Meritorious Unit Commendation [US Navy] earned for Civilian Service

[AfroPhoenix]

Greetings, all.

I work as an engineer for my day job at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The Navy awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation to the yard back in 2019. [full story] At the time, I did not put much thought into it - we each got a MUC lapel pin, and that was it. Recently, I started considering whether the regs allow for me to wear the MUC ribbon on my class B.

The major concern is, I work as a civilian employee of the Navy - I am not a sailor. The shipyard's commander, a Navy O-6, is a higher-level manager in my chain of command, but my job is a typical 9-5 engineering office job.
The general allowance for CAP members to wear past military decorations seem to imply that you earned those decorations in past military service, not civilian service. I am looking for confirmation, one way or the other, on the wear of this ribbon.

My research so far:

11.2.2. US Awards. Federal awards awarded by the competent authority may be worn on USAF-style uniforms in accordance with instructions contained in AFI 36-2903. National Guard awards will not be worn.

The text as-written seems to offer a wide berth - "federal awards," with no specific text on whether the award was earned as a civilian or serviceman.

10.3. Non-Air Force Service Awards. ANG members wear state decorations when serving in state status, but not while on federal active duty.
   10.3.1. Wear other military service department awards not included in paragraph 12.5 below in the order the
   awarding Service prescribes.

From what I can read, the Air Force wrote nothing explicit concerning awards from civil service vs. military service.

CHAPTER 5 - IDENTIFICATION BADGES/AWARDS/INSIGNIA

SECTION 3 - AWARDS

PP. 5312 RIBBONS.

5. Ribbons on Non‑Military Uniforms.  Personnel who earned service ribbons while a member of the Navy may wear the ribbons on non-military uniforms if the organization sponsoring the non-military uniform permits the custom.

I've basically confirmed that the CAP, USAF, and USN all allow decorations from past military service on the CAP uniform, but the question of how the past award was earned isn't addressed. The text "member of the Navy" again seems to imply an active-duty sailor, but the language isn't firm.

Bottom line, the question is:
If the shipyard I work for, as a civilian, was awarded the US Navy's Meritorious Unit Commendation, do I have the right to wear the MUC ribbon on my CAP uniform? Any insight is appreciated.

[MSG Mac]

Did you get a letter or orders? If so,I would assume you can wear it. But check with NHQ and the Personnel Center @ Puget.

[NIN]

A CAP friend of mine works as a Dept of the Navy Civilian for NAVSEA at NSWC-Crane.  They were awarded an NMUC in 2013. While he probably *could* wear it, as he said "It was awarded to me as a civilian."

Another example: Gentleman is a drill status guardsman in the ANG.  Full-time, he is a GS-12 at National Guard Bureau in DC. NGB got the Joint Meritorious Unit Award while he worked there. As a service member, he is not authorized to wear that JMUA on his uniform because he was not in a military duty status while assigned to the unit that received the award.

Using the JMUA as an example, DoD Instruction 1348.33, goes in to long and laborious detail on who is eligible and who is not for the DoD awards like the JMUA. Para 3.3, for example, while being somewhat circuitous, goes to great length to say "Service member" throughout.

Also, SECNAVINST 1650.1H, while also giving me eystrain, says things like:

"4. Participation of Civilians in Unit Awards. Subsequent
to 16 March 1969, DON civilian U.S. citizen employees assigned to
a unit recommended for a Presidential Unit Citation (PU), Navy
Unit Commendation (NU), or Meritorious Unit Commendation (MU) may
be nominated for participation in the award, provided the officer
recommending the award certifies the civilian employees played a
key role in the achievement for which the award is being
recommended."

For a civilian, it seems, just being employed by the command receiving the award is insufficient to be "nominated for participation."

Lastly, are there military orders listing your name? Thats usually the kicker: if you're not on a by-name listing of recipients of the award, chances are you aren't eligible in the same way as a service member.

But I think the long and the short of it is that getting an NMUC as a Navy civilian doesn't confer wear of that award on the military uniform, much like the guy who got a JMUA as a civilian with NGB can't wear his on his ANG blues.




 

[Slim]

In a similar vein, while serving as a member of the USCGAux (and also a CAP member), I was awarded the Coast Guard Unit Commendation Award twice (once in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Auxiliary and once for Aux participation in the response to 9/11) and the Coast Guard Special Operations Service ribbon (which is not nearly as cool as it sounds, it was for working 3 14 hour days afloat supporting a CG boat station at a tall ships event).  All three awards came with written awards.  Since these were actual Coast Guard awards, and given by competent military authority, onto my CAP rack they went along with copies of the orders into my records.

