CJCR Gp Honours and Recognition | Chapter 3

Award Completion Instructions

Levels of Recognition

1. There are honours and recognition (H&R) available in tiers as described in Chapter 2.
2. Formal recognition is when an accomplishment is officially acknowledged and documented.
3. Examples of formal recognition can include a commendation, medal, letter or certificate.
4. Accomplishments must be recognized at the appropriate level. This ensures the recipient’s award is meaningful to them, is relevant to the action being recognized, and is seen as equitable by others in the organization.
5. The following factors should be taken into account when considering service or actions for formal recognition:
   1. if the recommendation is for an individual or a group;
   2. if the service or action exceeded rank, training, experience, expected duties or responsibilities of the potential nominee;
   3. the degree of independent action, personal choice, or initiative involved in the service or action being considered for recognition;
   4. the net effect or outcome and at what level this effect was realized; and
   5. if there was a risk to the individual or group being considered for nomination.
6. The following table illustrates an appropriate scale of H&R based on the service or action being considered for nomination:

Level	Service or Actions to be Considered	Honour or Award
National	Were the actions exceptionally innovative, unique, and far beyond that which would be expected from an experienced person doing the same tasks? Were the impacts of the actions at the command/national level that only consideration of the highest awards would be appropriate?	Order of Military Merit (ORMM) Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Commendation Vice Chief of Defence (VCDS) Commendation Commander, Cadets and Junior Canadian Ranger Group (Comd CJCR Gp) Commendation Comd CJCR Gp Coin Canadian Ranger Corps coin Other National Honours or Awards
Regional/Unit	Were the actions innovative, unique and outside those that are expected from an experienced person, doing the same task? Were the impacts of the actions of such importance that the actions would be deemed outstanding at the regional level?	Regional Cadet Support Unit (RCSU)/Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (CRPG)/Fmn HQ Commanding Officer’s (CO) Commendation RCSU/CRPG/Fmn HQ CO’s Letter/Certificate of Appreciation RCSU/CRPG CO’s Coin
Summer Training Activity	Were the impacts of these actions important but limited to the Cadet Training Centres (CTC)/Enhanced Training Serial (ETS) level? Were the actions innovative, unique and outside those that are expected from an experienced person, doing the same task at a CTC/ETS?	CRPG CO’s Coin CTC CO’s Commendation CTC CO’s Letter/Certificate of Appreciation CTC CO’s Coin ANAVETs Cadet Medal of Merit Order of St. George Medal Canada Company Youth Excellence Award CRPG specific H&R
Corps/Squadron/Patrol	Were the actions above that which would normally be expected from a person performing these tasks? Could another person doing the same job have performed these tasks? Were the actions typically within the scope of expected duties/performance? Were the impacts of these actions important but limited to the corps/squadron/patrol level?	Corps/squadron CO’s Letter/Certificate of Appreciation Corps/squadron CO’s coin JCR Patrol Leader Recognition Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence The Lord Strathcona Medal

7. Nominations for summer training activities should follow the process indicated by:
   1. the CTC CO/Activity Officer Commanding (OC) for cadets; and
   2. the ETS/Activity OC for JCR.
8. The CTC CO/ETS OC/Activity OC will form a selection committee in accordance with Chapter 2 of this manual.
9. If cadets or JCR does not meet the criteria of the recognitions allocated to a CTC/ETS or corps/squadron/patrol the recognition should not be awarded.

Nomination File

10. When nominating individuals for H&R, objectivity and transparency are essential.
11. Compile the required documentation and acquire the appropriate signatures once a decision is made to submit a nomination. The timely, accurate and complete preparation of the file is the key to a successful nomination.
12. Annex A - H&R Nomination Checklist details the required documents to be included in a nomination package and may include some or all of the following documents, depending upon the type of recognition. The documents must be signed (electronically, if possible) and submitted in the following order:
    1. completed Form DND 4362 or DND 2448;
       1. DND 2448 is for nominations being reviewed by the VCDS H&R board (eg, ORMM, MSM, VCDS, or CDS Commendations); and
       2. DND 4362 is for CJCR Gp nominations (eg, Comd CJCR Gp Commendation, Cadet/JCR Award for Bravery);
    2. a narrative, not more than one page in English and one page and a quarter in French, if required;
    3. a citation of not more than 80 words in English or 105 words in French. The citation must be in the official language of the nominee;
    4. updated Military Personal Record Resume (MPRR) from Guardian for CAF members or Cadet Information Card from Fortress for cadets;
    5. CAF member’s Web Security Clearance Processing System (WebSCPS) security clearance or photocopy of birth certificate for cadets; and
    6. witness statements and supporting documents if applicable.
13. Corps/squadrons/patrols can request through their chain of command a member’s MPRR or WebSCPS.
14. Nomination files must be complete with all required information to ensure proper consideration by the appropriate H&R selection board without delay. Incomplete files will be returned to the nominator for additional preparation.
15. Nomination PDFs should be signed electronically. Refer to the Honours and Recognition page on Cadet365 for Electronic Signatures.
16. The Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) method is to be used when writing narratives and citations to avoid any biased language.
17. Consideration must be made to ensure that nomination content is inclusive and respectful of all audiences. To support efforts in achieving this:
    1. Be aware of the pronouns that the nominee prefers to be used when referring to them in formal documents. When writing to or about a person, the pronouns of their choice are to be used. Honours narratives and citations should not be gender neutral unless this is the person’s preference.
    2. The use of feminized ranks and titles in French is also a personal choice. Seek out this information in each specific nomination, as required. Update: The Canadian Armed Forces modernizes military ranks in French - Canada.ca; and
    3. Conduct a GBA+ Analysis of your nomination. Helpful guidance on how to do this can be found at Apply Gender-based Analysis Plus to your work- Women and Gender Equality Canada.
    4. Refer to the CANCDTGEN 006/23, Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers Group Interim Guidance on Gender Inclusion for additional information.

