Please list some things you have done to earn the MOVSM.
For the purposes of this question assume you were of active service age at the time and disregard gender. I was watching a show about the origins of WWII and it's just something we have been lucky enough not to have to consider in recent memory.
Looking to submit a MOVSM. I was looking through AFI 36-2803 and DODI 1348.33 V2 and noticed there is a real lack of guidance as to how to write this dec. I saw the memorandum on the AFI, but looking back at an old r/AirForce post a user stated it’s all vPC submissions and no memo is needed.
I can knock out the memorandum easily and just attach it along with the dec through vPC just in case, however, the structure on vPC isn’t like an AFAM or AFCM. Does anyone know what to put into the citation remarks box?
Good morning r/newtothenavy,
I am an active duty Ensign who has been in for a year and some change now. I have been adopted by my ultimate command, and most of my out of area (Norfolk / VB) schools have been completed so I have a decent amount of time to remain in place for a while.
I would really like to get involved with funeral services for military members, but I have no idea how to go about doing this. What role can an Ensign play in a military funeral? How could I go about doing this as something important to me, without necessarily having to get my command involved (I do not want to paint this in the light of doing it for any other reason than to give back). My understanding is there are set military details that have an actual command for this sort of thing, and being a role like a pallbearer is set aside for members of the funeral party.
Would appreciate any feedback! Thank you.
I had a few people message me after replying to a post on the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. It’s not a frequently seen or discussed award, so hopefully this guide helps you if you’re interested. The regulation covering this award is AR 600-8-22: no specific hour or time requirements are noted, but are suggested and to be confirmed by approval authority as meriting recognition.
The pursuit of the MOVSM is an undertaking. I found all my experiences on the road to it both rewarding and (mostly) impactful. If you stay in the Army or ETS, the MOVSM has benefits (networking, resume bullet, undergrad/grad school application talking point, etc).
Finding Volunteer Opportunities
I won’t hit this one too hard. A quick Google search will match you up to volunteering opportunities in your local area. I’ve also heard that BOSS can link soldiers up with volunteer opportunities – have not confirmed this.
What many overlook is the chance to volunteer virtually: Zooniverse, Crisis Line, Missing Maps, resume reviews, or filling a remote function with a non-profit organization, and so on.
The important take-away IMO is to find something that has the potential to develop you personally and do some good in the world.
Substantiation
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As a best practice, I would get in the habit of requesting a substantiation document for each period of volunteer service.
- Ask an event supervisor for a letter detailing: date/time of volunteering, hours performed, community impact, include your name on it, include their contact information and title
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Make a tracker so you can easily reference any volunteer service you performed.
- My original excel document included: Hours, activity name, time, description, and results. * * You can further refine this by adding POC information, a Y/N box on if you have proof, or whatever helps you stay organized.
- https://imgur.com/IYEVzSO
Submission
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Use the template located on HRC’s website https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Processing%20Guides%20and%20Templates
You will need the following signatures: FLL, Commander, Awarding Authority (O4 or higher) -
Consider dropping a screenshot of your tracker into the memorandum – I got good feedback on the formatting of this version vs. HRC’s provided version.https://imgur.com/lCq9WtL
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Optional additional packet items
- Cover letter – I used this to summarize how my volunteer service met the 5 requirements outlined in AR 600-8-22 (voluntary, for
