I need clarification on award

[Shieldel]

Many of you know (as I won't shut up about it, I know I probably annoy people here when I talk about it as I pop up often) I was with FEMA Corps last year and had a deployment to Louisiana to work FEMA-4277-DR-LA (Federal declaration number for the 1000 Year Flood last year). I'm getting ready to order ribbons for my corporate as I've been wearing no ribbons on my uniform for awhile and have to wear them for encampment so time to make an order! I've been in the 39-3 for a few hours, figuring out which of my cadet ribbons transferred over to senior, which ribbons I need to ask verification for, etc., etc. My Mitchell, NCC Drill Team Ribbon, Encampment ribbon, and upon verification, CAC with Bronze star as NVWG has no groups so I sat on wing council all transfer senior side.

I looked into the 39-3 and found the requirements for the DR Ribbon as I thought I was eligible but greatly confused

Chapter 21 subsection F states:
"f. Disaster Relief Ribbon. Awarded for participation in five actual/evaluated disaster relief
missions and completion of two of the following requirements:
(1) All of the following Red Cross courses:
(a) Introduction to Disaster Services: How the Red Cross Chapter Renders
Emergency Assistance
(b) Disaster Damage Assessment
(c) Shelter Management
(2) The Red Cross course, Damage Assessment Supervision in Disaster
(3) The Red Cross course, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced First Aid
(4) Radiological Monitoring for Instructors
(5) Radiological Defense Officer Course
(6) Airborne Radiological Monitoring Course
(7) Participation in other equivalent disaster relief activities totaling at least 40 hours of
activity certified by disaster relief agency. This could include any training similar to the above
courses and/or actual mission activity (in addition to the five required missions).
g. Disaster Relief Ribbon with "V" Device. The Disaster Relief Ribbon with a silver "V"
device may be awarded to any CAP member who participates in a disaster relief effort for a
Presidential declared disaster. Participation must be verified by the on-scene commander.
Participation in any Presidential declared disaster since 1990 qualifies. The Disaster Relief Ribbon
with "V" device may be earned even if the member has not met the requirement of paragraph 21(f),
above. A maximum of one "V" device will be worn. Individuals participating in more than one
Presidentially declared disaster may add a bronze clasp to the ribbon with "V" device beginning on
the left side of the device."

I'm looking at 7g in particular. Does that mean I can get the DR with V for every 40 hours I worked at the JFO? I'm not real familiar with the..."legalese speech" of regs, I get frustrated reading them in all honesty, I get confused when I read them so I'm just seeking clarification.

Thanks in advance folks!

[lordmonar]

No.

Unless you were there in your CAP capacity.

Check with our commander.....but that's the way it reads to me.

[Shieldel]

No.

Unless you were there in your CAP capacity.

Check with our commander.....but that's the way it reads to me.

Well thanks Sgt Harris, and yeah you didn't hear...I transferred. With the 802nd now. Some internal conflicts led me to leave Nellis. Won't say too much on open board (learned my lesson on here as a cadet years ago) kinda disappointed in that but it makes sense that you have to be CAP to earn award. Oh well! Not a ribbon chaser anyways just would have been nice as I never got anything directly from FEMA to show for my time there. Life goes on, one less ribbon for me to worry about and order!

[lordmonar]

No.

Unless you were there in your CAP capacity.

Check with our commander.....but that's the way it reads to me.

Well thanks Sgt Harris, and yeah you didn't hear...I transferred. With the 802nd now. Some internal conflicts led me to leave Nellis. Won't say too much on open board (learned my lesson on here as a cadet years ago) kinda disappointed in that but it makes sense that you have to be CAP to earn award. Oh well! Not a ribbon chaser anyways just would have been nice as I never got anything directly from FEMA to show for my time there. Life goes on, one less ribbon for me to worry about and order!

Well sorry to hear that.    And I don't worry about the title of "ribbon chaser".  If you've earned it then you should wear it.   And all you did was ask.   Still.  Check with YOUR commander for his interpretation.   Good Luck.

[Adam B]

It's not item 7g. It's subsection G, as in after subsection F.

It's a little confusing because the two awards both share the same physical ribbon and have very similar names.
There's the award from section F, which is the Disaster Relief Ribbon.
Then there's the award from section G, which is the Disaster Relief Ribbon with V device. 

I tried to clear it up a little with some formatting.

"f. Disaster Relief Ribbon.
Awarded for participation in five actual/evaluated disaster relief missions and completion of two of the following requirements:
(1) All of the following Red Cross courses:
___(a) Introduction to Disaster Services: How the Red Cross Chapter Renders Emergency Assistance
___(b) Disaster Damage Assessment
___(c) Shelter Management

(2) The Red Cross course, Damage Assessment Supervision in Disaster

(3) The Red Cross course, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced First Aid

(4) Radiological Monitoring for Instructors

(5) Radiological Defense Officer Course

(6) Airborne Radiological Monitoring Course

(7) Participation in other equivalent disaster relief activities totaling at least 40 hours of
activity certified by disaster relief agency. This could include any training similar to the above
courses and/or actual mission activity (in addition to the five required missions).


g. Disaster Relief Ribbon with "V" Device.
The Disaster Relief Ribbon with a silver "V" device may be awarded to any CAP member who participates in a disaster relief effort for a
Presidential declared disaster. Participation must be verified by the on-scene commander.
Participation in any Presidential declared disaster since 1990 qualifies. The Disaster Relief Ribbon
with "V" device may be earned even if the member has not met the requirement of paragraph 21(f),
above. A maximum of one "V" device will be worn. Individuals participating in more than one
Presidentially declared disaster may add a bronze clasp to the ribbon with "V" device beginning on
the left side of the device."

I'm looking at 7g in particular. Does that mean I can get the DR with V for every 40 hours I worked at the JFO? I'm not real familiar with the..."legalese speech" of regs, I get frustrated reading them in all honesty, I get confused when I read them so I'm just seeking clarification.

Thanks in advance folks!

I hope that makes more sense!

Looks like as long as you were still a CAP member when you performed the service, you should qualify, even if you weren't in a CAP uniform.

[kwe1009]

This is a CAP activity/participation ribbon.  You have to be "on duty" as a CAP member to earn it.  If you are part of a non-CAP SAR team and find a missing person, you would not get the Search and Rescue ribbon either for example.  This is the same for all activity/participation ribbons except for the Community Service ribbon which specifically states that it is awards for community service outside of CAP activities.