Coordinating Instructions for the Retroactive Awarding of the Combat Action Ribbon (CAR)
This MARADMIN establishes the process for retroactively awarding the Combat Action Ribbon (CAR) to Marines who were exposed to improvised explosive device (IED) detonations and took appropriate actions during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom since October 7, 2001. The guidance clarifies that IED exposure meets CAR eligibility criteria and outlines a three-phase review process coordinated by MARCENT to ensure all eligible personnel receive proper recognition.
Issued: March 14, 2006
1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO ESTABLISH THE PROCESS TO BE FOLLOWED FOR RETROACTIVE CAR RECOMMENDATIONS. 2. PER REF A, CMC PROVIDED CLARIFICATION OF THE CAR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA OUTLINED IN REF B. THIS GUIDANCE, WHICH STATES THAT MARINES WHO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS DURING EXPOSURE TO THE DETONATION OF AN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE (IED) MEET THE CAR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, WAS EFFECTIVE UPON PUBLICATION OF REF A AND IS RETROACTIVE TO 7 OCTOBER 2001. 3. AS THE MARINE COMPONENT COMMANDER FOR OPERATIONS ENDURING FREEDOM AND IRAQI FREEDOM, U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, CENTRAL COMMAND (MARCENT) IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE RETROACTIVE CAR PROCESS FOR MARINES DEPLOYED SINCE 7 OCTOBER 2001. TO FACILITATE THIS PROCESS, MARCENT MAY DELEGATE RETROACTIVE CAR AWARDING AUTHORITY TO MAJOR SUBORDINATE COMMAND (MSC) COMMANDERS WHO OPERATED IN THE AOR. THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, STRICT ADHERENCE TO REF A AND THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS CONTAINED IN PARAGRAPH 230.14 OF REF B IS REQUIRED. 4. THE ADJUDICATION OF RETROACTIVE CAR CASES WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THREE PHASES: A. PHASE I. MARCENT SHALL ENSURE THAT A REVIEW OF ALL CAR RECOMMENDATIONS PREVIOUSLY DISAPPROVED BY MSC COMMANDERS IS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY. THIS REVIEW PROCESS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY 31 MAY 2006. (1) THERE ARE CURRENTLY 194 CAR RECOMMENDATIONS (WHICH MAY CONTAIN A ROSTER OF ELIGIBLE PERSONNEL) THAT HAVE BEEN DISAPPROVED VIA THE AWARDS PROCESSING SYSTEM (APS) SINCE 7 OCTOBER 2001. ADDITIONALLY, MARCENT HAS DISAPPROVED NUMEROUS HARD-COPY CAR RECOMMENDATIONS SUBMITTED BY NON-USMC COMMANDS (E.G., U.S. ARMY). (2) ACCORDINGLY, THE MILITARY AWARDS BRANCH (MMMA) WILL PROVIDE MARCENT A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE APS AND RETURN TO MARCENT ALL HARD-COPY CASES NOT CURRENTLY HELD BY MARCENT. THE LIST WILL INCLUDE THE MSC THAT MADE THE INITIAL DECISION. HARD-COPY RECOMMENDATIONS PREVIOUSLY DECISIONED BY MARCENT ALSO REQUIRE A REVIEW FOR ELIGIBILITY. (A) IF THE LISTED MSC CURRENTLY HAS DELEGATED CAR AWARDING AUTHORITY, MARCENT MAY FORWARD THE PREVIOUSLY DISAPPROVED RECOMMENDATION TO THE INCUMBENT MSC COMMANDER FOR A SUBSEQUENT DETERMINATION OF THE CAR. IF APPROVED, MARCENT SHALL NOTIFY MMMA IN WRITING OF THIS DECISION. ACCORDINGLY, MMMA WILL TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO: (1) CHANGE THE APS TO REFLECT APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION, (2) UPDATE THE CAR DATABASE TO REFLECT THE PERSONNEL APPROVED, AND (3) MAKE THE APPROPRIATE ENTRIES INTO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM (MCTFS). (B) IF THE LISTED MSC NO LONGER HAS DELEGATED CAR AWARDING AUTHORITY, MARCENT MAY FORWARD THE PREVIOUSLY DISAPPROVED RECOMMENDATION TO THE INCUMBENT MSC COMMANDER FOR A SUBSEQUENT RECOMMENDATION OF THE CAR. IF THE COMMANDER BELIEVES THE CAR IS WARRANTED, A RECOMMENDATION SHALL BE MADE AND FORWARDED TO MARCENT FOR DETERMINATION. IF APPROVED BY MARCENT, MMMA SHALL BE NOTIFIED IN WRITING OF THIS DECISION. ACCORDINGLY, MMMA WILL TAKE THE AFOREMENTIONED