could include: 
Chain of command endorsement
Deployment orders
ORB/ERB
Narrative describing qualifying incident
Casualty Report
SF 600 (Chronological Record of Medical Care)

19. Army Unit Awards PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION (PUC)
VALOROUS UNIT AWARD (VUA)
Wartime Award - awarded for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy
Display gallantry, determination, esprit de corps
Accomplish mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions
Actions set unit apart from and above other units participating in same campaign
Single or successive actions covering a relatively short period of time
Degree of heroism commensurate with Distinguished Service Cross
Wartime Award - awarded for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy
Display gallantry, determination, esprit de corps
Accomplish mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions
Actions set unit apart from and above other units participating in same campaign
Single or successive actions covering a relatively short period of time
Degree of heroism commensurate with Silver Star
ARMY SUPERIOR UNIT AWARD (ASUA)
MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION (MUC)
Peacetime Award - outstanding performance of difficult and challenging mission
Extraordinary circumstances
Infrequently awarded to units larger than battalion size
May be awarded to units during wartime for actions outside the combat zone
Wartime Award - superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks
Actions set unit apart from and above other units with similar missions
Degree of service / achievement commensurate with Legion of Merit
CONUS-based units not eligible

20. Streamers CAMPAIGN STREAMERS COMBAT STREAMERS
May be awarded by commanders of divisions, corps, or armies if 65% or more of the TOE strength of the unit has been awarded the CIB during military operations
For service in IRAQ or AFGHANISTAN, units will receive and display a embroidered streamer. Units participating in these campaigns will receive only one streamer, regardless of the number of deployments.
May be awarded by commanders of armies, corps, divisions, or separate brigades when 65% or more of the TOE strength of a medical unit has been awarded the CMB during military operations in war
In recognition of deployments to other geographic regions outside of Iraq and Afghanistan, such as Kuwait, Qatar, and the Horn of Africa, units will receive a streamer in the colors of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
Establishing Campaign Participation Credit.
AR , para Army units may be awarded campaign credit if they actually engaged the enemy in combat, were deployed in a designated combat zone, or if they performed duties either in the air or on the ground in any part of the combat zone at any time during the designated period of the respective battle, campaign, or expedition.
Commanders of battalions, groups, regiments and brigades are authorized to award the combat action streamer when 65% or more of the TOE assigned strength of a unit authorized a color, distinguishing flag, or guidon has been awarded the CAB during military operations in war or in any military action where the CAB is authorized.

21. Processing Awards Between Branches of Service
PEACETIME
Award recommendations of the MSM and below to Army personnel permanently assigned to Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and/or Coast Guard commands may be approved by the award approval authority of that Service without seeking Army’s concurrence.
Member of the U.S. Armed Forces permanently assigned to Army units may accept Army awards, MSM and below, without seeking concurrence from their service.
For service members assigned temporarily between the Services, the other Service may recommend an award by forwarding the recommendation directly to the service member’s permanent command for a action/concurrence.
Recommendations for award of the LOM and above will be submitted to the Service member’s service for consideration and processing.
Purple Heart and retirement award recommendations on other service members must be submitted in accordance with that Service’s regulations/directives.
WARTIME
United States Air Force: Approval for any wartime award recommended to an Airman must be obtained through the United States Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF).
United States Navy & Marine Corps:
Approval for any wartime award recommended to a Sailor or Marine must be obtained through the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) or the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC).
Approval for an MSM or below can only be awarded if the Sailor is permanently assigned to an Army command.
Army must forward a LOR to the Sailor’s parent command for consideration of an award if temporarily assigned.
Purple Heart recommendations must be forwarded to the respective Service.

22. Other Services POC Information
PEACETIME
WARTIME
Commandant
United States Marine Corps
Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Code: MMMA
3280 Russell Road, Quantico, VA
DSN /9343 or (703) /9343
FAX DSN or (703)
Chief of Naval Operations (N09B13)
Navy Pentagon
Washington, D.C
DSN or (202)
FAX DSN or (202)
Department of the Air Force
Headquarters, U.S. Air Force Personnel
Center, ATTN: DPPPRA
550 C Street West, Suite 12
Randolph AFB, TX
DSN /2520 or (210) /2520
FAX DSN or (210)
Commander
U.S. Marine Force Central Command
(ATTN: Adjutant)
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
Mac Dill Air Force Base, FL
DSN or (813)
FAX DSN or (813)
Chief of Naval Operations (DNS-35)
2000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, D.C
DSN or (202)
FAX DSN or (202)
United States Central Command Air Force
Decorations Processing Unit
ATTN: UDPU Board Team
Shaw Air Force Base, SC
DSN /8746 or (803) /8746
FAX DSN or (803)

23. U.S. Decorations to Foreign Military Personnel
U.S. Army badges and tabs to foreign military personnel will be made only with the prior consent of their Government.
Badges and tabs not authorized to foreign military personnel are: CMB, EIB, Military Free Fall Parachutist and Special Ops Diver.
Awards to foreign military personnel require from 3 to 6 months for complete processing by HQDA.
It is DOD policy to recognize individual acts of heroism, extraordinary achievement or meritorious achievement on the part of Service members of friendly foreign nations.
Before awarding of the SS, SM, and BSM the approving authority shall coordinate with the appropriate U.S. Embassy to ensure that the decoration is consistent with the overall interest of the U.S.
O6 and below may be awarded: Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier’s Medal, BSM, MSM, ARCOM, and AAM.
General or Flag rank or O6 holding such positions may be awarded: LM but not the MSM, ARCOM or AAM.
The Unified Combatant Commander must request counterintelligence to conduct a records check, review / write award recommendation and citation, biographic file check, and issue a statement of concurrence or non-concurrence.

24. 24

25. Learning Objective Action: Review the Awards and Decorations Program
Condition: Senior HR Leaders in a classroom environment working individually and as a member of a small group, using doctrinal and administrative publications, practical exercises, case studies, personal experience, handouts, and discussion with an awareness of the Operational Environment (OE) variables and actors.
Standard:
With a minimum of 70% accuracy, identify award processing guidelines, determine eligibility and approval authorities, verify award submission data, maintain accountability of all award / badge recommendations, complete Part V of the DA Form 638, and advise personnel on awards procedures.