Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog

COVID-Related Awards NAVADMIN

Posted on August 30, 2020 Updated on August 29, 2020

The NAVADMIN can be seen in its entirety at this link:

https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/NAVADMINS/NAV2020/NAV20235.txt

Here is some BUMED guidance on these awards from the BUMED Plan of the Week:

Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) and Humanitarian Service Medal  (HSM).  Active duty, reserve and National Guard personnel are eligible for the service medals as outlined in DoD Manual 1348.33, DoD Manual of Military Decorations and Awards.  The period of the award is from Jan. 31, 2020 to a date to be determined.  Members are not authorized to receive both awards for the same time period.  Please read below for some guidance on both medals:

AFSM

• May be given to deployed members to a designated area of qualifying operations for 30 or more days.
• Member has to have performed duties, to which they were re-assigned away from their regular billeted duties in direct support of DoD COVID-19 operations for not less than 30 days (consecutive or non-consecutive).
• If while performing duties in direct support of COVID-19, a member contracts the virus while supporting the mission (even if for only 1 day), he/sh may be authorized to wear the AFSM

HSM

• This medal is presented to members who were in direct support of a humanitarian mission in a deployed status in approved locations
• Eligibility for the HSM is only for the period of immediate relief operation in the affected area (definitive start and end dates).