R 301614Z APR 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 0289/09
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC PA PAC//
SUBJ/ANNOUNCEMENT AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THE 2009 AMERICAN LEGION SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARD//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/MCO 3104.1/YMD:20060608//
REF/B/MSGID:MSG/MARADMIN 003-09/060930ZJAN2009//
NARR/REF A IS THE MARINE CORPS INDIVIDUAL RECORDS ADMINISTRATION MANUAL (IRAM).  REF B IS MARADMIN 003-09 TRANSMISSION AND FILING OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS TO THE OFFICIAL MILITARY PERSONNEL FILE (OMPF)//
POC/GOODWIN, J.M./GYSGT/UNIT:CMC WASHINGTON DC/NAME:DIVPA HQMC/TEL:703-692-1529/ EMAIL:JAMES.GOODWIN@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE AMERICAN LEGION IS A NON-PROFIT, NATIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATION OF MORE THAN THREE MILLION MEMBERS WITH MORE THAN 15,000 LEGION POSTS WORLDWIDE. 
2.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO ANNOUNCE AND SOLICIT NOMINATIONS FOR THE NINTH ANNUAL AMERICAN LEGION SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARD.  SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION, THIS AWARD IS PRESENTED ANNUALLY TO AN ENLISTED MEMBER (E5 AND BELOW) FROM EACH OF THE MILITARY SERVICES FOR OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER SERVICE PERFORMED OFF DUTY IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.  THE AWARDS ARE PRESENTED DURING THE LEGION'S NATIONAL CONVENTION.  THE 2009 NATIONAL CONVENTION WILL TAKE PLACE IN LOUISVILLE, KY, 21-27 AUG 09.
3.  NOMINATION CRITERIA.  NOMINATIONS MUST BE FULLY SUBSTANTIATED AND REFLECT A CAREFUL AND CONSCIENTIOUS EVALUATION OF THE NOMINEE.  EACH NOMINATION PACKAGE SHALL INCLUDE:
    A.  ALL APPROPRIATE ENDORSEMENTS.  NOMINATIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED  FROM THE NOMINATING UNIT TO THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (DIVPA/PAC) VIA THE NOMINATING COMMAND'S CHAIN OF COMMAND, TO INCLUDE THE UNIT'S COMMANDING GENERAL.  FOR EXAMPLE:
       FROM:  COMMANDING OFFICER, 2ND BATTALION, 3RD MARINES
       TO:    COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (PAC)
       VIA:   CO, 3D MARINE REGIMENT
              CG, 3D MARDIV
    B.  NOMINATIONS SHOULD CITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY SERVICE PERFORMED OFF DUTY AND SHOW HOW THE COMMUNITY BENEFITED FROM THAT SERVICE.  NOMINATIONS MUST ALSO SHOW THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS AN OUTSTANDING MILITARY PERFORMER. 
4.  NOMINATION FORMAT.  THE NOMINATION MUST BE IN STANDARD LETTER FORMAT AND INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: 
    A.  NOMINEE'S FULL NAME, RANK, MOS, CURRENT DUTY STATION AND ADDRESS, HOME ADDRESS, WORK AND HOME PHONE NUMBERS, AND HOME OF RECORD.
    B.  A NOMINATION JUSTIFICATION SECTION IN PARAGRAPH OR BULLETIZED FORMAT.  NOMINATION MUST INCLUDE A STATEMENT THAT THE MARINE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ATTEND THE AMERICAN LEGION NATIONAL CONVENTION IN AUG.
    C.  NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE UNIT IN WHICH HE/SHE WAS SERVING WHEN CONTRIBUTION WAS MADE.
    D.  A BY-NAME UNIT OIC AND THEIR CONTACT PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS.
    E.  ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION REQUESTED ABOVE IS NEEDED BY THE AMERICAN LEGION FOR COORDINATION OF TRAVEL AND TO ENSURE LOGISTICS OF AWARD RECOGNITION ARE MET. 
5.  PHOTOGRAPHS.  EACH NOMINATION PACKAGE MUST CONTAIN A FULL-LENGTH PHOTO OF THE NOMINEE IN SERVICE ALPHA UNIFORM FOR USE IN DETERMINING MILITARY APPEARANCE.  THIS IS AN OFFICIAL PHOTO, AND MUST ADHERE TO THE GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED IN REF A.  PHOTOS MUST BE OF HIGH RESOLUTION QUALITY, AT A MINIMUM OF 5" X 7" AT 300 DPI.  ONLY AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH IS ACCEPTABLE.  DIGITAL PHOTOS MUST BE SENT AS SEPARATE FILES FROM THE NOMINATION PACKAGE, PREFERABLY AS A JOINT PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERTS GROUP (JPEG) FILE.  NOMINATING COMMANDS ARE ENCOURAGED TO UTILIZE LOCAL COMBAT CAMERA SERVICES FOR PHOTO PRODUCTION.  FOR DEPLOYED MARINES, UNIFORM FOR THE PHOTOGRAPH CAN BE UTILITIES WITH THE BLOUSE REMOVED, PER REF B. 
