UNCLASSIFIED//

ATTENTION INVITED TO  

ROUTINE

R 211358Z SEP 11 PSN 968244K33

FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC

TO ALNAV

INFO ZEN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
ZEN/CNO WASHINGTON DC

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SUBJ: PROCEDURAL CHANGES FOR LEGION OF MERIT (LM) IN FOUR DEGREES AWA RD 
RECOMMENDATIONS UNCLASSIFIED/ FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC// TO ALNAV// INFO SECNAV 
WASHINGTON DC CNO WASHINGTON DC//

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UNCLAS//
ALNAV 060/11//

MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/SEP//

SUBJ/PROCEDURAL CHANGES FOR LEGION OF MERIT (LM) IN FOUR DEGREES  AWARD 
RECOMMENDATIONS//

REF/A/DOC/DOD/30AUG2011/NOTAL//
REF/B/DOD/23NOV2010//
REF/C/DOC/SECNAV/22AUG2006//

NARR/REF A IS E-MAIL FM WHS TO THE MIL DEPTS.  REF B IS DODM
 1348.33-V3 DOD AWARDS MANUAL VOL 3.  REF C IS SECNAVINST 1650.1H NAVY AND 
MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL.// POC/SPRAY S./CIV/NDBDM/LOC: WASH DC/TEL:202-685-
6378/EMAIL: SECNAV_AWARDS@NAVY.MIL//

RMKS/1.  REF A ANNOUNCED CHANGES TO THE PROCEDURES FOR SUBMISSION OF LEGION OF 
MERIT (LM) IN FOUR DEGREES (CHIEF COMMANDER, COMMANDER, OFFICER, AND 
LEGIONNAIRE) AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOREIGN PERSONNEL.  THE CHANGES ARE 
EFFECTIVE 15 SEPTEMBER 2011.  UNTIL CHANGES TO REF B ARE PUBLISHED, THIS ALNAV 
PROVIDES AMPLIFYING INSTRUCTION FOR PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF THESE AWARD 
RECOMMENDATIONS ACCORDING TO THE NEW PROCEDURES.

2.  GUIDANCE IN CHAPTER 6 OF REF C CONCERNING AWARD OF THE LM TO FOREIGN 
MILITARY PERSONNEL REMAINS APPLICABLE.  CHANGES ANNOUNCED BY OSD ONLY 
CLARIFIED REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF THE AWARD RECOMMENDATION 
PACKAGE.  A SAMPLE STAFF PACKAGE IS POSTED ON THE OSD WEBSITE AT 
HTTP://PRHOME.DEFENSE.GOV/MPP/OEPM/FUNCTIONS.ASPX.

3.  ORIGINATORS OF LM RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOREIGN PERSONNEL ARE RESPONSIBLE 
FOR THE FOLLOWING:
A.  PREPARING AN AWARD RECOMMENDATION, EITHER USING A FORM (OPNAV 1650/3 OR 
NAVMC 11533) OR A STANDARD NAVAL LETTER.  THE RECOMMENDATION MUST INCLUDE A 
NARRATIVE OR SUMMARY OF ACTION JUSTIFYING THE AWARD, AND MUST EXPLICITLY 
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
 QUESTIONS:
(1) WHY IS THIS AWARD IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND 
DOD.
(2) WHY ARE WE RECOMMENDING THIS AWARD NOW.
B.  PREPARING A DRAFT CITATION.
C.  OBTAINING WRITTEN DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY CONCURRENCE DATED WITHIN 6 
MONTHS OF SUBMISSION OF THE AWARD TO SECRETARY OF THE NAVY (SECNAV).
D.  OBTAINING A WRITTEN NAVAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE (NCIS) 
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE CHECK DATED WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF SUBMISSION OF TO SECNAV.
E.  OBTAINING WRITTEN CONCURRENCE FROM THE APPROPRIATE U.S. EMBASSY, SIGNED BY 
THE DEFENSE ATTACHE AND EITHER THE CHIEF OF MISSION OR AMBASSADOR.  THIS 
CONCURRENCE MUST ALSO BE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF SUBMISSION TO SECNAV.
F.  PREPARING A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE INTENDED AWARD RECIPIENT.
 THE FORMAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE SAMPLE STAFF PACKAGE ON OSD WEBSITE:
 HTTP://PRHOME.DEFENSE.GOV/MPP/OEPM/FUNCTIONS.ASPX
G.  WRITTEN JUSTIFICATION FOR ANY DELAY OR FAILURE TO MEET SUBMISSION 
TIMELINES IN REF B, REF C, AND/OR PARA 5 BELOW.

4.  NAVY:  ORIGINATORS WILL SUBMIT ALL ITEMS IN PARAGRAPHS A THRU G VIA 
OFFICIAL CHANNELS TO CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (CNO) (CODE DNS-35) FOR 
ENDORSEMENT.  MARINE CORPS:  COMMANDS WISHING TO NOMINATE FOREIGN PERSONNEL 
FOR THE LM IN FOUR DEGREES WILL FORWARD DRAFTS OF ALL ITEMS IN PARAGRAPHS A 
THRU G VIA OFFICIAL CHANNELS TO DEPUTY COMMANDANT, PLANS POLICIES, AND 
OPERATIONS (PLU).  COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (CMC) WILL OFFICIALLY 
ORIGINATE ALL LM RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOREIGN PERSONNEL.

5.  CNO OR CMC WILL SUBMIT LM RECOMMENDATIONS TO SECNAV VIA THE NAVY 
DEPARTMENT BOARD OF DECORATIONS AND MEDALS (NDBDM).  NDBDM WILL PREPARE THE 
FINAL CITATION AND CERTIFICATE AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTATION REQUIRING SECNAV 
SIGNATURE.

6.  TIMELINESS.  IN ORDER TO MEET THE TIMELINES IN REF B, LM RECOMMENDATIONS 
FOR FOREIGN PERSONNEL MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE NAVY DEPT BOARD OF DECORATIONS 
AND MEDALS, COMPLETE WITH THE SERVICE CHIEF'S RECOMMENDATION AND DEFENSE 
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, NCIS, AND  EMBASSY CONCURRENCES, NLT 60 DAYS PRIOR TO 
DESIRED PRESENTATION  DATE, AND NLT 4 MONTHS FOLLOWING THE END OF THE MERIT 
PERIOD FOR THE  AWARD.

7.  PRESENTATION CEREMONIES WILL NOT BE SCHEDULED AND PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF 
THE AWARD WILL NOT BE MADE UNTIL SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (SECDEF) HAS OFFICIALLY 
APPROVED THE AWARD.

8.  THE PROCEDURES IN THIS ALNAV ALSO APPLY TO ALL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NAVY 
DEPARTMENT AWARDS TO FOREIGN FLAG AND GENERAL OFFICERS BECAUSE THOSE AWARDS 
ALSO REQUIRE SECDEF APPROVAL.

9.  AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE GUIDANCE IN THIS ALNAV 
WILL BE RETURNED TO THE ORIGINATOR FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION.

10.  RELEASED BY THE HONORABLE ROBERT O. WORK, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, 
ACTING.//

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