BuPers:AwardsManual:Philosophy
Awards Philosophy in TRMN
It is important when issuing awards to understand the purpose of awards. This is something that many fan clubs, and even some countries, in the past have failed to do properly. Because of this it is important for us to ensure that everyone in the organization understands what Admiralty House’s philosophy is when it comes to issuing awards.
There are a few important things to remember with TRMN awards before we get into the philosophy itself. The first is that not everyone will receive every award. This is a fact of life, and it is one we will have to learn to live with. The second of these is that awards are not here to serve the purpose of a mere “attaboy” certificate. We want to ensure that awards are issued for valid reasons, while also ensuring that people are recognized for the work they do.
So what then is the philosophy of Admiralty House when it comes to requesting and recommending awards? A good award citation clearly, and effectively states what the potential recipient has done to earn an award.
An effective citation clearly states what the recipient has done to earn an award. A simple sentence is not enough for a higher level award where a detailed description should be included. It is also desirable to describe the positive effects that the recipient’s actions have had on their unit or the TRMN as a whole.
Here is a web page with examples which may be useful: http://www.armynco.com/awards/award_citations.shtml Additionally, some awards require evidence when presented, such as length of service, or proof of a criteria, such as games played. The more information that is given, the easier it will be to adjudicate the award. Some awards will require outside sources or evidence. This should all be included when the award is submitted.
When requesting an award, you should consider carefully what the potential award recipient has done, and how much of an impact that activity has had. To that end, it is the philosophy of Admiralty House that you should always request the highest award you think is deserved. It will be the job of the First Lord of the Admiralty’s Staff Liaison, together with the Awards Coordinator through BuPers, to assess the award and recommend if the requested award is correct or if it should be up or downgraded. The reason you should always request the highest award you think is warranted is that it is always worth recognizing people for their efforts in the best manner possible. The job of the Staff Liaison and the Awards Coordinator is to employ neutral eyes to all recommendations and adjudicate them based solely on their presented merits.
Posthumous Awards
It does, and will happen, that one of our members will pass, either after or before a nomination for an award has been submitted. In those instances, the following will be the policy.
In the case of awards already submitted, those will be reviewed by the issuing authority, and if approved, issued as normal, and added to the members personnel file.
If the award has not been submitted, but the member had, in the eyes of the nominator, qualified to the award before their passing, they may be submitted for it. These will go to the Issuing Authority for initial approval, but will then face a second review by the Royal Council as a whole who will need to approve them. These should be submissions for major awards, such as the Gryphon Star (or equivalent) and higher. Anything lower than this, will automatically be denied once the recipient has passed, and it was not submitted prior to their passing.