ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NAVY ARCTIC SERVICE MEDAL

[Tony]

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// 
ROUTINE 
R 181955Z MAR 24 MID600117285521U 
FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC 
TO ALNAV 
INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC 
CNO WASHINGTON DC 
CMC WASHINGTON DC 
BT 
UNCLAS 
 
ALNAV 026/24 
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/MAR// 
 
SUBJ/ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NAVY ARCTIC SERVICE MEDAL// 
 
REF/A/DOC/SECNAV/16 AUG 19// 
AMPN/REF A IS SECNAV MANUAL 1650.1, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL.// 
 
RMKS/1.  This message announces establishment of the Navy Arctic Service 
Medal (NASM) as an extension of the Navy Arctic Service Ribbon (NASR) for 
personnel meeting the specific criteria.  Paragraph 2 below hereby replaces 
Tab 22 of Appendix 4A of reference (a) and will be incorporated into the 
reference (a) during its ongoing revision. 
 
2.  TAB 22 Navy Arctic Service Medal/Ribbon 
    a.  Authorization:  OPNAVNOTE 1650 of 3 June 1987; ALNAV 026/24. 
    b.  Effective Date:  On or after 1 January 1982. 
    c.  Awarding Authority.  Commanding Officers (COs) of ships or units 
        operating above the Arctic Circle who have the authority to award the 
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal may award the NASM and NASR to 
personnel assigned to their commands who meet the eligibility criteria, and 
shall ensure appropriate service record entries are made. 
    d.  NASR Only 
        (1)  Criteria and Eligibility.  Awarded to officers and enlisted 
personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps, or civilians (including resident 
aliens of the U.S.) who complete 28 days, consecutive or non-consecutive, in 
the geographic area of eligibility (AOE), which is the land, sea, and air 
space above the Arctic Circle. 
             (a)  For personnel working at remote ice camps, and divers 
working under the ice, each day of duty counts as two days toward NASR 
eligibility. 
However, Marine Corps personnel undergoing annual cold weather training above 
the Arctic Circle do not qualify for the 2-for-1 credit. 
             (b)  No more than one day's credit is allowed for flights in 
and/or out of the AOE during any 24-hour period. 
       (2)  Award Elements.  The NASR consists of a ribbon only.  No medal, 
            citation, or certificate will be issued. 
       (3)  Subsequent Awards.  There are no subsequent awards. 
       (4)  Authorized Devices. None. 
    e. NASM 
       (1)  Criteria and Eligibility.  Awarded as an extension of the NASR to 
            officers and enlisted personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps, or 
civilians (including resident aliens of the U. S.) who are assigned to: 
            (a)  A unit that conducted an ice-covered strait transit (e.g., 
                 Bering Strait, Barrow Strait). 
            (b)  A unit that conducted a transit of the North Pole (defined 
by operating north of latitude 82N). 
            (c)  A submarine that conducted a vertical surfacing through ice, 
                 including through an arctic polynya, or ice picked against 
the ice canopy. 
            (d)  A submarine that conducted at least seven days of classified 
                 military operations while under the marginal ice zone or 
pack ice. 
            (e)  An ice camp or operations center established on an ice floe, 
as determined by the unit's Commanding Officer. 
        (2)  Award Elements.  The NASM consists of a medal with a suspension 
             ribbon of identical design to the NASR.  Initial award will be 
represented by a single North Star/Compass Rose device on the suspension or 
service ribbon. No citation or certificate will be issued. 
        (3)  Subsequent Awards.  Indicated by an additional North 
Star/Compass Rose device on the suspension or service ribbon.  A maximum of 
four North Star/Compass Rose devices may be worn. 
        (4) Authorized Devices.  The North Star/Compass Rose. 
    f.  Procedures 
        (1) Navy Personnel.  Certification data, to include dates of 
eligibility, will be forwarded to Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) (DNS-35). 
(2) Marine Corps Personnel.  COs awarding the NASR or NASM shall make the 
appropriate entries in their Marines' official service records. 
 
3.  Coordinating Instructions 
    a.  The NASM will likely not be available for issue until late 2024. 
    b.  The CNO and Commandant of the Marine Corps will establish 
administrative procedures for retroactive award of the NASM. 
 
4. Released by the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy.// 
 
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