a. Authorization. SECNAVINST 1650.35 of 26 January 1981.
b. Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon Eligibility Requirements. Awarded to officer and
enlisted personnel of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.
Each Service has distinct eligibility criteria; Navy personnel
assigned to Marine Corps units follow Marine Corps policy, and vice versa.
(1) Personnel assigned to U.S. (including Alaska and
Hawaii) homeported ships, deploying units, or units of the
Marine Corps operating forces are eligible for the Sea Service
Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) upon completion of 12 months of
accumulated sea duty, which includes at least one deployment of
90 consecutive days.
(a) Changes in deployment patterns to meet
operational commitments have resulted in the reduction of some
service force ships1 deployment lengths to less than 90 days,
with an increase in the frequency of deployments. Consequently,
effective 18 October 1991, award of the SSDR to members of Navy
units that complete two deployments of at least 80 days each
within a given 12-month period is authorized.
(b) As an exception to policy, the 12-month
accumulated sea duty requirement was waived for personnel who
were called to sea duty or deployed for Operations DESERT SHIELD
or DESERT STORM (2 August 1990 to 31 December 1991), ENDURING
FREEDOM (11 September 2001 to TBD), or IRAQI FREEDOM (19 March
2003 to TBD) to qualify for the initial award only. This waiver
does not affect second and subseauent awards of this ribbon.
(2) Personnel assigned to overseas homeported ships,
deploying units, or units of the Marine Corps operating forces
outside CONUS are eligible upon completion of 12 months of
accumulated sea duty or a tour of duty with the Marine Corps
operating forces. For personnel assigned overseas, deployments
are not a factor and do not provide credit for additional awards
of the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR). Second and subsequent awards will be earned for
each additional 12-month period of qualifying service. For Navy
personnel only, after 1 October 1999, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) qualification does
not preclude also qualifying for the Overseas Service Ribbon.
(3) The Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) may be awarded retroactively to 15 August
1974. However, only one award may be earned for the period 15
August 1974 to 1 January 1979, regardless of the number of years
of sea duty or number of deployments made.
(4) No subsequent changes to the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) requirements are
retroactive to meet individual eligibility. c. Waivers
(1) For Navy personnel, a 14-day waiver of the 12-month
accumulated sea duty requirement is authorized as long as the
90-day or two 80-day deployment requirement is met
(2) For Marine Corps personnel, Squadron and Battalion
commanding officers have the authority to waive the 90-day
deployment criteria for members of the operating forces in CONUS
and the 12-month criteria for members of the operating forces
outside CONUS, on a case-by-case basis. The intent of this
waiver is to allow personnel to earn the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) when, through no
fault of their own, their 12-month tour or their 90-day
deployment is cut short. All approved waivers must be processed
via the Award Processing System (APS). Administrative
instructions are outlined in MarAdmin 582/03 and will be
published in the next revision of MCO 1650.19.
d. Definitions
1) Sea Duty. Duty performed in commissioned vessels or
units that operate away from their homeport or homebase for
extended periods.
(2) Deployable Units. A ship (USN, USNS) , aircraft
squadron, detachment, battalion, or other unit that operates
away from its assigned homeport or homebase for a period of
either 90 consecutive days or two periods of at least 80 days
each within a given 12-month period.
(3) Deployment. A peribd of either 90 consecutive days
or two periods of at least 80 days each with a deployed unit,
within a given 12-month period.
e. The following are examples of qualifying service.
Situations not covered in this manual shall be addressed to CNO
(DNS-35) or CMC (MMMA) as appropriate.
(1) A person who reports to a ship homeported in Norfolk
on 1 July 1978 and completes a 90 consecutive day deployment on
1 December 1978 is eligible for the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) on 1 July 1979.
(2) A person who served on a ship or deployed unit
homeported overseas from 30 June 1977 to 30 June 1980 will be
eligible for two awards; i.e., the initial award for the period ending 1 January 1979 and a second award for service ending
1 January 1980.
(3) A person attached to a U.S. homebased Marine Corps
unit that goes on one rotational deployment for six months and
remains with that unit for two years will earn only one award
because of the single deployment.
(4) A person attached to a U.S. homeported ship for one
year subsequent to 1 January 1979 but does not deploy for 90
consecutive days is not eligible. The same person is then given
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders to another U.S.
homeported ship and immediately goes on a deployment. This
person will be eligible upon completion of the 90-day
deployment.
(5) A person assigned on PCS orders to Naval Air
Station, Guam, serving on shore duty that counts as sea duty
will not be eligible for the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) regardless of the length of
time assigned. The Overseas Service Ribbon is applicable.
(6) A person assigned to Marine Corps Base (MCB), Camp
Lejeune, goes TAD to Marine Division for five months, completes
a 90-consecutive day deployment and returns to MCB Camp Lejeune
upon completion of the deployment is not eligible because one
year was not spent with a unit of the Marine Corps operating
forces. However, upon completion of an additional seven months
duty with the Marine Corps operating forces, the person will be
eligible for the award.
(7) A person assigned to MCB Camp Butler, Okinawa, will
not be eligible since it is not a unit of the Marine Corps
operating forces.
(8) A Marine attached to a Marine Detachment aboard a
ship homeported overseas will be eligible upon completion of 12
months sea duty.
(9) A person completing a 36-month accompanied tour
overseas with a unit of the Marine Corps operating forces will
be eligible for three awards.
(10) A Marine whose 12-month overseas tour with the
Marine Corps operating forces is terminated early but who
receives full credit for his/her tour in accordance with Marine Corps Order P1070.12K is eligible for the award. f. Awarding Authority. Commanding officers determine
eligibility from service records, affidavits, or upon completion
of eligibility requirements at the current command, and make
appropriate service record entries for enlisted personnel and
issue letters of eligibility for officers. No citation or
certificate will be issued.
Authorized Devices: Bronze Star, Silver Star |