CO Manual:Section 6

Commanding Officer's Manual
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Awards

Promotion Authority

All promotion are governed by PD-STC-1004 Rank and Promotion Policy as approved by the Steering Committee.
A CO has the authority to promote any crewman up to the rank of E-6/C-1 (Petty Officer First Class/ Staff Sergeant) and can commission/ promote Officers to the rank of O-1/C-11 (Ensign/2nd Lieutenant) and the Fleet CO may promote to the rank of O-2/C-12 (Lieutenant, junior grade/1st Lieutenant). All promotions by a CO must meet the requirement of time in grade and SIA coursework as well as having an open billet (job/position on the ship) for the newly promoted personnel. COs should also strive to make sure that they still meet the required ratio of Officers and Enlisted as set forth in the Chapter size guidelines (AO 1011-01) which is ROUGHLY 1 officer for every 3-4 enlisted.

All promotions to E-7 through E-10 must be submitted to BuPers for promotion boards. All promotions to O-3 or higher must be submitted to the BuPers for promotion boards.

Example of a nomination can be found below.

Award Recognition

If you think any of your crew are deserving of any award, you should submit a nomination. Any member can submit a nomination, but Chapter COs should be making a special effort to see that your members are recognized for their efforts to the chapter and the larger organization. See below for an example of a good Award nomination.
If you want to make sure that an award gets issued for someone you feel deserves it, there are a few points you should keep in mind:

1. Make sure the award nomination is filled out completely. If there is some information you do not have available, please make every effort to get it before you submit the award nomination. Possible sources of information (assuming you want to keep the nomination secret from the nominee) would be friends, your CO or XO or make up a reasonable sounding excuse to get the information directly from the nominee. Be creative and you will be rewarded.
2. Make sure the nomination includes specific examples of the nominee’s conduct. You need to be clear as to why you feel the person is deserving of the award you are nominating them to receive.
3. Submit your nomination to the proper issuing authority. Every award description lists the issuing authority for that award. Also, sending the award to the wrong person shows that you have not properly read the award description and casts doubt upon the veracity and worthiness of your nomination because, if you have not taken the time to identify the proper issuing authority, how can that person be sure you are nominating a person for the correct award?
4. Be prepared with additional documentation or proof. From time to time the issuing authority may request additional information or the nominee’s accomplishments may be called into question (this rarely happens, but you should be ready, just in case). If you do not have additional information or the re quested documentation, a nomination that otherwise may have been granted could be denied. In most cases, the only proof necessary to lay the proper foundation for a nomination will be the statement of the Nominator but be prepared for any eventuality if you want the nomination to be considered a top contender.
5. Ask questions. If you are ever unsure of whether certain conduct may be considered appropriate for an award, ask the issuing authority. You can always email the issuing authority with questions, and they will be happy to answer them for you. Everyone in the RMN wants to be sure that deserving people get the proper recognition and will be glad to assist you in perfecting nominations.

Chapter Level Award Issuance

The following awards, as set forth in the PD-STC-1007 Awards Policy, can be issue by a Commanding Officer of a Chapter or Echelon:

• Mentioned in Dispatches
• Navy/Marine Achievement Medal
• Letter of Appreciation
• Letter of Commendation

See Awards Listing for more details.

All other awards shown in the Awards Listing are issued by higher Authority (Fleet COs, Space Lords, Service Heads and Steering Committee).

A Note on Awards in General

Awards are given for service to the chapter and the organization; it should mean something. They should never be given out like candy or only to the “favorites.” Also, if you feel someone on another chapter or one of the leaders in the organization is doing or has done something worthy of an award then, by all means, nominate them and see if others agree with you. If you are not sure what award someone might qualify for, please consult with the BuPers Director of Awards, they will be happy offer advice and guidance on selecting the correct award to nominate a member to receive.

A sample of the announcement used by many COs looks like this:

HMS Example Ship’s Order {ORDER NUMBER}
(DATE)
Promotion announcement:
As of the date of this order, by my authority as Commanding Officer HMS Example;
Having met the required Time in Grade, and required course work from Saganami Island Academy, I hereby announce the following authorized Promotion: Spacer 3/c Jane Doe to the rank of Spacer 2/c.

Congratulations to Spacer 2/c Doe.

