Air Education and Training Command
Awards and
Decorations
SMSgt Barb
Dungan
12FTW/CAA
4 Sep 02
Integrity - Service - Excellence
OVERVIEW
• Purpose
• Types of Programs
• Formal Awards/Decorations
• Award / Decorations Writing
• Supervisor Roles
• References
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
PURPOSE
• Heighten awareness within the junior NCO ranks that recognizing
people for what they do produces positive effects in mission
accomplishment
• Help develop an ability to produce a good write-up that anyone can
easily understand
• Foster Morale
• Provide Incentives
• Recognize
– Service
– Achievement
– Meritorious Service
– Heroism
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TYPES OF PROGRAMS
• Award: A formal recognition the AF gives to a specific
group or person meeting predetermined criteria
• Decoration: A formal recognition for personal / unit
excellence that requires individual nomination and AF or
DoD approval
• Formal
– Local recognition
Unit
 Local organizations

• Informal
– Day-to-day-”Atta-boys”
– Letters of Appreciation
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
TYPES OF PROGRAMS
• Personal
– Service
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
– Special Trophies/Awards
• 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year Award
• Lance P. Sijan Award
– Achievement
• Air Force Longevity Service Award
• Air Force Good Conduct Medal
– Decorations
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UNIT AWARDS
• Unit Awards
– Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
– Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
– Joint Meritorious Unit Award
• Quarterly/Annual awards -- very important
•• Whole person concept
•• Reserve for the “best”,most deserving
•• Builds a record of “sustained, recognized,
excellence” -- sets people apart from
peers
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
FORMAL
AWARDS/DECORATIONS
• Level of Award
• Processing Procedures
– Unit
– Base/Wing
– Command
• Presentation of Awards/Decorations
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Award Decoration Writing
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Award Writing: Getting Started
• When?
•• Day after close-out of previous
award/decoration submission
• If you start when you get the message or
notification, you’re already a year behind!
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Award/Decoration Writing : Collecting
Information
• What?
•• Define the job -- discuss with workcenter
•• Collect the facts -- doings & results
•• Log, folder, organizer, etc
•• Activity Reports
•• Samples of efforts
•• Accolades
•• Results are key
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Award/Decoration Writing: Collecting
Information
• Review bullets from past EPRs
• What to look for
•• How troops performed during PME,
other schools
•• How/what troops did during
exercise/contingency TDYs
•• Ask customers how they rate the work center’s
performance for the year
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Award/Decoration Writing: Organization
• Gather facts
• Two column lay out
•• What on left
•• Results on right
• Assign priority
• Hints
•• Just the facts-- No “flowers”-- Don’t embellish
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Award/Decoration Writing: Organization
• Determine the theme of the AF Form 1206
• Bottom up, back-to-front
• Categories have changed
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Helpful Hints
• Include only “hard hitting” facts
• Ensure a common understanding
• Avoid filler
• Be consistent in using punctuation
• Be aware of space management
• Be alive!, sell work center’s /individual’s
performance
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Supervisor’s Roles
• Use the Programs!
• Know the policies and procedures
– Unit
– Base/Wing
– Command
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
References
• AFP 36-2241, Volume 1, Promotion Fitness
Examination
• AFI 36-2803, The Air Force Awards and
Decorations
• AFPD 36-28, Awards and Decorations Programs
Program
• AFI-38-2805, Special Trophies and Awards
• HQ AETC Civilian/Military Awards/Decorations
Preparation Guide 1999/12 MSS Guide Sep 2000
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Summary
• Writing good awards/decorations is critical!!!
•• It’s a real heartfelt, “people issue”
•Use Integrity -- not all are the best, so don’t say
that all are
•Write with enthusiasm! -- use action verbs
•Leadership and potential are key
•Awards make for “discriminators” in records
•• Reserve awards for the truly deserving
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Summary
• Recognition Programs
• Types of Programs
• Formal Awards/Decorations
• Award / Decoration Writing
• Supervisor Roles
• References
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE
Questions?
TEAM RANDOLPH NCO ORIENTATION COURSE