03/19/2017
What an honor for SFC David Gibson to receive the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal this weekend. SFC Gibson was surprised by this group of battle buddies that has worked with him over the past two decades. The requirements to earn this medal is below. How are you serving your community?
The MOVSM recognizes those members of the military (active duty, reserve and national guard) who perform substantial volunteer service to the local community above and beyond the duties required as a member of the United States Armed Forces. Such volunteer service must be made in a sustained and direct nature towards the civilian community, must be significant in nature to produce tangible results, and must reflect favorably on the military service and the United States Department of Defense. The definition of volunteer service is left intentionally vague, allowing for a wide variety of activities and volunteer duties which would qualify a service member for the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. Typical volunteer work includes Volunteer Emergency Services (like the Civil Air Patrol), Habitat for Humanity, soup kitchen work, etc.
There is no time limit required for the MOVSM however, most awarding authorities require that the volunteer service must exceed 3 years in length and/or 500 hours of service. Since the award is classified as a service medal, there is no citation which accompanies the award, however some commanders will present a personal letter to those who receive the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. Multiple awards of the MOVSM are denoted by service stars.[6]
The authority governing this award is DoD Manual 1348.33, Vol. 2 November 23, 2010, Incorporating Change 2, May 15, 2015
