The United States Eight Army has a large number of awards that are given both Korean and American Civilians. These are covered under the Army in Korea Regulation 672-30 dated 1 February 2010. The regulation is entitled “Decorations, Awards, and Honors – EIGHTH UNITED STATES ARMY CIVILIAN AWARDS PROGRAM”.
Under Section 1-1. It explains the Purpose of the regulation.
“The Eighth Army Incentive Awards Program is a management instrument for recognizing deserving civilian employees for their high-level performance and for contributions to mission accomplishment. This regulation is designed as a quick reference on civilian awards to assist managers and supervisors in preparing organizational incentive awards programs and in selecting appropriate awards for their employees. It provides brief descriptions of cash awards, honorary awards, public service awards, and also lists other non-federal awards for which employees may be nominated.”
One interesting small aspect is that the regulation actively supports and encourages the 8th U.S. Army to work with the Unions. Both Local 1363 of the National Federation of Federal Employees and for Korean National employees, the appropriate union is the Korean Employees Union (KEU).
Cash Awards have a dizzying array of levels and are divided into several categories. Cash is given as Superior Accomplishment Awards, Performance Awards, Quality Step Increase (QSI), Honorary Awards and Public Service Awards.
Under Appendix B there is a list of the “Hierarchy of Civilian Honorary Awards”
- Department of the Army (DA) Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, which is awarded by the Secretary of the Army and equates to a military Distinguished Service Medal.
- DA Meritorious Civilian Service Award which is awarded by the CG, Eighth Army and Commander, USFK and equates to a military Legion of Merit.
- DA Superior Civilian Service Award which is award by the CG, Eighth Army; Chief of Staff, USFK; Commander, USFK; and commander at brigadier general. Its military equivalent is the Meritorious Service Medal.
- DA Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, which is awarded by commanders, colonel and above. Its military equivalent is the Army Commendation Medal.
- DA Achievement Medal for Civilian Service which is awarded by commanders, lieutenant colonel and above civilian equivalent. Its military equivalent is the Army Achievement Medal.
- DA Certificate of Achievement for Patriotic Civilian Service which is awarded by commanders, lieutenant colonel and above and civilian equivalent. There is no military equivalent.
- DA Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service which is awarded by the CG, Eighth Army and Commander USFK. Its military equivalent is the Humanitarian Service Medal.
- DA Certificate of Achievement, which is awarded by the activity commander and civilian equivalent. Its military equivalent is the Certificate of Achievement.
- Letter of Appreciation or Commendation, which is awarded by the activity commander, supervisor, or other activity officials. There is no military equivalent.
- The regulation also allows for other Recognition Devices, which are given by the activity commander, supervisor, or other activity officials. There is no military equivalent.
Under Appendix C there is a list of Cash Awards, each with individual: eligibility requirements and authorizing authority standards
- ON-THE-SPOT CASH AWARD
- SPECIAL ACT OR SERVICE AWARD
- (Paid) TIME OFF AWARD
- LONG TERM SERVICE CASH AWARD
- PERFORMANCE AWARD
- SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AWARD
- QUALITY STEP INCREASE.
Appendix D Covers Honorary Awards (Those noted with an asterisk (*) require the coordination of the American Embassy for Korean National employees.) Many of these awards have different levels within each of them.
- *PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED FEDERAL CIVILIAN SERVICE
- *PRESIDENTIAL LETTER OF COMMENDATION
- *PRESIDENTIAL QUALITY AND MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT AWARD
- *DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DISTINGUISHED CIVILIAN SERVICE AWARD
- *SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEDAL FOR THE DEFENSE OF FREEDOM
- *SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEDAL FOR MERITORIOUS CIVILIAN SERVICE
- SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEDAL FOR THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM
- *SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PRODUCTIVITY EXCELLENCE AWARD
- *SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LETTER OF COMMENDATION
- *DECORATION FOR EXCEPTIONAL CIVILIAN SERVICE
- *MERITORIOUS CIVILIAN SERVICE AWARD
- *SUPERIOR CIVILIAN SERVICE AWARD
- COMMANDER’S AWARD FOR CIVILIAN SERVICE
- ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL FOR CIVILIAN SERVICE
- CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR PATRIOTIC CIVILIAN SERVICE
- *CIVILIAN AWARD FOR HUMANITARIAN SERVICE
- CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
- KOREAN CIVILIAN SERVICE MEDAL
- *OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
- *DA OUTSTANDING HANDICAPPED EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
- *SECRETARY OF THE ARMY AWARD FOR VALOR
- *AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN THE ARMY SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE
- ARMED FORCES CIVILIAN SERVICE MEDAL
- LETTER OF APPRECIATION OR COMMENDATION
- OTHER RECOGNITION DEVICES
- CAREER SERVICE RECOGNITION
- DA PROMOTION CERTIFICATE
- CERTIFICATES OF RETIREMENT AND APPRECIATION
- *EXCELLENCE IN ADMINISTRATION AWARD
- *INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AWARDS
- *JOHN E. FOGARTY PUBLIC PERSONNEL AWARD (Contributing to the hiring of disabled people in the agency where employed.)
