Don’t forget to submit Unit Commendations, Meritorious Unit Awards, Coast Guard Excellence Ribbons (“E” Ribbons), service, campaign, and expeditionary awards to the Military Medals and Awards branch of the Personnel Support Division (PSC-PSD-mua-ma) by the end of the year.
Throughout the year, the Military Medals and Awards branch receives numerous inquiries requesting copies of unit, service, campaign, and expeditionary awards. Ultimately, the unit is responsible for retaining and reporting these awards to CG PSC-PSD-mua-ma for filing in the Coast Guard Official Award Files. Failing to report these awards has real implications; if the award is not retained at the unit or received by CG PSC-PSD-mua-ma there is no record of the achievement.
Awards recognize Coast Guard members and units who go above and beyond and embody the Coast Guard’s core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty. Reporting your awards promptly is about more than record-keeping. Reporting helps ensure the historical record is accurate, so that achievements can be preserved for future generations as lessons in leadership and excellence.
Awards reporting can also have financial and professional implications for honorees. Some awards qualify members for entitlements. For example, veterans and retirees who served on active duty in the armed forces during certain time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preferential hiring for many federal government jobs. USA JOBS provides information on Veteran’s preference and other federal hiring options, which can be found here.
Please email awards and any questions to PSC-PSD-mua-ma.