UNCLASSIFIED
131442Z JUN 96

CDRPERSCOM ALEXANDRIA VA//TAPC-PDA//
DELEGATION OF AWARD APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR THE MILITARY OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL

A. PARAGRAPH 2-16, AR 600-8-22, MILITARY AWARDS.

1. ON 7 MAY 96, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, APPROVED DELEGATION OF AWARD APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR THE MILITARY OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL (MOVSM) TO THE SAME LEVEL AS THE APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR THE ARMY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL.

2. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, "COMMANDERS" IN THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL (05) ARE DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO APPROVE AWARDS OF THE MOVSM. THIS CHANGE WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT UPDATE TO REF A.

3. THE MOVSM WAS ESTABLISHED IN JAN 93 AS A MEANS OF RECOGNIZING ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENT PERSONNEL WHO AFTER 31 DEC 92 PERFORM OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY SERVICE OF A SUSTAINED, DIRECT, AND CONSEQUENTIAL NATURE. REF A CONTAINS COMPLETE REQUIREMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROCESSING THE MOVSM. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS GENERAL GUIDANCE:

A. THE MOVSM IS CATEGORIZED AS A SERVICE MEDAL, AS SUCH, NO ORDERS ARE ISSUED TO ANNOUNCE APPROVAL. THE MOVSM MAY BE PRESENTED IN A CEREMONY. A CERTIFICATE DOES NOT ACCOMPANY THIS AWARD.

B. THE DA FORM 638 (RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD) WILL BE USED TO PROCESS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AWARD OF THE MOVSM (PART V OF DA FORM 638 WILL NOT BE USED).

C. THE MOVSM MAY BE AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY.

D. THE MOVSM IS WORN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE HUMANITARIAN SERVICE MEDAL.

E. A BRONZE SERVICE STAR WILL BE WORN ON THE SUSPENSION AND SERVICE RIBBON OF THE MOVSM TO DENOTE SUBSEQUENT PERIODS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE JUSTIFYING AWARD OF THE MEDAL.

4. THE SIDPERS SUBMISSION CODE AND AUTHORIZED ABBREVIATION FOR THE MOVSM, USED TO ANNOTATE THE ORB AND DA FORM 2-1 ARE AS FOLLOWS:

DATA CODE: OV

DECODE ABBREV: MIL OUTSTDG VOL SVC MDL

5. THE MEDAL MAY BE REQUISITIONED THROUGH NORMAL SUPPLY CHANNELS. THE NATIONAL STOCK NUMBER IS: 8455-01-400-3295.

6. REQUEST THE WIDEST DISSEMINATION OF THIS MESSAGE.