2025 SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FIELD, DEPOT AND SOFTWARE  MAINTENANCE AWARDS
Date Signed: 2/19/2025 | MARADMINS Number: 073/25
MARADMINS : 073/25

R 182123Z FEB 25
MARADMIN 073/25
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC L LP WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/2025 SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FIELD, DEPOT AND SOFTWARE 
MAINTENANCE AWARDS//
REF/A/DOC/DODI 1348.30/08APR2019//
AMPN/REF A IS DOD INSTRUCTION FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 
MAINTENANCE AWARDS//
POC/J. MARCUM/CIV/LPM-2/-/TEL: DSN 260-7117/TEL: 571-256-7117/
EMAIL: JERRY.MARCUM(AT)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 2025 SECDEF Maintenance Award competitive period is 
the 12-month period beginning 01 October 2023 and ending 30 
September 2024 (FY24).  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 April 19, 2025.  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 2025.
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 2025 Department of Defense Maintenance 
Symposium December 2025 at a location TBD.
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 F. C. Poole III, 
Assistant Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics 
(LP).//