Navy Department Awards Web-Service (NDAWS) (pronounced "N-DOS")
Information and regulations concerning awards is contained in SECNAVINST 1650.1H. The CNO Awards Office established and maintains the NDAWS as the single authoritative data base for all Military Decorations as specified by the Secretary of the Navy. All awards entered into the NDAWS data base are exported to the BUPERS Mainframe for updating pertinent personnel records. To ensure accurate, complete, and synchronized awards data between NDAWS and the personnel records, awards data should only be entered into NDAWS (this only applies to Navy Achievement Medals or higher). NAVADMIN 177/04 refers.
A member can check what awards they have in NDAWS by going to the NDAWS public website:
Click to launch NDAWS' Personal Awards History Query
Or the following:
- Go to the Navy Awards website.
- Select the “Personal Awards” Top Tab
- Then, Select “Query Awards History” in the “Personal Awards” Box (left side)
- You Will Need to Enter Your Last Name, First Name and Last Four Digits of Your SSN
- If an Award was Issued Under Another Name (Name Change) You Will Need to Perform a Search Under That Name Also.
DO NOT e-mail or snail-mail your awards to the CNO Awards Office in Washington DC office, unless your command is a direct report to SECNAV or CNO and does not have NDAWS access.
Medals and Ribbons
Members on active duty and drilling reservists should receive the original award (medal/ribbon) from their commanding officer.
Replacements: The Navy Personnel Command does not stock all medals and ribbons. However, we will replace medals and ribbons only when they have been lost or destroyed, through no fault of the member, or has become unfit for wear because of age/deterioration. If medals and ribbons are replaced under circumstances other than those mentioned the individual must pay for replacement.
Verification: If the member's commanding officer is unable to verify medals and ribbons eligibility, send a written request to:
NAVY PERSONNEL COMMAND
PERS-312A
5720 INTEGRITY DRIVE
MILLINGTON, TN 38055-3120
Former Member: If you are a former member, you may obtain information on replacement of medals and ribbons from the official U.S. Navy website.
Your NDAWS Authority
Every sailor (officer/enlisted) has an NDAWS Authority, if you do not know who your NDAWS authority is please contact the Navy support office (i.e. PSD, CSD, NOSC) that handles your pay/personnel matters – their NDAWS Authority will also be your NDAWS Authority.
You can contact your NDAWS Authority directly using the “NDAWS Authorities” listing that is located under NDAWS HOME or via your support office.
Your NDAWS Authority can also correct your NDAWS record of errors recorded into the NDAWS system when you were assigned to a previous command. NPC does not correct your NDAWS record.
If you are having problems with your NDAWS Authority please contact the CNO Awards Office at NavyAwards@navy.mil.
Reconciling and Updating Your Awards
Service Awards
Copies of service record entries (NAVPERS 1070/604; NAVPERS 1070/613; or NAVPERS 1070/880) that document a member’s entitlement or eligibility to wear unit awards, campaign and service medals, non-military U.S. decorations, non-military service awards, foreign military decorations, and marksmanship awards will be filed in your OMPF record.
Information from Service award documentation is also recorded into your data record (ESR, etc.). The award documentation (certificates/write-up) does not go to NPC for filing in the OMPF record.
Certificates or Letters of Appreciation/Commendation (LOA’s / LOC’s) are not scanned to the OMPF record; they are recorded/updated in the same manner as service awards above.
Service awards do not go in the NDAWS system, see NDAWS FAQ section for further information.
To update your service awards records (NAVPERS form, or ESR), please contact your Personnel Office.
Personal Awards
If your award records (ESR/NDAWS/OMPF/PSR) are not agreeing with each other for your personal awards, there are several steps involved with getting them matched up and or updated.
If you are trying to correct an award that was issued incorrectly (i.e. spelling errors, wrong award number) you must contact the command that authorized the award for a correction (re-issue).
Steps to Reconcile Your Awards
To reconcile your awards follow the steps below in order:
Step 1: Is the award listed in NDAWS?
Yes. Go To Step 3; Check Your Online Record (ESR, OSR, and PSR)
No. Do The Following:
• Make a good quality black and white copy of your missing award certificate (the one with the embossed, color picture of the award). (Note: home printers/copiers do not copy well, if the result is poor, letters are light; fuzzy you will need to use a professional copier – see your Personnel Office/PSD).
• Write your SSN at the top left-hand corner of each copy you are sending.
• If your award is a Meritorious Service Medal or higher (excluding the Purple Heart), then you must also submit the citation that came with the certificate. The citation usually has 18-22 lines of text.
• Send the copies of your certificates/citations to your NDAWS Authority. See “Your NDAWS Authority” above.
• NDAWS will update the other electronic systems (ESR, ETJ, OSR, and PSR) in approximately 1-2 weeks.
Step 2: Is the “NDAWS Search Results Listing” correct?
Yes. Go To Step 3; Check Your Online Record (ESR, OSR, PSR)
No. Do The Following:
If you have duplicate entries, entries that do not belong, or questions about the NDAWS Search Results Listing, you must contact your NDAWS Authority; see “Your NDAWS Authority” above.
Step 3: Is the award listed in the Online Record (ESR, OSR, and PSR)?
Yes. Next, check your OMPF (image) record (Step 4)
No. Do The Following: (This only applies if the award is in NDAWS but not in your PSR/OSR)
• Ensure your SSN is at the top left-hand corner and write “In NDAWS but not in OSR/PSR” at the top.
Include a phone number/email address where you can be reached.
• Fax your missing award to PERS-312A at (901) 874-2001.
• See Important Notes below.
Step 4: Is the award listed in your OMPF record?
Yes. No Further Action
No. Do The Following:
Mail a legible, clean copy of the signed citation, with the member's full SSN printed in the upper left hand corner, to PERS-313.
Note: This does not pertain to awards already filed to the OMPF that were issued incorrectly (see Personal Awards above).
Important Notes
NDAWS will update the other electronic systems (PSR, ESR, OSR, and ETJ) in approximately 1-2 weeks.
When submitting awards to the NDAWS authority or PERS-312 for updating your online record only (the award is already in your OMPF record) annotate in the upper left corner “For Data Entry Only (NDAWS/PSR) – Do Not Scan to Record”. Without this statement the NDAWS authority or PERS-312 will submit the document to PERS-313 for filing and you will then have a duplicate award in your OMPF record.
Award documents for filing to the OMPF record must be mailed in, as they do not scan well.
If you are only correcting NDAWS or PSR/OSR, then you may fax the document(s) to the appropriate agency for action, just ensure that it is annotated “For Data Entry Only (NDAWS/PSR) – Do Not Scan to Record”.