6.  ADDITIONAL ENCLOSURES.  IN ADDITION TO THE NOMINATION LETTER AND PHOTOGRAPH, EACH SUBMISSION MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AS SEPARATE ENCLOSURES:
    A.  NOMINEE'S BIO, CONTAINING PERTINENT MILITARY BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
    B.  A PROPOSED CITATION IN STANDARD PARAGRAPH FORMAT TO BE READ AT AWARDS PRESENTATION.
    C.  A WRITTEN AND SIGNED STATEMENT OF EXPRESS CONSENT BY THE NOMINEE, AUTHORIZING RELEASE OF INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE NOMINATION, PER THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974.  THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS A SAMPLE OF WRITTEN CONSENT:  "I, RANK/FULL NAME, DO HEREBY AUTHORIZE THE RELEASE OF ALL INFORMATION ENCLOSED IN THIS NOMINATION PACKAGE TO THOSE PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS."
7.  A SAMPLE NOMINATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE FROM CMC DIV PA (PAC) UPON REQUEST.  ANY SUBMISSIONS WHICH DO NOT FOLLOW THE ABOVE GUIDELINES OR ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE (SEE PARA. 10) WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
8.  HQMC PAC WILL CONVENE A BOARD TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE MARINE CORPS RECIPIENT OF THE 2009 SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARD.  FINAL AWARD SELECTION, HOWEVER, WILL BE MADE BY THE AMERICAN LEGION.  UPON COMPLETION OF THE SELECTION PROCESS, THE COMMAND AND SELECTED AWARDEE WILL BE NOTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN LEGION.  ADDITIONALLY, A MARADMIN ANNOUNCING THE MARINE CORPS AWARD RECIPIENT WILL BE RELEASED.  THE AWARD RECIPIENT WILL REPRESENT THE USMC AT THE AMERICAN LEGION NATIONAL CONVENTION IN LOUISVILLE, KY, AND SHOULD PLAN ON ARRIVING AT THE CONVENTION NO LATER THAN 22 AUG, AND DEPART NO EARLIER THAN 26 AUG 09. 
9.  SUBMISSIONS.  ALL NOMINATIONS SHOULD BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY VIA EMAIL TO:  HQMC.COMREL@USMC.MIL USING PDF FILES WITH THE FOLLOWING SUBJECT LINE:  "2009 AMERICAN LEGION SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARDS PROGRAM; ICO OF RANK/NAME."  MAILED, HARD COPY NOMINATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
10.  DEADLINE.  HEADQUARTERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS, DIVISION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS MUST RECEIVE NOMINATION PACKAGES NO LATER THAN 10 JUL 09.  NO EXTENSIONS OR EXCEPTIONS WILL BE GRANTED.
11.  LOGISTICS AND EXPENDITURES.  THE AMERICAN LEGION WILL PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE NATIONAL CONVENTION IN LOUISVILLE, KY, WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, AS WELL AS ACCOMMODATIONS AND MEALS FOR AWARD RECIPIENTS.  ANY ADDITIONAL ACCOMPANYING GUESTS WILL NOT BE COVERED BY THE AMERICAN LEGION.  SPECIFIC COORDINATION DETAILS, TO INCLUDE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS, WILL BE SENT TO THE AWARD RECIPIENT FOLLOWING THE SELECTION PROCESS.  FOR ADDITIONAL LOGISTICS INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, CONTACT MR. JOE MARCH OR MS. DEBRA MURRELL OF THE AMERICAN LEGION AT TEL: (317) 630-1253 OR VIA EMAIL:  JMARCH@LEGION.ORG, OR DMURRELL@LEGION.ORG.
12.  IF THE VALUE OF THE TRAVEL BENEFITS RECEIVED FROM THE AMERICAN LEGION EXCEEDS $250, AWARD RECEPIENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPORT ACCEPTANCE UPON COMPLETION OF THE TRAVEL TO THEIR LOCAL STAFF JUDGE ADVOCATE.  LOCAL SJA MUST, IN TURN, REPORT THIS INFORMATION TO HQMC JUDGE ADVOCATE DIVISION'S CODE JAR FOR SEMI-ANNUAL DOD REPORTING PURPOSES.  SF 326 IS AUTHORIZED FOR USE FOR THIS REPORT.
13.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTCOL M.P. MCLAUGHLIN, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (ACTING), HQMC.//