Navy Sea Service Deployment
Military Ribbon

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.