ACTIONS. (C) IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE CAR IS NOT WARRANTED, MARCENT SHALL NOTIFY MMMA IN WRITING THAT THE PREVIOUS DECISION REMAINS UNCHANGED. (D) MARCENT SHALL TAKE REQUIRED ACTION ON ALL PREVIOUSLY DISAPPROVED CAR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ANY MSC NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE (E.G., TASK FORCE TARAWA). B. PHASE II. MARCENT SHALL ENSURE THAT CAR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PERSONNEL EXPOSED TO IED DETONATIONS BETWEEN 7 OCTOBER 2001 AND THE DATE OF PUBLICATION OF REF A ARE APPROPRIATELY CONSIDERED. (1) EFFECTIVE 1 JUNE 2006, ANY COMMISSIONED OFFICER HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF ANY ACT, ACHIEVEMENT OR SERVICE PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY WARRANT THE CAR UNDER THE GUIDANCE CONTAINED IN REF A MAY INITIATE AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE APS AND SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL VIA THE FORMER MARINE CORPS OPERATIONAL CHAIN OF COMMAND IN WHICH CAR ELIGIBILITY WAS MET. (2) THESE RECOMMENDATIONS SHOULD BE INITIATED AND FORWARDED FOR APPROVAL NLT 30 NOVEMBER 2006. (3) AWARDING AUTHORITIES (E.G., MSC COMMANDERS) SHALL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON EACH CAR RECOMMENDATION FORWARDED FOR CONSIDERATION. ALL ACTION SHOULD BE COMPLETED NLT 31 DECEMBER 2006. (4) FOR ALL APPROVED RECOMMENDATIONS, MMMA WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO UPDATE THE CAR DATABASE AND MAKE THE APPROPRIATE ENTRIES INTO MCTFS. C. PHASE III. FORMER AND RETIRED MARINES (TO INCLUDE SAILORS ATTACHED TO MARINE CORPS UNITS), OR THE NEXT OF KIN FOR DECEASED VETERANS ARE AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT REQUESTS FOR THE CAR. (1) EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2007, FORMER AND RETIRED MARINES (TO INCLUDE SAILORS ATTACHED TO MARINE CORPS UNITS), OR THE NEXT OF KIN FOR DECEASED VETERANS WHO FEEL THEY MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CAR UNDER THE GUIDANCE OUTLINED IN REF A MUST SUMMARIZE THEIR ACTIONS IN A BRIEF SYNOPSIS. (NOTE: BEFORE SUBMITTING SUCH A REQUEST, THE CAR DATABASE LOCATED AT THE MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS WEBSITE AT WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL, SHOULD BE CHECKED TO ENSURE ACTION HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN COMPLETED ON THEIR BEHALF.) THIS SYNOPSIS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: (A) THE NAME AND LOCATION OF THE OPERATION IN WHICH THEY PARTICIPATED, (B) A DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT IN WHICH THEY WERE EXPOSED TO AN IED DETONATION, (C) A DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA WAS MET, AND (D) A RETURN MAILING ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS. (2) REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA THE COMMANDING OFFICER UNDER WHOSE COMMAND THEY SERVED DURING THE OPERATION (COMPANY LEVEL COMMAND OR ABOVE) FOR CERTIFICATION THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED BY THE PETITIONER ARE A TRUE AND ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRED. THE OFFICER ENDORSING THE REQUEST WILL THEN FORWARD THE REQUEST WITH ENDORSEMENT TO: HEADQUARTERS U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 SOUTH BOUNDARY BOULEVARD MACDILL AFB, FL 33621-5101 (3) ONCE A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE, MARCENT SHALL FORWARD ITS DETERMINATION TO THE INDIVIDUAL AT THE ADDRESS PROVIDED, AND A COPY SHALL BE FORWARDED TO MMMA FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION AND INCLUSION IN THE VETERAN'S OFFICIAL MILITARY PERSONNEL FILE (OMPF). 5. THE POINT OF CONTACT AT THIS HEADQUARTERS (MMMA) IS 1STLT M. K. SCHON (MELINDA.SCHON@USMC.MIL) AT (703) 784-9342 (DSN 278). THE POINTS OF CONTACT AT MARCENT ARE MSGT J. M. LIPTOK (LIPTOKJM@MARCENT.USMC.MIL) OR SSGT LOPEZ (LOPEZM@MARCENT.USMC.MIL) AT (813) 827-7031 (DSN 651).