And of course, along came the questions, and those who wanted to argue the point that the reg states (or stated) "Earned during military service," which the Aux may not have been.  Most of these-especially the arguers-were CAP members who didn't have any military awards.  Pretty much every member with prior service, including a few Coasties, had no issue with me wearing them.  And in some cases it started conversations about the Coast Guard and it's auxiliary.

In the end, while I was proud of being a part of the CGAux during those time frames, and the work I did, it just wasn't worth all of the arguing and constantly having to defend myself, so I took them off.  It just wasn't a hill I was willing to die on.

While the reg may be ambiguous as to whether you can or not, I would suggest asking yourself if this is something that is important enough to you that you'd be willing to defend it every time it's questioned.

[THRAWN]

Wear only CAP awards on your CAP uniform. Problem solved. What's next?

[Jester]

Most of these-especially the arguers-were CAP members who didn't have any military awards.  Pretty much every member with prior service, including a few Coasties, had no issue with me wearing them.

Sounds about right.

[RiverAux]

There used to be a conflict between the CAP awards manual and the uniform manual on this specific issue.  The awards manual said it just had to be awarded by competent authority while the uniform manual said it had to be earned while a member of the service (or words to that effect).  Not sure if that is still the case. 

[AirDX]

While a civilian employee of the Air Force my unit earned an MUA and an AFOUA. In the unlikely event I were to wear a CAP uniform that allowed military awards, and I were to put my whole rack together, I'd happily wear them. AFMAN 36-2806 says right there:

"3.36.1. Assigned and attached members (to include civilian employees) who served in the unit or organization for at least 1-day during the inclusive period of the award and directly contributed to the mission and accomplishments of the unit, are authorized the appropriate ribbon. Civilian employees wear the lapel button. When needed, the commander of the approved unit validates and determines entitlement."

I'm not concerned about being a "civilian", we bellied up and worked right alongside the uniformed contingent, performing exactly the same job.

It won't ever happen, but it'd be a weird rack, starting with the MUA and AFOUA as a DAF civilian, the CAP AFOEA, an Army Service Ribbon, and then my CAP stuff.

[Shuman 14]

The MUC-N was awarded by competent military authority. You, as part of the team that earned the award, are entitled to wear it with pride. Civilian or Sailor, you were part of the team.

If you are authorized to wear a USAF-style uniform, you should wear it. that's my two cents worth.

Just as an FYI, I have a PUC-CG and three CGUCs from service in the USCGAux and an AFOEA from CAP. I have taken the award memos from all to the S-1 section in my USAR unit, they were properly uploaded into i-PERMS, and I wear them all proudly on my Army uniform.

I only ever wear Corporate Working Uniform in CAP so I've never had a need to wear them on a USAF-style uniform, but if I ever have the need, I will.

[GroundHawg]

The MUC-N was awarded by competent military authority. You, as part of the team that earned the award, are entitled to wear it with pride. Civilian or Sailor, you were part of the team.

If you are authorized to wear a USAF-style uniform, you should wear it. that's my two cents worth.

Just as an FYI, I have a PUC-CG and three CGUCs from service in the USCGAux and an AFOEA from CAP. I have taken the award memos from all to the S-1 section in my USAR unit, they were properly uploaded into i-PERMS, and I wear them all proudly on my Army uniform.

I only ever wear Corporate Working Uniform in CAP so I've never had a need to wear them on a USAF-style uniform, but if I ever have the need, I will.

Don't forget to add your DHS Outstanding Unit Award that was awarded to us back in Jan of 21.

[Shuman 14]

The MUC-N was awarded by competent military authority. You, as part of the team that earned the award, are entitled to wear it with pride. Civilian or Sailor, you were part of the team.

If you are authorized to wear a USAF-style uniform, you should wear it. that's my two cents worth.

Just as an FYI, I have a PUC-CG and three CGUCs from service in the USCGAux and an AFOEA from CAP. I have taken the award memos from all to the S-1 section in my USAR unit, they were properly uploaded into i-PERMS, and I wear them all proudly on my Army uniform.

I only ever wear Corporate Working Uniform in CAP so I've never had a need to wear them on a USAF-style uniform, but if I ever have the need, I will.

