UNCLASSIFIED ROUTINE R 031938Z JUN 16 FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC CNO WASHINGTON DC CMC WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS ALNAV 041/16 MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/JUN// SUBJ/UPDATED COMBAT AWARDS AUTHORIZATION FOR CURRENT AND RECENTLY CONCLUDED OPERATIONS// REF/A/DOC/SECNAV/22AUG2006// REF/B/MSG/SECNAV/151534ZNOV12// REF/C/MSG/SECNAV/092016ZDEC11// REF/D/DOC/SECDEF/17FEB2010/NOTAL// REF/E/DOC/ASN M&RA/12OCT2010/NOTAL// REF/F/DOC/SECDEF/23DEC2011/NOTAL// REF/G/DOC/ASN M&RA/18JUL2013/NOTAL// REF/H/DOC/ASN M&RA/16FEB2012/NOTAL// REF/I/DOC/ASN M&RA/31OCT2014/NOTAL// NARR/REF A is SECNAVINST 1650.1H Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual. REF B is ALNAV 068/12. REF C is ALNAV 079/11. REF D changed Operation IRAQI FREEDOM to Operation NEW DAWN effective 1 SEP 2010. REF E is Strike Flight Air Medal and Combat Action Ribbon authorization for Operation NEW DAWN. REF F is termination of Operation NEW DAWN. REF G is Termination of Strike Flight Air Medal for Kosovo effective 31 Dec 2013. REF H is Strike Flight Air Medal and Combat Distinguishing Device authorization for Operation ODYSSEY DAWN and Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR. REF I is Strike Flight Air Medal and Combat Action Ribbon authorization for Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.// RMKS/1. This ALNAV recapitulates and updates awards authorizations for ongoing or recently concluded overseas contingency operations. None of the references are cancelled by this message. 2. Combat Action Ribbon (CAR) a. In addition to the approved operations listed in reference (a), award of the CAR has been authorized for the following operations and periods: Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 11 SEP 2001-DATE TBD OEF-Afghanistan only 11 SEP 2001-31 DEC 2014 Operation FREEDOMs SENTINEL 01 JAN 2015-DATE TBD Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 19 MAR 2003-31 AUG 2010 Operation NEW DAWN 01 SEP 2010-31 DEC 2011 Operation OAKEN SONNET 21 DEC 2013-21 DEC 2013 Operation INHERENT RESOLVE 15 JUN 2014-DATE TBD b. This authorization allows delegated awarding authorities to issue the CAR to individuals who have met the criteria in reference (b). Merely participating in some way in one or more of these authorized operations does not entitle anyone to the CAR. Active participation in a ground or surface combat engagement is required, as defined in reference (b). Individual awards must be approved by a Commander who has specifically been delegated CAR authority for the operation(s) or area within which the combat action took place. c. Only one award of the CAR may be received for a single operation, regardless of the number of combat engagements in which the individual participated, or the number of deployments to that operation. Subsequent awards may be received only if the criteria in reference (b) are met when participating in combat during a different authorized operation. d. Requests to approve the CAR for any operations or time period other than those listed in reference (a) or paragraph 2.a. above, must be forwarded to the Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals with chain of command endorsements. 3. Strike/Flight Air Medal (AS) a. In addition to those approved operations listed in reference (a), award of the AS has been authorized for the following operations and periods: Kosovo operations 24 MAR 1999-31 DEC 2013 Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 11 SEP 2001-DATE TBD OEF-Afghanistan only 11 SEP 2001-31 DEC 2014 Operation FREEDOMs SENTINEL 01 JAN 2015-DATE TBD Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 19 MAR 2003-31 AUG 2010 Operation NEW DAWN 01 SEP 2010-31 DEC 2011 Operation ODYSSEY DAWN 19 MAR 2011-31 MAR 2011 Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR 01 APR 2011-31 OCT 2011 Operation OAKEN SONNET 21 DEC 2013-21 DEC 2013 Operation INHERENT RESOLVE 15 JUN 2014-DATE TBD b. Strikes, flights, and direct combat support missions specifically flown in support of the above operations may be credited toward award of the AS, in accordance with the criteria specified in reference (a). c. Credit toward award of the AS must be based upon certified documentation of the missions flown. d. Requests to approve the AS for any operations or time period other than those listed in reference (a) or paragraph 3.a. above, must be forwarded to the Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals with chain of command endorsements. e. Once credited, points toward the AS do not expire, and points earned in one operation may be combined with points earned in a later operation to qualify for this award. However, the time limit for submitting a nomination for the AS is three years from the date of the mission that reaches or surpasses the 20 point threshold. If an AS nomination is submitted more than three years after the last qualifying mission, the case must be submitted according to the procedures in Appendix A to Chapter 8 of reference (a), and must be endorsed by the original chain of command and then forwarded to CNO (DNS-35), or CMC (MMMA) for adjudication. 4. Combat Distinguishing Device a. The Combat V device may be authorized on certain personal decorations, as specified in reference (a), awarded for actions or service within these ongoing and recently concluded operations: Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 11 SEP 2001-DATE TBD OEF-Afghanistan only 11 SEP 2001-31 DEC 2014 Operation FREEDOMs SENTINEL 01 JAN 2015-DATE TBD Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 19 MAR 2003-31 AUG 2010 Operation NEW DAWN 01 SEP 2010-31 DEC 2011 Operation ODYSSEY DAWN 19 MAR 2011-31 MAR 2011 Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR 01 APR 2011-31 OCT 2011 Operation OAKEN SONNET 21 DEC 2013-21 DEC 2013 Operation INHERENT RESOLVE 15 JUN 2014-DATE TBD b. This designation is not intended to require that the Combat V be included on every decoration for actions within these operations and areas. Each case must be evaluated on its own merits, and must meet the criteria in reference (a). c. Authority to approve the V device must be specifically delegated in writing, and is not inherent in the general delegations in reference (a). d. Any recommendation for a decoration with the V device for any operations or areas other than those listed in paragraph 4.a. above shall be forwarded via the chain of command to the Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals. 5. Bronze Star Medal (BSM) a. There is no requirement for the BSM to be specifically authorized for named operations or areas. The BSM may be recommended and approved when the specific criteria in reference (a) are met. However, the BSM with Combat V is restricted to authorized areas and operations per paragraph 4 above. b. By law the BSM may only be awarded if the actions or service to be recognized took place within an area authorized for imminent danger pay or hostile fire pay. However, this statutory requirement is not sufficient for award of the BSM within the DON. Nor is the fact the actions took place within a designated combat zone. To merit the BSM, the individual must have performed the actions or service while personally exposed to hostile action, or while at significant risk of personal exposure to hostile action. Although this does not require that the individual actively participated in a ground or surface combat engagement, it does require a higher degree of personal exposure to danger than merely being in the theater or combat zone. 6. Purple Heart (PH) a. There is no requirement for the PH to be specifically authorized for named operations or areas. The PH may be recommended and approved when the specific criteria in references (a) and (c) are met. b. Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) retains authority to approve the PH for death or wounds resulting from an international terrorist attack occurring anywhere in the world. SECNAV also retains the authority to determine whether any attack occurring within the United States can be treated as an international terrorist attack for purposes of awarding the PH. Forward any such PH recommendations requiring SECNAV approval via the chain of command to the Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals. 7. Other Combat Awards. No specific authorization by operation is needed for the Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, and Silver Star Medal. These decorations may be recommended in any situation in which the criteria in reference (a) are met. Forward all recommendations for these medals to SECNAV via the chain of command and the Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals. 8. Released by the Honorable Janine A. Davidson, Acting Secretary of the Navy.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//