Narrative

18. A narrative is required for the ORMM, MSM, CDS and VCDS Commendations.
19. Writing a compelling narrative is the most important step to creating a successful nomination. The narrative must address the criteria for the award in an order that is consistent with the way they are listed for the applicable award. The narrative should follow the standard introduction, body and conclusion essay format. It should not exceed one typewritten page, excluding annexes and attachments. Refer to the Honours and Recognition page on Cadet365 for guidance and examples.
20. A narrative must explain why the nominee is worthy of recognition, including a full description of events that gave rise to the recommendation, the names of all participants, the location, and the timeframe. The author must answer the following questions:
    1. Who is the nominee?
    2. What did they do?
    3. When did they do it?
    4. Where did it happen?
    5. Why is this significant?
    6. What outcome or benefit was achieved?
21. The introduction provides the overall context for the nomination to include the location, nominee's position/job title/employment, date(s), and time as appropriate. This context should include an overview of the conditions, events and actions, and the overall effect of the nominee’s service or actions.
22. The nominee should be introduced using the proper salutation or rank, and their first and last name in full. It is typically one paragraph not exceeding two or three sentences. The first paragraph of the body should state details of what the nominee did, when it was done, where it was done, and why it was significant.
23. The narrative must have tangible examples of what the member did. Each example should illustrate why the service or action is deserving of recognition and its impact.
24. Subsequent paragraphs should state any challenges the nominee faced and indicate how their service or actions, under the circumstances, meet the criteria of the award the nominee is being nominated for. The body must demonstrate that the nominee's service or actions met the criteria of the award. Usually, three paragraphs will suffice for the body of the nomination.
25. Throughout the body of the narrative, the nominee shall be referred to by their proper salutation or rank and surname (e.g., Capt Smith or Cadet CWO Jones).
26. The conclusion should mirror the introduction. The author may briefly revisit the points made in previous paragraphs if the body of the narrative is lengthy. The conclusion should provide answers to the questions “What was the outcome/benefit” and “Is this nominee worthy of recognition.”

Citation

27. The CDS, VCDS and Comd CJCR Gp Commendations require a citation. The DND 4362 includes a section for the citation for the Comd CJCR Gp Commendation.
28. The proposed citation for an honour must summarize the case fully, factually, and concisely. Writing a citation is one of the most challenging parts of submitting an award nomination. The writing must be compelling and unique but also be concise and conform to established standards. Refer to the Honours and Recognition page on Cadet365 for guidance and examples.
29. Citations shall be one paragraph and not exceed 80 words in English or 105 words in French. The citation must be written in the first official language of the nominee and should not include acronyms or military jargon.
30. A citation consists of approximately three to five sentences. The first sentence should contain biographical information (name, dates, location, and title if necessary) and an introduction to why the individual is being recognized.
31. State simply, who did what, when and where, in a form which demonstrates why or how the activity was beyond the expected norm. Indicate the measurable impacts and consequences of the deed.
32. The next part of the citation should be one or two sentences describing the achievements, the conditions, and the relevant qualities/skills of the recipient.
33. The last sentence shall reintroduce the member's name and show the effects of his/her achievements at the lowest level possible. The last sentence will include the member's qualities (professionalism, courage, ingenuity, etc.) that haven't already been mentioned in the citation.

Submission

34. The nomination package must be forwarded up the chain of command. Corps/squadron nominations must be forwarded to the Area and then to the RCSU H&R Coordinator for consideration and/or further staffing to higher authority. JCR will follow the process outlined by the CA.
35. The nomination process shall not be accelerated or shortened to consider a nomination submitted after a communicated deadline. For H&R nominations that are subject to review by the CJCR Gp H&R selection board, nominations that miss the submission deadline will be reviewed at the next board. Only in exceptional circumstances can a nomination be considered outside the normal submission parameters.
36. Nomination packages at the CTC/ETS/Activity that warrant a Comd CJCR Gp Commendation must be coordinated with their respective RCSU H&R Coordinator/CA (DCR).
37. The email subject line should include “Honours in Confidence”. Do not include the nominee's name in the subject line.
38. The appropriate H&R Coordinator will review each nomination to ensure it meets the criteria, is accurate and includes the required documentation.
39. If a nomination does not meet the criteria for a particular award, the Unit H&R Coordinator/CA (DCR) shall recommend a more suitable award that satisfies the benchmarks for the submitted nomination. The Unit H&R Coordinator/CA (DCR) will then submit nominations to appropriate authorities for further consideration.
40. For departmental awards, follow the instructions contained in the call for nominations.