Sea Service Deployment Ribbon Criteria

1.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN MESSAGE IS TO
OUTLINE THE MARINE CORPS POLICY PERTAINING TO THE ELIGIBILITY
CRITERIA FOR THE SEA SERVICE DEPLOYMENT RIBBON (SSDR) FOR MARINES
AND SAILORS ASSIGNED TO MARINE CORPS COMMANDS.  PER REF A, THE
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY GRANTED THE AUTHORITY TO REDEFINE THE SPECIFIC
REQUIREMENTS OF THE SSDR TO THE CMC.  
2.  THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TO AWARD THE SSDR TO MARINES ASSIGNED
TO NAVY COMMANDS ARE OUTLINED IN REF B.  MARINES ASSIGNED TO
SHIP'S COMPANY FALL UNDER U.S. NAVY REGULATIONS FOR SSDR CREDIT. 
EMBARKED FMF TROOPS FALL UNDER MARINE CORPS REGULATIONS FOR SSDR
CREDIT.  THE WORD "ASSIGNED" IS DEFINED IN THIS MARADMIN MESSAGE AS
A MEMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION SUBJECT TO NON-JUDICIAL PUNISHMENT BY
THAT SERVICE'S CHAIN OF COMMAND.
3.  FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN MESSAGE, HAWAII AND ALASKA ARE
CONSIDERED CONUS.
4.  THE CRITERIA FOR AWARDING THE SSDR TO MARINES AND SAILORS
ASSIGNED TO MARINE CORPS COMMANDS IN CONUS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
   A.  AWARDED TO ACTIVE AND RESERVE OFFICERS AND ENLISTED PERSONNEL
UPON COMPLETION OF A 12 MONTHS ASSIGNMENT WITH A FLEET MARINE FORCE
(FMF) UNIT, PROVIDED THAT THE MARINE/SAILOR COMPLETED A DEPLOYMENT
OF 90 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE DAYS.  THE 12 MONTHS ASSIGNMENT TO THE FMF
OR PORTION OF MAY HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ON CURRENT OR EARLIER TOUR. 
   B.  SUBSEQUENT AWARDS WILL BE TENDERED UPON COMPLETION OF OTHER
DEPLOYMENTS OF 90 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE DAYS.  180 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE
DAYS ON A SINGLE DEPLOYMENT DOES NOT YIELD TWO AWARDS.  ACCORDINGLY,
THE MARINE/SAILOR WILL ONLY EARN ONE AWARD IN THE CASE OF A
DEPLOYMENT OF 180 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
   C.  WAIVER OF THE CRITERIA TO COMPLETE 12 MONTHS ASSIGNMENT WITH
A FMF UNIT HAS BEEN GRANTED TO MARINES/SAILORS ASSIGNED TO FMF UNITS
AND PARTICIPATING IN OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.
5.  THE CRITERIA FOR AWARDING THE SSDR TO MARINES AND SAILORS
ASSIGNED TO MARINE CORPS COMMANDS OUTSIDE CONUS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
   A.  COMPLETION OF A 12 MONTHS TOUR (CONSECUTIVE OR ACCUMULATED)
AS A MEMBER OF A FMF COMMAND OUTSIDE CONUS.  ONLY ONE AWARD MAY BE
AUTHORIZED FOR ANY 12 MONTHS PERIOD.  ONE ADDITIONAL SSDR WILL BE
AWARDED UPON COMPLETION OF EACH ADDITIONAL 12 MONTHS PERIOD.  THIS
CRITERIA APPLIES TO MARINES/SAILORS SERVING ON 36 MONTHS TOURS AS A
MEMBER OF A FMF COMMAND OUTSIDE CONUS. 
   B.  DEPLOYMENTS ARE NOT A FACTOR AND DO NOT PROVIDE CREDIT FOR
ADDITIONAL SSDR; I.E. MARINE/SAILORS ASSIGNED TO 3RD MARDIV FOR ONE
YEAR AND WHO DEPLOYS TO KOREA FOR 91 DAYS OF THIS TOUR WOULD NOT BE
RECOGNIZED WITH ADDITIONAL SSDR BECAUSE OF HIS DEPLOYMENT.
6.  SQUADRON/BATTALION COMMANDING OFFICERS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO
WAIVE THE 90 DAYS DEPLOYMENT CRITERIA FOR MEMBERS OF FMF COMMANDS IN
CONUS, AND THE 12 MONTHS CRITERIA FOR MEMBERS OF FMF COMMANDS
OUTSIDE CONUS ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.  ALL APPROVED WAIVERS MUST BE
PROCESSED VIA THE AWARD PROCESSING SYSTEM (APS) PER PARAGRAPH 9
BELOW. 
7.  A MARINE/SAILOR ASSIGNED TO MARINE CORPS COMMANDS MAY NOT
RECEIVE BOTH THE SSDR AND THE OVERSEAS SERVICE RIBBON (OSR) FOR THE
SAME PERIOD OF SERVICE.  PERIODS OF TIME CREDITED TO QUALIFY FOR ONE
AWARD MAY NOT BE USED FOR QUALIFICATION FOR THE OTHER AWARD.  
8.  THE SSDR IS REPRESENTED BY A RIBBON BAR ONLY AND IS NOT
ACCOMPANIED BY A CITATION OR CERTIFICATE.  A 3/16-INCH BRONZE STAR
WILL REPRESENT SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT AWARDS.
9.  WAIVER PROCESSING INSTRUCTIONS:
   A.  ADMIN PERSONNEL INITIATING REQUESTS FOR WAIVER OF THE SSDR
MUST BE REGISTERED IN THE APS.  FOLLOW STANDARD PROCEDURES TO
REGISTER FOR THE APS.
   B.  ACCESS THE AWARDS HOME PAGE AT AWARDS.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL AND
LOG ON.
   C.  SELECT THE LINK FOR THE SSDR WAIVER REQUEST AND COMPLETE
FORM. 
   D.  IF IT APPLIES TO MULTIPLE PERSONNEL, ATTACH SPREAD SHEET WITH
LIST OF PERSONNEL THAT WILL BE AUTHORIZED THE WAIVER.
   E.  SAVE AND SEND LINK TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER FOR APPROVAL AND
SIGNATURE.  
   F.  SEND LINK OF APPROVED AND SIGNED WAIVER TO HQMC AWARDS BY
SELECTING "SUBMIT TO HQMC LINK." 
   G.  THE APS IS CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS CHANGE,
AND WILL BE READY FOR PROCESSING WAIVERS FOR THE SSDR NLT 15 JAN 04.
10.  THE CONTENTS OF THIS MARADMIN MESSAGE ARE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
AND ARE NOT RETROACTIVE.  THESE CRITERIA WILL INCORPORATED IN THE
NEXT REVISION OF REF B.  
11.  INDIVIDUAL MARINES AND SAILORS SHOULD ADDRESS THEIR QUESTIONS
REGARDING THIS MARADMIN MESSAGE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE ADMIN PERSONNEL.
IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ADMIN PERSONNEL REGARDING THIS
MARADMIN, PLEASE CONTACT THE CMC (MMMA) AT DSN 278-9206 OR COMM
(703)784-9206.  QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE APS SHOULD BE ADDRESS TO
CAPT J. K. ROBERTS, SGT M. E. HJORTEN OR SGT T. T. BARFIELD, DSN
278-9342.