Army cuts Soldier wait time for Unit Award wear

Photo By William Costello | Unit awards include the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), Valorous Unit Award (VUA), Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) and the Army Superior Unit Award (ASUA).  

FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES

10.05.2022

Story by William Costello 

U.S. Army Human Resources Command

Soldiers assigned to units eligible for group recognition of heroism or meritorious service, usually during war, won’t have to wait as long to wear unit awards thanks to a streamlined process recently enacted by officials at U.S. Army Human Resources Command according to MILPER Message 22-351, issued Sept. 20.

The updated procedure, reducing the processing time from 24 months to approximately five, applies to the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), Valorous Unit Award (VUA), Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) and the Army Superior Unit Award (ASUA).

Because the award recommendation typically undergoes multiple levels of review and approval by several agencies, by the time the process is complete, many Soldiers have already left the unit requesting the award, explains the MILPER for the change.

“We are instituting a rapid review process of unit award submissions here at HRC, and once those recommendations are approved by the Army G1, our Awards and Decorations Branch (ADB) will issue a temporary authorization for wear memorandum to the respective unit G1/S1,” said Col. Greg Leiphart, chief, Soldier programs and services division at HRC.

HRC will issue a permanent order, a citation, certificate and streamer to the unit once the full verification process of unit lineage and honors takes place. This process will still take time to complete.

Officials caution there is a very small chance that upon review of lineage and honors by U.S. Army Center of Military History, a unit may not be authorized a particular award; therefore, the ADB memo for temporary wear is essential until the Permanent Order can be issued.

For more information, units can contact HRC’s Awards and Decorations Branch, AHRC-PDP-A, 502-613-9126, (DSN) 983-9126, or by e-mail at [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 10.05.2022
• Date Posted: 10.05.2022 12:36
• Story ID: 430764
• Location: FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US