In Service to the Queen!
Lt. Commander James Smith
Commanding Officer, HMS Example (DD–99)
99th Fleet – TRMN

Appropriate changes should be made, and the same announcement can be used to announce any awards issued by the CO to their crew.

Promotion Nomination Example

Commander Member is one of those officers whom I feel is deserving of a promotion for the copious amounts of work and effort that he puts into ORGANIZATION and the ORGANIZATION Marine Corps. Since his last promotion, Brigadier General Member has been an extremely active member in the ORGANIZATION. Shortly after his last promotion Commander Member was asked to fill a position on the Fleet Staff. In this position MEMBER has shown great enthusiasm as well as his ability to take a position and not only make it his own, but to also excel at it. In his position on the Fleet Staff, Commander Member has had a hand in shaping ORGANIZATION policy and has had an active role in looking out for the well-being of the members in the Fleet. Of course, this is in addition to his normal duties as Executive Officer. Since Commander Member has taken on the new position he has:

1. Redesigned and implemented a new web site that has proven to be easier to use and now contains a lot more information regarding the ORGANIZATION.
2. Designed and implemented a web site for the ORGANIZATION Quarter Master. Prior to this site the QM would need to use email to take orders from members. However, this new site is a full-fledged online store that allows members to browse and purchase just like using the thousands of other online stores out there. The store calculates postage and accepts payments through PayPal. This system has streamlined the whole ordering process and has been well received by everyone.

Even while performing his duties as part of the Fleet Staff, Commander Member has found time to help other units. But aside from that he has helped ORGANIZATION out in many ways, from helping write policy, beta testing of new tests, or even helping write manuals. Commander Member also continues to participate in the yearly Toys-for-Tots campaign. While Commander Member has been very active in ORGANIZATION by way of the ORGANIZATION POSITION, he also has been active in ORGANIZATION itself at various levels. On a LOCAL/FLEET Level Commander Member has {INSERT LOCAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIONS HERE}

Even while Commander Member works hard on all levels of this organization, he has never forgotten about his chapter. He continues to show hard work and dedication by working on various projects within the chapter. He continues to serve on the Fleet Staff as well as the Executive Officer for the chapter. He was also instrumental in planning and implementing a trip to Las Vegas recently. While only a handful of members were able to make it to Las Vegas, we all had fun and without his help this trip would not have happened. He was also instrumental in helping plan the USS Good Ship’s 2-year birthday party. Also, while not directly participating in the Maryland Polar Bear Plunge, Commander Member, has sponsored me for several years. Since Commander Member’s last promotion, he has been awarded:

{LIST AWARDS EARNED HERE}

It is my recommendation that this Officer be granted a Promotion to Captain, junior grade for his extensive service and dedication to ORGANIZATION.

Award Nomination Example

Be sure to add all relevant facts and detail as necessary for the individual and award nominated for to make sure that all award criteria are met/ exceeded.

Facts (dates):

During the Period of {AWARD NOMINATION PERIOD} MAJ James Smith has donated large amounts of time (over 500 hours) to help those less fortunate than himself.

Action (brief description):

MAJ Smith has donated his time and efforts to Legal Aid, Toys for Tots, Koats for Kids and local community food banks.

Results (cause/effects):

As a result of his efforts, MAJ Smith has helped to make his community a better place for everyone and has brought credit to his chapter and the RMN.

Comments (noteworthy points):

In addition to his work on behalf of the chapter, MAJ Smith has found time to assist in various community projects.

Everything Placed Together

MAJ Smith has helped out with the USMC’s Toys for Tots Program by helping to collect gifts as well as donating gifts himself. MAJ Smith has also participated in a local television station’s effort to gather coats for children in the community as well as helping the local food bank with donations of food. MAJ Smith has also used his professional skills as a paralegal to assist local attorneys on (for free) cases for indigent and poor clients throughout the local community. MAJ Smith’s efforts on behalf of the chapter and the local community are a credit to the HMS Everyship, his Fleet and to the Royal Manticoran Navy as a whole. MAJ Smith’s giving spirit and his willingness to help others in any way he can truly embodies the ideals of this Fleet and the Royal Manticoran Navy. It is due to all of these factors that MAJ Smith is nominated for the {AWARD NOMINATION}.