R 061600Z APR 23
MARADMIN 177/23
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC L LP WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/2023 SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FIELD, DEPOT AND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AWARDS//
REF/A/DOC/DODI 1348.30/08APR2019//
REF/B/MEMO/2023 SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FIELD, DEPOT, AND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AWARDS FROM ASD/28DEC2022//
NARR/REF A IS DOD INSTRUCTION FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MAINTENANCE AWARDS.  REF B IS THE CALLING MESSAGE FOR AWARD SUBMISSIONS FROM ASD//
POC/J. MARCUM/CIV/LPM-2/-/TEL: DSN 260-7117/TEL: 571-256-7117/EMAIL: JERRY.MARCUM@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Reference A established the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award Program in three separate award categories: the Depot-level Maintenance Program Award, Field-level Unit Maintenance Program Awards, and Software Maintenance Award.
1.a.  Depot-level Maintenance Program Award.  The depot-level competition is for programs/production lines within DoD major organic depot facilities (i.e., facilities with more than 400 employees engaged in depot-level maintenance operations).  One major program/production line will be awarded the Robert T. Mason Award for depot maintenance excellence.  Depot maintenance programs/production lines that have been in operation for at least one half of the competition period (6 months) are eligible to compete.
1.b.  Field-level Unit Maintenance Program Awards.  Annually, six field-level maintenance units will be awarded the SECDEF maintenance awards, two from each competitive category (large, medium, and small).  One of these six winners then be recognized as the "Best of the Best" and awarded the SECDEF Phoenix Trophy.  Active and reserve force units (to include Marine Corps Air-Ground Task Forces and supporting/base units) whose primary mission is to perform field-level maintenance (maintenance below the depot level)are eligible. Units having reserve associated units shall recognize the associated units’ contributions in their award submissions. Competitive categories are: large (over 1,000 authorized personnel); medium (301-999 authorized personnel); small (up to 300 authorized personnel).
1.c.  Software Maintenance Award competition includes activities with a minimum of 30 DoD civilian and uniformed military employees engaged in software maintenance activities for programs, projects, equipment, or weapon systems.
2.  The 2023 SECDEF Maintenance Award competitive period is the 12-month period beginning 1 October 2021 and ending 30 September 2022 (FY22).  Competitive units must have operated under an authorized structure for at least half of the competitive period in one of the three categories to be eligible to compete.
3.  Submission criteria and format:
3.a.  Nomination package format shall be per Ref A.  Format instructions and past winner packages may be obtained and viewed from the OSD website at the following address:  
3.a.1.  https:(slash)(slash)www.acq.osd.mil/log/MR/awards.html
3.a.2.  Select DODI 1348.30 in left column for criteria/format.
3.b.  Package should not exceed eight pages of text.
3.c.  Copies of unit command chronologies are not acceptable.
3.d.  Narrative must clearly relate to maintenance actions of the unit.  Focus of this award is maintenance, not operations.
3.e.  Dollar amounts identified as savings or cost avoidance, percentages, and other empirical data to support the package should be included where appropriate.
3.f.  One original color printed copy of nomination package with accompanying endorsements.
3.g.  High resolution digital photo of unit logo with a minimum 300 dpi.
3.h.  Electronic copy of original word document of unit submission, with a scanned copy of accompanying endorsements.
3.i.  Recommend packages be submitted in newsletter format with colored digital photographs embedded within the text.  IAW Ref A, content and format will be weighted in the package submission.
3.j.  If there are any questions as to formatting, contact the point of contact listed above.
4. Tasks.
4.a.  Marine Corps Logistics Command.  Screen, evaluate, and endorse all depot-level award submissions.
4.b. Marine Forces (MARFOR)/supporting establishment (SE).
4.b.1.  Publish submission schedules.
4.b.2.  Screen, evaluate, rank and endorse all field-level ground and aviation nomination submissions and forward to HQMC IL (code LPM-2). POC above.
4.b.3.  Submit a maximum of two nominations per competitive category for each major command or Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF).
4.c.  Organizations not under the operational command of a MARFOR or MEF may forward nomination packages directly to HQMC DC, IL, LPM-2 (POC above).
5.  Original nomination packages and accompanying chain of command endorsements must be received at HQMC DC, IL, LP, LPM-2 (POC above) no later than 21 April 2023.  Nomination packages received after this date will not be considered for competition.  
6.  Unit and personnel data shall be cleared for public release to military and civilian news services.  No classified information will be submitted.
7.  One program/production line for each depot will be selected to represent the Marine Corps in competition with other services. SECDEF maintenance board will select the winner of the Robert T. Mason Award for 2023.
7.a.  All field-level maintenance award nominations received will be reviewed by a selection board convened at HQMC.  Two nominees per competitive category will be selected to represent the Marine Corps in competition with the other services.
7.b.  The awards will be presented at the awards banquet and ceremony during the 2023 Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium on xx December 2023 in San Diego, California.
7.c.  If won by Marine Corps units, the Phoenix Trophy and Robert T. Mason Trophy will remain permanently in the Pentagon and will be displayed so that they are afforded suitable public attention with the name of the current winner and previous winners appropriately inscribed thereon.  Replicas of these trophies shall be presented to winning units.
8.  Request widest dissemination to field-level maintenance units.
9.  Release authorized by Brigadier General Forrest C. Poole III, Assistant Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics (LP).//