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NAVADMIN 039/18

PASS TO OFFICE CODES:
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//DNS//
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/DNS/FEB//

SUBJ/ANNOUNCEMENT OF APPROVAL OF HUMANITARIAN SERVICE MEDAL (HSM) FOR 
HURRICANES MATTHEW, HARVEY, IRMA, AND MARIA//

REF/A/DOC/DOD/21DEC2016//
REF/B/DOC/SECNAV/22AUG2006//
REF/C/DOC/JCS/16FEB2018//
REF/D/DOC/JCS/14FEB2018//
REF/E/DOC/JCS/28APR17//
NARR/REF A IS DOD 1348.33 VOL2, SECDEF MANUAL OF MILITARY DECORATIONS AND 
AWARDS.  
REF B IS SECNAVINST 1650.1H, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL.  
REF C ANNOUNCES APPROVAL OF THE HSM FOR HURRICANE IRMA AND MARIA.  
REF D ANNOUNCES APPROVAL OF THE HSM FOR HURRICANE HARVEY.  
REF E ANNOUNCES APPROVAL OF THE HSM FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW.//

RMKS/1.  The following guidance is provided for awarding of the HSM.

2.  Eligibility Criteria:
    a.  Per references (a) and (b) the HSM is an individual service medal 
awarded to members who, after 1 April 1975, distinguish themselves as 
individuals or members of U.S. military units by meritorious, direct, 
non-routine participation in a significant military act or operation of a 
humanitarian nature.
    b.  The recipient must have been physically present at the designated 
location, having directly contributed to and influenced the action.  The 
designated location is the immediate site(s) of the humanitarian operation(s) 
as defined by the Presidential or Department of State request for assistance.  
Specifically excluded from eligibility are Service members or elements that 
remain entirely outside of the Area of Eligibility (AOE), or who were 
assigned to the AOE but were not directly supporting the humanitarian 
operation.
    c.  Specific AOE and dates follow:
        (1) The HSM has been approved by the award authority for Hurricane 
Matthew for those Service members who were physically present in the vicinity 
of Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, and Cayman Islands, to include the air and sea 
space, and provided humanitarian assistance during the period 4-19 October 
2016.
        (2) The HSM has been approved by the award authority for Hurricane 
Harvey for U.S. Service members, Coast Guardsmen, and the Reserve Components 
(to include the National Guard), who were physically present in the following 
Texas counties:  Aransas, Austin, Bastrop, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, 
Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Hardin, 
Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Karnes, Kleberg, Lavaca, Lee, Liberty, 
Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San 
Jacinto, San Patricio, Tyler, Victoria, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties; 
or in the following Louisiana parishes:  Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, 
Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, 
Vermilion, and Vernon; and provided humanitarian assistance during the period 
23 August 2017 to 31 October 2017.
        (3) The HSM has been approved by the award authority for Hurricanes 
Irma and Maria for U.S. Service members, Coast Guardsmen, and the Reserve 
Components (to include the National Guard), who were physically present in 
the State of Florida or the Caribbean Islands, and adjacent waters, from 
Barbados northward to Anguilla, and then westward to the Florida Straits and 
provided humanitarian assistance during the period 8 September 2017 to 20 
October 2017.

3.  Awarding Authority:
    a.  Active/Reserve personnel.  Determination of individual eligibility is 
delegated to the command level of O-6/civilian equivalent or above.  Awarding 
authorities must confirm individual participation by verifying assignment via 
orders or evaluations/fitness reports.  Once verified, commands shall submit 
the appropriate service record documentation via their personnel office.
    b.  Navy veterans.  For Navy personnel honorably discharged or retired 
after the stated time periods of these awards who meet the criteria in 
paragraphs 2.a. and 2.b. above and who are requesting the HSM can submit a 
written request indicating their unit and dates assigned and a copy of the 
undeleted version of the DD-214 to:  Navy Personnel Command (PERS 312), 5720 
Integrity Drive, Millington, TN 38055.  If available, supporting 
documentation showing service with a qualifying unit (Eval, FITREP, orders) 
shall be included.

4.  Participating Units and Personnel:
    a.  Per reference (b), Commanding Officers whose units meet the criteria 
must submit a completed OPNAV Form 1650/14 and include a list of qualified 
personnel to DNS-35 via cno_awards.fct@navy.mil. These units will be entered 
into the awards database and will be viewable via a unit awards search at 
https://awards.navy.mil.  This is to facilitate documentation only and does 
not imply unit-wide HSM approval. Individual service record documentation 
remains a command responsibility.
    b.  Navy personnel attached to DoD, Joint or other non-Navy commands who 
meet the criteria outlined above should have the appropriate DoD or Joint 
command confirm their eligibility and submit the required service record 
documentation.

5.  Released by Vice Admiral K. M. Donegan, Director, Navy Staff.//

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