The Commissioned Corps Awards Program
The Commissioned Corps Awards Program enhances officer morale by recognizing the accomplishments and performance of deserving commissioned corps officers. As one of the five precepts for promotion, awards are considered when an officer's Official Personnel Folder is reviewed by his/her category promotion board. Awards comprise 5 percent of an officer's total score for promotion.
The Commissioned Corps Awards Cycle begins on July 1 of one year and runs through June 30 of the following year. A commissioned corps officer is eligible to receive only one honor award per awards cycle from his/her assigned Operating Division.
Commissioned corps awards are processed on a rolling cycle - an officer can be nominated at any time during the year and should be nominated as soon as an accomplishment and its impact are known. A nomination must be initiated within 13 months of the action.
LEVELS OF AWARDS
- INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)
Outstanding contribution to the mission of the PHS through management of a major health program or initiative resulting in a major impact on the health of the Nation
Meritorious Service Medal (MSM)
1. Meritorious service of a single, particularly important achievement
2. Career notable for accomplishments in technical or professional fields
3. Unusually high quality & initiative in leadership
Outstanding Service Medal (OSM)
1. Demonstrated continuous outstanding leadership in carrying out the mission of the PHS
2. Performed a single accomplishment which has had a major effect on the health of the Nation
3. Performed a heroic act resulting in the preservation of health or property
Commendation Medal (CM)
1. Sustained high quality work performance in scientific, administrative, or other professional fields
2. Application of unique skill or creative imagination to the approach or solution of problems
3. Noteworthy technical & professional contributions that are significant to a limited area
Achievement Medal (AM)
1. Noteworthy accomplishments in the performance of duty:
2. Recognition of a contribution toward the attainment of program objectives
3. Sustained above-average performance of duty over a relatively short period of time (120 days or less)
This award is now available to commissioned corps officers of all ranks.
PHS Citation
Noteworthy accomplishments in the performance of duty. Similar criteria to achievement medal.
- GROUP AWARDS
Outstanding Unit Citation (OUC)
Superior service toward achieving the goals & objectives of the PHS, often of national or international significance
Unit Commendation
Significant level of performance well above that normally expected, but at a somewhat lesser level than is required for the OUC
- SERVICE AWARDS
Crisis Response Service Award
Foreign Duty Award
Hazardous Duty Award
Isolated Hardship Award
National Emergency Preparedness Award
Smallpox Eradication Campaign Ribbon
Special Assignment Award
- AWARDS GIVEN AT THE DISCRETION OF THE SURGEON GENERAL
Surgeon General's Medallion
Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal
THE NARRATIVE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE AWARD
The narrative is limited to 2 pages in Courier 12 point or Times Roman 12 point or larger
This part of the award nomination is difficult and the most critical since it provides specific information about theaccomplishment that is being recognized. The following points should serve as a guide in writing the narrative:
I. Format the page
A. Font - Courier 10 point type style is preferred, but you may use a comparable font that will give you no more than 12 characters per inch.
B. Margins - Use the following margins
Top Margin: 1 inch
Bottom Margin: at least 1/2 inch
Left Margin: 1 inch
Right Margin: 3/4 inch
II. Writing the narrative - The narrative should provide information that supports the criteria of the award level that is selected.
Begin the narrative with the criteria and the citation.
Example: CDR...is nominated for the PHS Outstanding Service Medal for continuous outstanding leadership in.....
Information in the narrative should justify the level of the award level selected:
A format which is recommended is one in which the narrative addresses the officer's Background, Accomplishment, and Impact. With this format, specific information about the notable activity is presented in a manner that guides the reviewer through a logical sequence of events, and permits the non-FDA reviewer to have a greater understanding of the officer's achievement.
•what was the accomplishment?
•what did the officer specifically do to carry out the accomplishment?
•what is the impact of the accomplishment?
A. What is the accomplishment ?
You can state this in a sentence. The use of bullets is encouraged if there are several accomplishments to note.
B. Why is this important?
What comparisons can be made to demonstrate how the officer's efforts have benefited the program?
Can the impact be quantified or described to make it apparent to the reviewer of the nomination that the officer is deserving of the level of award?
The use of examples to demonstrate impact is recommended.
C. What difficulties were overcome?
What did the officer do to accomplish the effort? What situation existed before the officer's accomplishment?
Cite the significance of what was done, describing any obstacles the officer had to overcome and how the officer's efforts changed the existing situation to make things better. You can give examples of the application of the accomplishment.
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WATCH OUT!
Common pitfalls seen in narratives:
•Accomplishments are not at the level of the award for which the officer is nominated •Accomplishments are not beyond the scope of the duties expected of the officer
•Accomplishments are not clear or specifically stated - narrative just sort of rambles on •Accomplishments are not within the time frame covered by the award
•Timeframe is inappropriate for the level of the award
(e.g. 7 months of effort for a Distinguished Service Medal)
•Timeframe covered overlaps with prior awards with no explanation
•Officer has already been recognized for the accomplishment with a previous award •Accomplishment for individual honor award is part of a group effort
•Accomplishments are presumptive and based on future impact.
•Impact is implied, but not described - nominator assumes that reviewer is familiar with the work of the program and will be able to read impact into the narrative
•Impact does not fit criteria for level of award
•Write up is too technical and impact not understood by a non-FDA reviewer
Recommendations
•Spell out all acronyms when they are first used.
Example: Office of Generic Drugs (OGD) and then use the acronym
•Spell check and proof read the narrative to correct any typographical or grammatical errors.
•The nomination, when it is approved, is processed by the Division of Commissioned Personnel (DCP) and a copy of the nomination is placed in the officer's Official Personnel Folder (OPF) in DCP. The OPF is accessed by board members when reviewing the officer's OPF for promotion, assimilation, Chief Professional Officer selection, and categorical awards. It is imperative that the nomination be completed accurately and neatly to reflect an acceptable document for the officer's OPF.
•Avoid rushing the nomination to meet a promotion or awards ceremony deadline. It takes time to review and process a commissioned corps award nomination. This is especially true for higher level awards such as the Outstanding, Meritorious, and Distinguished Service Medals, and Outstanding Unit Citations. Nominations should be initiated as soon as possible, preferably when the criteria have been met - the accomplishment has been completed and the impact known. Although commissioned corps awards are on a rolling cycle, the annual June COER is a good time to begin a nomination, especially if you want the officer recognized by the following May ceremony.