R 060225Z MAY 08
MARADMIN 287/08
MSGID/MARADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC PA/PAC//
SUBJ/2008 AMERICAN LEGION SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARD//
POC/GOODWIN, J.M./GYSGT/UNIT:DIVPA HQMC/-/TEL: 703-692-1529
/EMAIL:JAMES.GOODWIN@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE AMERICAN LEGION IS A NON-PROFIT, COMMUNITY
SERVICE NATIONAL 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 EIGHTH 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 (SERGEANT AND BELOW) FROM EACH OF THE MILITARY SERVICES FOR OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER SERVICE PERFORMED OFF DUTY IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.  NOMINATIONS MUST BE FULLY SUBSTANTIATED AND REFLECT A CAREFUL AND CONSCIENTIOUS EVALUATION OF THE NOMINEE. 
3.  EACH NOMINATION PACKAGE MUST:
    A.  HIGHLIGHT THE LEVEL OF VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY SERVICE THAT THE NOMINEE PERFORMS OFF-DUTY IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. 
    B.  CITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY SERVICE PERFORMED.       
    C.  DESCRIBE HOW THE COMMUNITY BENEFITED FROM THAT SERVICE.     
    D.  CERTIFY THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS AN OUTSTANDING MILITARY PERFORMER. 
    E.  INCLUDE A COVER PAGE WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: 
       (1)  NOMINEE'S FULL NAME, RANK, MOS, CURRENT DUTY STATION AND
ADDRESS, HOME ADDRESS, WORK AND HOME PHONE NUMBERS, AND HOME OF
RECORD.  (ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION REQUESTED ABOVE IS NEEDED BY
THE AMERICAN LEGION FOR COORDINATION OF TRAVEL AND TO ENSURE
LOGISTICS OF AWARD RECOGNITION ARE MET). 
       (2)  NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE UNIT IN WHICH HE/SHE WAS SERVING WHEN CONTRIBUTION WAS MADE.
       (3)  A STATEMENT THAT THE MARINE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ATTEND THE AMERICAN LEGION NATIONAL CONVENTION IN AUGUST.
       (4)  A BY-NAME UNIT POC WITH CONTACT PHONE NUMBER AND
EMAIL ADDRESS.
    F. 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 MARINE CORPS ORDER P1070.12K, MARINE CORPS INDIVIDUAL RECORDS ADMINISTRATION MANUAL (IRAM).  THE PHOTO MUST CONTAIN A PLACARD WITH, AT A MINIMUM, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: FULL NAME, RANK, HEIGHT, WEIGHT AND BODY FAT (IF APPLICABLE), AND DATE OF PHOTO.  FOR DEPLOYED MARINES, UNIFORM FOR THE PHOTOGRAPH CAN BE UTILITIES WITH THE BLOUSE REMOVED.  THE PHOTO MUST BE OF HIGH RESOLUTION QUALITY, AT A MINIMUM OF 5" X 7" AT 300 DPI, PREFERABLY AS A JOINT PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERTS GROUP (JPEG) FILE.  ONLY AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH IS ACCEPTABLE.
    G. INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AS SEPARATE ENCLOSURES:
       (1)  NOMINEE'S BIO, CONTAINING PERTINENT MILITARY BACKGROUND
INFORMATION.
       (2)  A PROPOSED CITATION IN STANDARD PARAGRAPH FORM TO BE READ AT AWARDS PRESENTATION.
       (3)  A WRITTEN AND SIGNTED 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."
4.  NOMINATIONS MUST BE ADDRESSED FROM THE NOMINATING UNIT TO THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (DIVPA/PAC) VIA THE NOMINATING COMMAND'S CHAIN OF COMMAND.  FOR EXAMPLE:
       FROM: COMMANDING OFFICER, 2ND BATTALION, 3RD MARINES
       TO:   COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (DIVPA/PAC)
       VIA:  CO, 3D MARINE REGIMENT
             CG, 3D MARDIV
             CG, III MEF
             CG, COMMARFORPAC4. 
5.  HQMC PAC WILL CONVENE A BOARD TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2008 SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARD.  HOWEVER, THE FINAL AWARD SELECTION 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 AWARD RECIPIENT WILL BE RELEASED.  THE RECIPIENT WILL REPRESENT THE USMC AT THE AMERICAN LEGIONS NATIONAL CONVENTION IN PHOENIX, AZ, 24-30 AUG 2008. 
6.  ALL NOMINATIONS SHOULD BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY VIA
EMAIL TO: HQMC.COMREL@USMC.MIL USING PDF FILES WITH THE FOLLOWING
SUBJECT LINE: "2008 AMERICAN LEGION SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARDS PROGRAM;
ICO OF RANK/NAME."  DIGITAL PHOTOS MUST BE SENT AS SEPARATE FILES
FROM THE NOMINATION PACKAGE.  MAILED, HARD COPY NOMINATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
7.  DEADLINE.  HEADQUARTERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS, DIVISION OF PUBLIC
AFFAIRS MUST RECEIVE NOMINATION PACKAGES NO LATER THAN 7 JULY 2008.  NO EXTENSIONS OR EXCEPTIONS WILL BE GRANTED.
8.  LOGISTICS AND EXPENDITURES.  THE AMERICAN LEGION WILL PROVIDE CONUS TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE NATIONAL CONVENTION IN PHOENIX,AS WELL AS ACCOMMODATIONS AND MEALS FOR THE AWARD RECIPIENT.  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 OF THE AMERICAN LEGION AT TEL: (317) 630-1253 OR VIA EMAIL: JMARCH@LEGION.ORG.
9.  IF THE VALUE OF THE TRAVEL BENEFITS RECEIVED FROM THE AMERICAN
LEGION EXCEEDS $305; THE AWARD RECEPIENT WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPORT
ACCEPTANCE UPON COMPLETION OF THE TRAVEL TO THEIR LOCAL STAFF
JUDGE ADVOCATE.  THE LOCAL SJAS 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.   
10.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY BGEN. R.E. MILSTEAD, JR.; DIRECTOR,
DIVISION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, HQMC.//