R 090929Z APR 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 0240/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM//
SUBJ/MODIFICATION TO EYEWITNESS STATEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR COMBAT AWARDS//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/SECNAV/22AUG2006//
REF/B/MSGID:MEMO/SECNAV/18MAR2009//
NARR/REF A IS SECNAVINST 1650.1H, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL. REF B IS SECNAV MEMO, CHANGE TO EYEWITNESS REQUIREMENTS FOR COMBAT AWARDS.//
POC/N. W. MULL/CAPT/HQMC MMMA/-/TEL:703-784-9342 /EMAIL:NICHOLAS.MULL@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO ANNOUNCE A CHANGE TO THE EYEWITNESS STATEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR COMBAT AWARDS AS OUTLINED IN REF A.  PER REF B, EFFECTIVE 18 MARCH 2009, THE SECNAV HAS ELIMINATED THE REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT TWO NOTARIZED EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL WITH 'V' (NV) AND NAVY AND MARINE CORPS COMMENDATION MEDAL WITH 'V' (CV).  THIS CHANGE OF POLICY EFFECTS ALL NV AND CV RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN APPROVED AS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS CHANGE.
2.  THIS CHANGE WAS INITIATED AS A RESULT OF A CMC DIRECTED REVIEW OF THE VALOR AWARDS PROCESS BY THE MILITARY AWARDS BRANCH TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE THE OVERALL TIME FROM DATE OF ACTION TO DATE OF APPROVAL FOR ALL VALOR AWARDS.  AN ANALYSIS OF PREVIOUSLY APPROVED VALOR AWARDS FOR GWOT INDICATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 95 PERCENT OF THE NV AND CV RECOMMENDATIONS RECOGNIZED MARINES OR SAILORS FOR MERITORIOUS OR HEROIC PERFORMANCE OVER SUSTAINED PERIODS OF DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN COMBAT ACTIONS AS LONG AS 7 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR.  THE SUMMARY OF ACTION FOR THESE AWARDS CONTAINED SUFFICIENT LEVEL OF DETAIL OF THE MARINE'S OR SAILOR'S SUSTAINED PERFORMANCE IN COMBAT AND WAS GENERALLY PREPARED BY THE PLATOON COMMANDER OR COMPANY COMMANDER WHO DIRECTLY OBSERVED THEM THROUGHOUT THE COMBAT TOUR.  STATEMENTS FROM EYEWITNESSES FOR THESE AWARDS ADDED MINIMAL BENEFIT IN THE AWARD REVIEW PROCESS AND THEIR ELIMINATION WOULD NOT JEOPARDIZE THE INTEGRITY OF THE NV AND CV.  HOWEVER, ELIMINATION OF THE EYEWITNESS REQUIREMENT FOR THE NV AND CV WOULD PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORKLOAD ON THE LOWER LEVEL COMMANDS THAT WOULD ALLOW GREATER FOCUS ON PREPARATION AND PROCESSING OF HIGHER PRECEDENCE VALOR AWARDS.
3.  THE REQUIREMENT FOR TWO NOTARIZED EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS AS OUTLINED IN REF A REMAINS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS MEDAL AND ALL OTHER CURRENT COMBAT AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING AWARDS:  AIR MEDAL WITH COMBAT 'V', BRONZE STAR WITH COMBAT 'V', DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH COMBAT 'V', LEGION OF MERIT WITH COMBAT 'V', SILVER STAR, NAVY CROSS AND MEDAL OF HONOR.  ADDITIONALLY, TWO NOTARIZED EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS ARE STILL REQUIRED FOR ALL COMBAT AWARDS SUBMITTED OUTSIDE NORMAL TIME LIMITS UNDER TITLE 10 U.S.C. SECT 1130 AND SECT 6248, TO INCLUDE THE NV AND CV.
4.  THIS CHANGE OF POLICY WILL BE INCORPORATED IN THE NEXT REVISION OF REF A.  
5.  ANY QUESTIONS ON THE GUIDANCE CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE POC LISTED ABOVE.
6.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY BGEN J. A. KESSLER, DIRECTOR,  MANPOWER MANAGEMENT DIVISION.//