UNCLASSIFIED//
ROUTINE
R 062003Z APR 15
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
BT
UNCLAS

NAVADMIN 080/15

SUBJ/AMPLIFYING GUIDANCE FOR UNIT AWARDS SUBMISSIONS// 

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/APR//
REF/A/DOC/SECNAVINST 1650.1H/22AUG2006//
NARR/REF A IS THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL//

RMKS/1.  The purpose of this NAVADMIN is to enhance consistency across the 
Department of the Navy (DON) by providing amplifying guidance for 
originating, endorsing, and processing recommendations to assist awarding 
authorities in recognizing deserving units with an appropriate award.  The 
basic eligibility and criteria contained in reference (a) remains unchanged.

2.  The following guidance, timelines and best practices for unit awards are 
provided to facilitate a smooth process for final disposition.
    a.  Recommendations shall be initiated no later than 60 days following 
the completion of the period of service for which the award is being 
recommended.  Any recommendation not submitted in a timely manner must be 
accompanied with a letter signed by the commander providing justification for 
tardiness.
    b.  A complete and properly documented award recommendation (The Office 
of Naval Operations (OPNAV) Form 1650/14) must be initiated and submitted to 
the next Commander in the reporting chain.
Echelon II Navy Department Awards Web Service (NDAWS) administrators will 
ensure the data from the OPNAV 1650/14 is uploaded to NDAWS prior to 
forwarding to the Chief of Naval Operations (Director, Navy Staff (DNS)-35).
    c.  Errors or missing information in the submitted recommendation 
adversely affect processing and adjudication.   Endorsing Commanders have the 
responsibility to return the award submission to the originator if it is not 
submitted in accordance with reference (a) and this NAVADMIN.  
Common errors observed include:
        (1) Unit nominations being originated by the Commanding Officer of 
the unit.  Commands cannot originate recommendations for themselves.
Recommendations must be submitted by the Immediate Superior in the Chain of 
Command (ISIC).
        (2) Incorrect cited unit.  The cited unit's name listed in Block 6 
should match Standard Navy Distribution List (SNDL) naming conventions.  The 
SNDL can be accessed through the SECNAV/OPNAV directives website at 
http://doni.daps.dla.mil/sndl.aspx.  Commonly used unit acronyms and 
abbreviations in NDAWS can also be found at https://awards.navy.mil for those 
units not listed in the SNDL (task forces, newly formed units, foreign units, 
etc.).  All others should be listed as appropriate.
            (a) The cited unit name must be consistent throughout the Summary 
of Action (SOA) and citation.
            (b) Meritorious dates in the SOA and proposed citation must match 
the date indicated in Block 17.
            (c) The actions of the participating commands must reasonably be 
referenced in the SOA.  Conversely, any unit mentioned in the SOA must be 
included in the participating command supplemental.
        (3) Missing or incomplete Block 5.  List of participating commands 
supplemental - participating command lists are either missing or incomplete.
            (a) Block P1 - cited unit must be the same as Block 6 of OPNAV 
Form 1650/14.
            (b) Block P3 - cited unit action date/meritorious period must be 
the same as Block 17 of OPNAV Form 1650/14.
            (c) Blocks 1-33, participating command dates - dates of 
attachment to the cited unit being recommended must be included.
Each participating command must have a merit start/end date even if it 
matches Block P3.
            (d) Participating command components - each participating command 
must be identified using the appropriate component.  The code ?other? is only 
used for foreign militaries.
        (4) OPNAV Form 1650/14 Block 12 - previously approved unit awards may 
be located using the reporting consolidated search function in NDAWS and on 
the public website.  For the cited unit and any participating command listed, 
the originating command must identify any previous unit award(s) that have 
been approved or are pending recommendation.
        (5) OPNAV Form 1650/14 Block 18b/c - awards without
        Originator signature or date will be returned without action.
        (6) OPNAV Form 1650/14 Block 19 - awards not signed or dated by 
appropriate endorsee will be returned without action.
        (7) An estimated total number of personnel (Officer, Enlisted, U.S. 
Civilians, other U.S. Armed Forces, or Foreign
Militaries) who would be eligible to participate in the award if approved 
must be included with the recommendation.  If applicable the following must 
also be included:
            (a) A by-name list to include rank, full name, Component and a 
minimum of the last four of the Social Security Number for other Department 
of Defense (DoD) service personnel.
            (b) Total number of civilians, a by-name list, certification that 
they played a key role in the achievement for which the award is being 
recommended, and a statement that they are United States citizens and DON 
employees.  Neither contractors nor foreign nationals are eligible.
            (c) For reserve units, include an endorsement by the active 
component command the unit regularly reports to/mobilizes with.  Also include 
an endorsement by the commander under whom the service or act was performed, 
if it is other than the active command to which the unit is regularly 
assigned.
            (d) Recommendations for units of friendly foreign nations or any 
recommendation that includes participation of units of friendly foreign 
nations require specific concurrence.  Originators shall coordinate with the 
appropriate United States Embassy to obtain concurrence for any unit and or 
individual.  For those recommendations that list Foreign Service personnel by 
name, the originator must also coordinate with the Naval Criminal 
Investigative Service (NCIS) to conduct a counterintelligence check.  Both 
the concurrence and NCIS response letters expire six months from the date 
signed and each must accompany the award recommendation.  Participating 
commands that the United States Embassy has non-concurred with will not be 
included in any approved award.  In addition, the Secretary of the Navy will 
not process recommendations for foreign cited units if the United States 
Embassy non-concurs.

3.  Point of Contact is Mr. Mark Newman, DNS-35, at (202) 685-1770 or via 
e-mail at mark.newman1@navy.mil

4.  This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or cancelled.

5.  Released by Vice Admiral S. H. Swift, Director, Navy Staff.//

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