ALCGPSC 136/18 - UPDATED ELIGIBLITY PERIOD FOR HUMANITARIAN SERVICE MEDAL FOR HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA

united states coast guard

ALCGPSC 136/18
SUBJ: UPDATED ELIGIBLITY PERIOD FOR HUMANITARIAN SERVICE MEDAL FOR HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA
A. ALCOAST 201/18
B. Coast Guard Military Medals and Awards Manual, COMDTINST M1650.25 (series)
1. REF (A) authorized the Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) for support of rescue and recovery efforts
following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The Department of Defense recently extended the period of
eligibility for this award from 21 October to 15 November 2017. Accordingly, Coast Guard military
personnel who were physically present in the area of eligibility in Paragraph 2 and directly
participated in the humanitarian and disaster relief support for one or more days between 06 September
and 15 November 2017 are awarded the HSM. All other eligibility provisions of REF (A) remain.
2. The area of eligibility for award of the HSM includes the following:
   a. State of Florida;
   b. Georgia counties: Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Coffee, Glynn, Liberty, McIntosh;
   c. Puerto Rico;
   d. U.S. Virgin Islands; and
   e. the Caribbean Islands and the adjacent waters from Barbados northward to Anguilla and
northwestward to the Straits of Florida.
3. Each unit, in coordination with their servicing administration office, must validate personnel eligibility,
location, and time period (i.e. permanent duty station or TDY orders to an area of eligibility and physical
presence) for members meeting this new expanded eligibility time period.
   a. Units shall electronically submit rosters of eligible members who meet this new time period, via a
standard Excel spreadsheet, which can be found on the CG PSC PSD-fs portal site at:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/Medals%20and%20Awards/default.aspx. (Note: Units will not be able
to edit the spreadsheet until a local copy is created via “Save As” function. A standard naming convention
for email and file titles is required to facilitate processing of the rosters (AWARD_UNIT_DATE (i.e.,
HSM_AIRSTA CLEARWATER_20181029)). Units should refer to the specific instructions contained in
the spreadsheet in completing the rosters.
   b. Spreadsheets (left in Excel form) must be submitted electronically to: PSC-PSD-ma at
ARL.Medals@uscg.mil.
4. Once PSC-PSD-ma adds members to the eligibility roster, commands will make appropriate Direct Access
entries.  Note: there are no certificates or citations that accompany the HSM.  Eligibility rosters for
the HSM can be viewed on CG PSC PSD-fs portal site at:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/Medals%20and%20Awards/default.aspx (updates to portal rosters are
made on the 15th and end of the month).
5. All questions should be directed to PSC-PSD-ma at ARL.Medals@uscg.mil.
6. Released by: CAPT G. T. Prestidge, Commander, CG Personnel Service Center. The Service Center for
Our Most Important Resource – Our People.
7. Internet release authorized.
BT