CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// 
ROUTINE 
R 131658Z MAR 23 MID200080804647U 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//DNS// 
TO NAVADMIN 
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//DNS// 
BT 
UNCLAS 
 
NAVADMIN 067/23 
 
PASS TO OFFICE CODES: 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//DNS// 
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//DNS// 
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/DNS/MAR// 
 
SUBJ/RECOGNITION OF UNITS INVOLVED IN RETROGRADE OPERATION FROM AFGHANISTAN, 
OPERATION ALLIES REFUGE AND OPERATION ALLIES WELCOME// 
 
REF/A/DOC/DOD/7OCT2022// 
REF/B/DOC/DOD/20JUN19// 
REF/C/DOC/SECNAV/16AUG2019// 
 
NARR/REF A IS MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS, 
CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, DIRECTOR OF ADMINSTRATION AND 
MANAGEMENT TITLED: WAY FORWARD FOR RECOGNIZING UNITS INVOLVED FOR OPERATION 
ALLIES REFUGE (OAR) AND ALLIES WELCOME (OAW). 
REF B IS DOD 1348.33M VOL 2, SECDEF MANUAL OF MILITARY DECORATIONS AND 
AWARDS. 
REF C IS SECNAV M-1650.1, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL.// 
 
RMKS/1.  As required by reference (a), the following guidance is provided for 
the awarding of the Meritorious Unit Commendation for units in support of 
retrograde operations from Afghanistan. 
 
2.  On 31 August 2022, the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) announced that all 
units involved in the retrograde operation from Afghanistan, Operation ALLIES 
REFUGE (OAR) and Operation ALLIES WELCOME (OAW), will be awarded, based on 
the President's direction, the Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) or its 
Service-specific equivalent. 
 
3.  Units involved in the designated operations will be awarded the MUC or 
sister service equivalent unit award unless the unit has already been 
recognized with an equivalent or higher-level unit award. 
 
4.  All Navy military and civilian personnel who were assigned to the 
decorated units during the periods noted, and were present and participated 
in the actions for which decorated, are eligible for this award. 
 
5.  Inputs for eligible Navy units are due to the CNO Awards Branch via 
designated Echelon 2 commands prior to 24 March 2023 in response, and 
uploaded to ETMS2 Tasker Number DON-221012-C6D6. 
 
6.  For questions regarding this message, contact cnoawards@us.navy.mil or 
(703) 695-0053. 
 
7.  Released by Mr. Andrew S. Haeuptle, Director, Navy Staff.// 
 
BT 
#0001 
NNNN 
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//