Letter of Commendation: unusual or outstanding achievement, below the Achievement Medal. Achievement Medal: professional or leadership achievement clearly beyond what is expected for rank or rate. Commendation Medal: heroism or meritorious service well above what is expected, but below the MSM. MSM and higher require a Summary of Action.
CG-1650: Coast Guard Award Recommendation
Every block of the CG-1650 (personal, civilian and unit/team award data, endorsements, disposition), plus a Summary of Action and a proposed citation built to the Medals and Awards Manual's three-part format.
Every block on the CG-1650
Laid out block for block like the official COAST GUARD AWARD RECOMMENDATION (02/20 edition), with the instruction for each block. Name, rank, and unit prefill from your service profile.
Form details
- 1Recommended Award
- 2Period Being Recognized (Dates Inclusive) — From
The inclusive dates of the service or act. For a single act, enter the same date in both boxes.
- To
- 3AIndicate if Subsequent Award (First, Second, Third, etc.)
- 3B"O" Device
Recommend the Operational Distinguishing Device only when both the member's work and unit were operational (SAR, firefighting, law enforcement, disaster relief, pollution response, ATON). For a period of service, most of the citation must be operational, not administrative.
Personal award information (FOR CIVILIAN AWARDS COMPLETE SECTION 14 ALSO)
- 4Name (Last, First, MI)
- 10Previous Awards Earned During Period Being Recognized (Attach Copy)
List any award already given for part of the same period or act, and attach a copy. The same service cannot be recognized twice.
- 5EMPLID
The member's Direct Access Employee ID. Do not enter an SSN.
- 11Present Duty Station (AUX: Division/Flotilla)
- 6Branch of Service
- 12New Duty Station (Home Address if Separation Anticipated)
- 7Status
- 8Grade/Rank (For Civilians: Position Title, Series, and Grade) (AUX: Position Title)
The grade or rate held during the service being recognized, not at presentation.
- 9APresentation Date
Allow routing time. Board-level awards need 60 days at CG PSC-PSD-ma.
- 9BRetirement
- 13Other Personnel Recommended for Same Action and Award Recommended
14. for civilian recommendations only
- 14APrevious Awards During Past 3 Years
- 14BRecommended Amount of Award (If Applicable)
- 14CRecommended Amount of Time Off (If Applicable)
Unit/team award information
- 15Name of Unit/Team
- 16Location of Unit/Team at Time of Action
- 17List of Unit/Team Personnel Recommended for Award (use additional page or attach roster if necessary)
Originator
- 18Name, Grade, Title of Originator
Required. The person initiating the recommendation. If you are not the member's commanding officer, the recommendation goes to that CO for comment before routing.
- Phone No.
- Signature
- Date
Endorsements and disposition
- 19Forwarding Endorsements by Via Addressee(s). Attach additional sheets as necessary.
Each via command records the award it recommends and whether it supports the "O" device. Use a second CG-1650 for more than three endorsements.
- 20Disposition by Awarding Authority: Award Approved
Completed and signed only by the awarding authority. Not for another endorsement.
- Extraordinary Heroism
- "O" Device Approved
- Signature, Grade, Title / Date
Summary of action
- 21Summary of Action (narrative or bullet style; attach separate sheet): (1) what was the specific act/service performed? (2) where and when did the action/service happen? (3) what was the value/effect of the member's contribution?
Answer all three questions. A formal Summary of Action is required for the MSM (one page maximum), the Unit Commendation and higher, and any heroism award. Heroism cases also need eyewitness statements, exact location, date, time, weather and sea state, and everyone who assisted.
- 21Proposed Citation (if applicable)
One paragraph, three parts: (1) the award's standard opening phrase with duty and dates; (2) achievements and results, naming the member by grade and SURNAME IN CAPITALS; (3) the standard closing phrase. Achievement Medal opens "…is cited for superior performance of duty while…" and closes "…diligence, perseverance, and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard." Commendation Medal: "…is cited for (heroic or outstanding) achievement while…" / "…dedication, judgment, and devotion to duty…". MSM: "…is cited for outstanding meritorious service as…" / "…ability, diligence, and devotion to duty…". Letter of Commendation: "I note with pride and am pleased to commend you for your performance of duty…" ending "You are hereby authorized to wear the Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon Bar."
Draft / worksheet aid. Prepare it here, then transcribe into Routed through the chain of command to the lowest delegated awarding authority (Table 1-1 of the Medals and Awards Manual); the SPO records the approved award in Direct Access.. This is not an official submission. Check it against the current official CG-1650 before use.
How to fill out the CG-1650
The CG-1650 is required for every Coast Guard personal award recommendation and is used for unit and team awards too. It carries the admin data, the forwarding endorsements, the awarding authority's decision, and the Summary of Action and proposed citation. When: Start it promptly after the act or period of service, ideally within 30 days, so the award is presented before the member detaches. Recommendations must be submitted within three years of the act or service. Awards that need the Coast Guard Military Board of Awards must reach CG PSC-PSD-ma at least 60 days before the presentation date.
Step by step
- Complete blocks 1 through 13 and block 18 in full (the Manual requires it). Use block 14 only for civilian awards and blocks 15 to 17 only for a unit or team award.
- Pick the award that fits the level of achievement (Letter of Commendation, then Achievement Medal, Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal). Decide whether the Operational Distinguishing Device ("O") is justified.
- Write block 21: what the member did, where and when, and the value or effect of the contribution. Bullets or narrative on a separate sheet are fine.
- Draft the citation in the Manual's three parts: standard opening phrase with duty and dates, the achievements with results, then the standard closing phrase for that award.
- Sign block 18 as originator and route it for block 19 endorsements. Block 20 is reserved for the awarding authority.
What a strong one looks like
- Quantify impact: cases, lives saved, dollars, hours, qualifications, audit results.
- Refer to the member by rank and last name only. Since 2023 award documents must be gender-neutral, so no he, she, his or her.
- Citations for the MSM and below are limited to 12 lines of 11–12 pt Times New Roman bold (14 if an "O" or "V" statement is added). No acronyms and very few abbreviations.
- The "O" device needs hands-on operational work at an operational unit (SAR, law enforcement, ATON, response). Administrative achievements at an operational unit do not qualify.
Common mistakes
- Acronyms in the citation ("SAR", "LE", "ATON"). Spell them out.
- Using the rank the member holds at presentation instead of the rank held during the service being recognized.
- A Summary of Action that lists duties rather than results.
- Missing an MSM-or-higher Summary of Action, which is required and limited to one page for the MSM.
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