Faster awards process

DELAYS in awarding the Defence Force Service Medal (DFSM) and the Defence Long Service Medal (DLSM) have been a cause for concern among personnel.

Conscious of this concern, DPE’s Directorate of Honours and Awards (DHA) staff have been working to develop ways of making the process faster.

Permanent members don’t have to apply for an award. An automated PMKeyS system captures and reports information relating to eligibility, listing ADF personnel who have reached a long service medal milestone, and have not received an award.

The lists have enabled DHA to process awards for all ADF permanent members with a service milestone before October last year. It anticipates that award processing will be up-to-date before June. Air Force members with broken or non-effective service might be missed and, if in any doubt, should call or email DHA.

In the case of Reserves, a lack of electronically available Reserve data, such as training days and parades attended, means information can only be gathered manually.

This means DHA needs more time to assess entitlements to a long service award. There is a significant backlog in the Reserve assessment process and it’s now a requirement that when applying for a Reserve award, personnel must provide full details of training days and parades attended for each year of service by enlistment year.

Reserves who have already applied for an award can help DHA shorten the process by supplying this information.

Whether a permanent member or a Reserve, it isn’t possible for the DFSM/DLSM to be awarded on the day the milestone is reached. Once eligibility is established, the Governor-General must individually approve every award.

There is no power to approve the award before eligible service is completed. In most cases, approval would occur by the calendar month following the milestone date. Once approved, the medals and recipient information are sent to a contracting company for engraving and speedier despatch to individuals.

Air Force members can help DHA speed up the delivery of medals by keeping their PMKeyS information up-to-date.

Members can view their award progress, including the schedule number, not only for long service but all other awards by accessing the recently enhanced PMKeyS Self Service web site and clicking “My Qualifications”.

DHA is preparing a DI(G) on long service awards, which will be released soon. For further information about the process and awarding of medals, phone 1800 111 321, visit the intranet at http://defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/dpe/ or internet at http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/ or email dpe.honoursandawards@defence.gov.au.

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