- *SECRETARY OF THE ARMY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MATERIEL ACQUISITION
- *SECRETARY OF THE ARMY AWARD PUBLICATIONS IMPROVEMENTS
- *ARMY EDITOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
- *SECRETARY OF THE ARMY AWARD FOR IMPROVING MANPOWER/FORCE MANAGEMENT
- *DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC WORKS (DPW) ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM
- *JOHN W. MACY, JR. AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP
- *NICK HOGE AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- *WILLIAM H. KUSHNICK AWARD
Appendix E covers Public Service Awards (Those noted with an asterisk (*) require the coordination of the American Embassy for Korean National employees.)
- *PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
- *PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDAL
- *DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MEDAL FOR DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVICE
- *SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE
- *DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MERITORIOUS AWARD
- *DECORATION FOR DISTINGUISHED CIVILIAN SERVICE
- *SECRETARY OF THE ARMY PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
- *OUTSTANDING CIVILIAN SERVICE AWARD
- COMMANDER’S AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
- CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR PATRIOTIC SERVICE
- *CIVILIAN AWARD FOR HUMANITARIAN SERVICE
- CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION
- *CONGRESSIONAL AWARD FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC
- *CONGRESSIONAL EXCALIBUR AWARD
Appendix F covers Awards by Non-Federal Organizations
- ASSOCIATION OF THE US ARMY (AUSA) CIVILIAN RECOGNITION PROGRAM
- AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MILITARY COMPTROLLERS (ASMC) AWARD
- ARTHUR S. FLEMING AWARD
- GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES INSURANCE COMPANY (GEIGO) PUBLIC SERVICE AWARDS
- NATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE LEAGUE CAREER SERVICE AWARD
- NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
- ROGER W. JONES AWARD FOR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
- WILLIAM A. JUMP MEMORIAL AWARD
- ZACHARY AND ELIZABETH FISHER DISTINGUISHED CIVILIAN HUMANITARIAN AWARD
All of this leads me to Appendix L, the Korean Civilian Service Medal
L-1. Purpose
To establish command policies and prescribe procedures for award of the Korean Civilian Service Medal.
L-2. Applicability
This guidance is applicable to all US Army activities employing US citizen civilian employees in Korea.
L-3. Policy
a. The Korean Civilian Service Medal is designed to recognize Department of the Army (DA) US citizen civilian employees in any employment capacity with the US Army in Korea.
b. This service medal is established IAW DA Pam 672-20, Chapter 3-6, and is approved by the CG, Eighth U.S. Army.
c. This service medal, including a lapel pin and ribbon, may be presented to eligible personnel by the employee’s immediate supervisor.
L-4. Tour of Duty.
a. Employees working at installations in Area I will have a standard tour length of 24 months.
b. The standard overseas tour length for Department of Defense employees in Korea is 36 months, for all other locations. Additional information on the command policy on tours of duty can be found in AK Reg 690-3.
L-5. Eligibility
a. To be eligible for this service medal, U.S. citizen employees must:
(1) Have been assigned in Korea on or after 1 June 1988.
(2) Have completed successfully a tour of duty during that assignment or,
(3) Have completed successfully a tour of duty on or after 1 June 1988.
b. This service medal will be granted to employees upon successful completion of a tour.
Employees may only receive one award of this medal. Completion of subsequent or additional tours of duty does not make employees eligible for more than one award of the medal.
L-6. Procedures
a. Management officials will submit a list of eligible employees, i.e., full name, grade, job title, social security number, beginning and ending dates of tours, and organization, to the servicing CPAC to obtain the number of Korean Civilian Service Medals (KCSMs) required. 53 AK REG 672-30, 1 February 2010
b. The servicing CPAC will verify each employee’s tour completion and provide KCSMs to the management officials for presentation to those employees successfully completing a tour of duty. The KCSMs will be provided on a cost reimbursable basis.
c. The servicing CPAC will furnish a list of employees that received KCSM to the Office of the Regional Director, CHRA, Far East Region for necessary action to update awards records in the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System.
d. The servicing CPAC will maintain a copy of action taken on the list submitted IAW with
appropriate retention periods.
e. The employee’s immediate supervisor may present the KCSM to an eligible employee.
f. The Regional Director, CHRA, Far East Region, will purchase the number of KCSMs required and distribute them to the CPACs based on an annual needs survey.
Under an earlier regulation (EUSA Pam 672-30, Appendix H, Korean Civilian Service Medal, dated 17 May 1995. )
The Korean Service Medal is designed to recognize those Department of the Army US citizen civilian employees, appropriated fund and non-appropriated fund, completing a tour of duty. Serving consecutive or additional tours of duty does not entitle employees to more than one medal.
Tour of Duty areas as follows
12 month tour of duty areas: Chuncon, Kunsan, Munsan-ni, Osan, Paiuri, Pyongtaek, Taejon, Taesong-ni, Tongduchon, Uijongbu and Wonju.
24 month tour of duty areas: Bupyong, Chinhae, Kimpo, Masan, Pusan, Seoul, Taegu and Waegwan.
Exceptions to the two paragraphs above: Those serving in Korean and accompanied by family members had to serve 24 months regardless of their duty location to be eligible to receive the medal.