Don't forget to add your DHS Outstanding Unit Award that was awarded to us back in Jan of 21.

I was unaware the USCG Auxiliary was included in that award, I thought that was for the USCG and USCGR only. Do you have a link to the Award Memorandum?

[RiverAux]

The award should be in your AuxData records.

[Shuman 14]

The award should be in your AuxData records.

Still, I'd like to see the actual award Memorandum.

[RiverAux]

I can't find an AllAux for it.  Actual citation just says USCG.  Might not be a thing for the Aux

[Shuman 14]

I can't find an AllAux for it.  Actual citation just says USCG.  Might not be a thing for the Aux

Does it show in your AuxData?

[NovemberWhiskey]

(quick check that I haven't fallen through a wormhole in CGAux Talk - no, still CAP Talk)

[Shuman 14]

(quick check that I haven't fallen through a wormhole in CGAux Talk - no, still CAP Talk)

[Stonewall]

Here's a very similar scenario that may help you see another perspective.

While I was assigned to National Guard Bureau as a military member, the Joint Meritorious Service Award (JMUA) was earned and presented with orders.

My coworker and good friend, works there as a civilian GS-13. Again, he is employed as a civil service employee.

He also happens to be a CMSgt in the Air National Guard.

Because he was serving at NGB in a civilian capacity, he is NOT eligible to wear the JMUA on his military uniform. Thus, if he were a member of CAP, he would not be allowed to wear it, because he did not earn it while serving as a military member.

Conversely, if a CAP member earned the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (AFOEA) like we did a few years back, that member would NOT be allowed to wear that ribbon on their military uniform if they joined the military in the future (or already serving).

[N6RVT]

Because he was serving at NGB in a civilian capacity, he is NOT eligible to wear the JMUA on his military uniform. Thus, if he were a member of CAP, he would not be allowed to wear it, because he did not earn it while serving as a military member.

I am not questioning this at all.  However even when I was on active duty nobody cared.

The only time it might have come up at all is doing a promotion board where you check to see the the ribbons on the uniform are worn correctly.  I would check to see if the ribbon was authorized by a competent authority, in this case the answer would be yes.

I was once the recorder for a room full of bird Colonels doing a selection board where they were TRYING to throw someone out.  Something like this was actually noted, in this case a USPHS medal, but considered too nitpicky to use without revealing that they were deliberately non-selecting someone.

In this case what actually got used was the service member wearing a CIB instead of a USMC combat action ribbon.  They had changed services and the logic was that it was the Army equivalent of the same award.  Selection board did not agree.

[Stonewall]

The only time it might have come up at all is doing a promotion board where you check to see the the ribbons on the uniform are worn correctly.  I would check to see if the ribbon was authorized by a competent authority, in this case the answer would be yes.

Bottom line is that a civilian cannot officially earn a military award. Even if that civilian also serves in a component of the reserve forces outside of their civilian capacity. If it's not official, and the person did not receive that award/decoration while serving in an official capacity WHILE on military orders AND assigned to that entity, they cannot wear that decoration on their military uniform. Or in this case, CAP uniform.

In this case what actually got used was the service member wearing a CIB instead of a USMC combat action ribbon.  They had changed services and the logic was that it was the Army equivalent of the same award.  Selection board did not agree.

That's because the Army's regulation states ONLY a member of the Army, who is infantry can officially be awarded the CIB. Same with the CAB. I've seen so many Air Force people wearing a CAB so I ask, "when were you in the Army?" Their response is always the same, "I wasn't, I was assigned to an Army unit when everyone got them, they even gave me a certificate."

The Army's regulation states you must be serving in the Army when you earn the CAB. The certificate the Army gives Air Force and Navy dudes for a CAB is an "honorary" thing. Same with combat patches given to Air Force people. I see them all the time, but again, the Army's regs state members of other branches cannot [officially] be awarded army combat patches. Airmen CAN wear them, but they had to be earned while they were in the Army. I have a dude with a CIB and combat 101st patch, because he was IN the Army at the time.

We have a former Marine in my unit with a CAR. He said he should get the Air Force CAM because the CAR transfers over. Nope. Wear your CAR, be proud.

Let's be honest, In CAP people will wear what they want if they feel they should be allowed to wear it. I know plenty of CAP members who do this. It literally does not impact anyone. Doesn't make it right, but if we are having a discussion, I will argue my stance, based on regulations, that you are incorrect.