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unit citation

Started by footballrun21, August 22, 2005, 06:31:58 PM

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footballrun21

while at encampment i saw that tons of cadets had the unit citation ribbon.  my squadron, however, wont let most of us wear them because our squadron got the citation before we joined.  is there something in the regs about this?  if there is it means that most of those other cadets from other squadrons arent supposed to be wearing the ribbon.

post on this!!!!!!
C/2d Lt. Stephen Pettit, CAP
New Jersey Wing

Mac

CAPR 39-3 will have the answer for you. If you still can't find it let me know, and I will give the exact reference, or you could look it up on the CAP Knowledgebase I know they have addressed this question before.
Derk MacPherson, Lt Col, CAP
Vice Commander
Alaska Wing, PCR-AK-001

Pylon

Quote from: footballrun21 on August 22, 2005, 06:31:58 PM
while at encampment i saw that tons of cadets had the unit citation ribbon.  my squadron, however, wont let most of us wear them because our squadron got the citation before we joined.  is there something in the regs about this?  if there is it means that most of those other cadets from other squadrons arent supposed to be wearing the ribbon.

post on this!!!!!!

You only get to wear the citation if you were a member of the unit when they were noted for their citation.  You do not get to wear citations for your unit before you joined.  In other words, if your unit has 6 total unit citations, but they've only received one since you joined that unit, you can only wear that one -- not the other five.

If a unit's citation covered a period of Jan to December 2000, and you joined in November 2000, you could wear it.  If the citation listed January to December 2000 as the award period, you joined in January, and the unit was presented the citation in Feburary, you could not wear it.  Even though it was presented after you joined, it was a citation for actions that happened when you were not there.



This is clearly spelt out in the CAPR 39-3, section 12.

Quote from: CAPR 39-3
The Unit Citation Ribbon may be worn permanently by all individuals who were members of the unit during any portion of the period of time shown in the National Headquarters Personnel Action announcing the award. Unit commanders will post the members' records to show their eligibility to wear the ribbon.


If you ever transfer units, the citations you've built up follow you around.  They are permanant awards.  This is also spelt out clearly in CAPR 39-3, as quoted above.

When someone tells you that, on the day you join a unit, you can wear all the citations that unit has so long as you are a member there -- they are wrong.  Direct them to CAPR 39-3 and correct this incorrigible CAP myth.
Michael F. Kieloch, Maj, CAP

BlueLakes1

I think that the confusion comes from the mention of "permanently worn" without specifically spelling out that temporary use is verboten, the rationale being "well why would they mention 'permanent wear' if 'temporary wear' isn't allowed?" The Knowledgebase references CAPR 39-3 (E), Paragraph 5, but I'm not sure that it applies the way they indicate.

"5. Eligibility. A member must be in good standing at the time of the distinguished act and must meet the criteria established for the award. All award recommendations must be submitted within 2 years of the termination date of the act, achievement, or service performed. Next of kin of deceased persons are entitled to receive awards earned but not presented."

I read this as saying that you must be a member when you do what it is to get nominated. For example, if I'm an expired member and I rescue 10 people from a fiery crashed busload of orphans and nuns, than I cannot be nominated for a SMV when I re-up. I could be wrong, but it seems to apply to individual awards, not to a unit one.

It also references Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-2803, the USAF's governing regulation for awards and decorations. It states that for USAF awards like the AF Outstanding Unit Award and the AF Organizational Excellence Award,

"4.2. Individual Entitlement. All assigned or attached people who served with a unit during a period for which a unit award was awarded are authorized the appropriate ribbon if they directly contributed to the mission and accomplishments of the unit."

The AFOUA and AFOEA are on par with the CAP Unit Citation; Presidential Unit Citations, Joint Meritorious Unit Awards and Sister Service Unit Awards  are a step above this and are covered by a DoD directive that I didn't look up. I believe that Presidential Unit Citiations are permanent when a member at the time of the award and temporary when a member after the award period, but the directives for the USAF awarded "equivalents" state that you must be a member during the award time period to wear the ribbon.

Wether specific or not, I have to agree with the Knowledgebases' assessment that "Allowing new members to wear the award "temporarily" while assigned to the unit in not in accordance with the intent of Paragraph 5 of CAP REGULATION 39-3 (E) AWARD OF CAP MEDALS, RIBBONS, AND CERTIFICATES". However, "intent" doesn't go as far as "black and white". This should probably be clarified more specifically in the regulation so as not to create confusion.


Col Matthew Creed, CAP
GLR/CC