Personnel Admin Advisory 02-04

1. THIS IS PERSONNEL ADMIN ADVISORY 02-04. 
PAA'S 01-00 THROUGH 01-04 REMAIN IN EFFECT.
2. ADDRESSEES ARE REQUESTED TO READDRESS THIS PAA TO 
SUBORDINATE ORG/UNITS AS APPLICABLE.
3. THE FOLLOWING TOPICS IS ADDRESSED: INTERIM CHANGE TO 
PARAGRAPH 3310 OF THE ACTS MANUAL.
4. INTERIM CHANGE TO PARAGRAPH 3310 OF THE ACTS MANUAL. 
EFFECTIVE UPON RECEIPT, THE FOLLOWING CHANGE TO THE ACTS 
MANUAL IS AUTHORIZED. 
 A. BEGINNING AT PAGE 3-22 AND ENDING ON PAGE 3-23, REMOVE 
THE ENTIRE PARAGRAPH (3310) AND REPLACE IT WITH THE FOLLOWING.
"3310. COMBAT AIRCREW INSIGNIA 
1. THE COMBAT AIRCREW INSIGNIA MAY BE AUTHORIZED FOR THOSE
AIRCREW MEN QUALIFIED UNDER PARAGRAPH 3309, WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED 
IN AERIAL FLIGHT DURING COMBAT, AND FOR THOSE ENLISTED PERSONNEL WHO
QUALIFY FOR NON-TECHNICAL AIRCREW POSITIONS AND SERVE IN SUCH
POSITIONS IN AERIAL COMBAT.
2. UNIT COMMANDERS MAY DESIGNATE AS COMBAT AIRCREW MEN, AND
AUTHORIZE THE WEARING OF THE COMBAT AIRCREW INSIGNIA, THOSE
ENLISTED PERSONNEL WHO SATISFACTORILY MEET THE PREREQUISITES 
LISTED BELOW. MAKE AN APPROPRIATE ENTRY (TO INCLUDE ANY
AUTHORIZATION FOR COMBAT STARS EARNED UNDER PARAGRAPH 3310.4) 
IN THE MARINE'S RECORD PER CURRENT INSTRUCTION.
3. PREREQUISITES FOR DESIGNATION AS A COMBAT AIRCREW MEN FOLLOW:
 A. MARINE MUST BE A VOLUNTEER FOR COMBAT AIRCREW DUTY.
 B. THE MARINE MUST BE QUALIFIED PER PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MANUAL OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.
 C. THE MARINE MUST BE A REGULARLY ASSIGNED MEMBER OF A FLIGHT 
CREW IN AN AIRCRAFT PARTICIPATING IN COMBAT OPERATIONS.
 D. THE MARINE MUST BE DESIGNATED BY HIS COMMAND FOR A POSITION
IN THE FLIGHT CREW OF A MARINE AIRCRAFT AS A CREWCHIEF OR AERIAL 
OBSERVER/GUNNER. NAVY PERSONNEL ASSIGNED AS CORPSMAN AND DESIGNATED
BY THE COMMAND AS FLIGHT CREW ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE.
 E. THE MARINE MUST BE NATOPS QUALIFIED IN HIS T/M/S AIRCRAFT.
 F. THE MARINE MUST BE IN RECEIPT OF IMMINENT DANGER PAY.
4. COMBAT AIRCREW MEN WHO HAVE QUALIFIED TO WEAR COMBAT STARS MAY
WEAR THE COMBAT AIRCREW INSIGNIA ON A PERMANENT BASIS. A MAXIMUM OF
THREE COMBAT STARS MAY BE AWARDED FOR DISPLAY ON THE COMBAT AIRCREW
INSIGNIA. THE MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR EARNING INDIVIDUAL COMBAT STARS
(WHICH ARE AUTHORIZED BY UNIT COMMANDERS) IS AS FOLLOWS:
 A. PARTICIPATION IN AERIAL FLIGHT THAT SUPPORTS COMBAT
OPERATIONS (OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE) IN WHICH ENEMY FIRE IS RECEIVED
AND RETURNED. THESE FLIGHTS INCLUDE ENGAGEMENTS WITH ENEMY FORCES
(CONVENTIONAL AND UNCONVENTIONAL), ENEMY VEHICLES OR FORTIFIED
POSITIONS, AS WELL AS MEDICAL EVACUATION FLIGHTS (MEDEVAC FLIGHTS),
ELECTRONIC ATTACK AND MILITARY TRANSPORT. THE KEY IS ENEMY FIRE
MUST BE RECEIVED AND RETURNED.
 B. PARTICIPATION IN AERIAL FLIGHT DURING CONTINGENCY
OPERATIONS WHERE THE TMR MISSION CODE FOR CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS 
IS LOGGED IN ACCORDANCE WITH OPNAVINST 3710.7. 
 C. ENGAGEMENT OF AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT OR VESSEL WITH BOMBS,
ROCKETS, TORPEDOES, GUNS OR MISSILES.
 D. IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO JOINT
ACTIVITIES (SUCH AS AWACS CREWMAN) WILL BE CONSIDERED AS LONG AS
THEIR MISSION MEETS THE ABOVE CRITERIA.
5. AWARDING OF INDIVIDUAL COMBAT STARS IS AT THE DISCRETION OF 
THE UNIT COMMANDING OFFICER BASED ON THE FOLLOWING POINT SYSTEM.
10 TOTAL POINTS WILL ALLOW THE AIRCREW MAN TO RECEIVE ONE GOLD STAR. 
 A. ANY FLIGHT THAT LOGS A COMBAT TMR CODE AND ENGAGES AND 
ANY ENEMY FORCES (AS PREVIOUSLY DEFINED IN 3310.4A) WILL RECEIVE 
5 POINTS. 
 B. FLIGHTS THAT LOG A CONTINGENCY TMR CODE AND RECEIVE ENEMY
FIRE, BUT DO NOT RETURN FIRE WILL RECEIVE 2 POINTS. 
 C. CONTINGENCY FLIGHTS THAT RECEIVE NO FIRE AND ARE FLYING TO
SUPPORT COMBAT TASKS, WILL RECEIVE 1 POINT. 
 D. THIS IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH AIR MEDAL POINTS. THE
AWARDS ARE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT, BUT CAN BE EARNED CONCURRENTLY. 
POINTS MAY BE CARRIED OVER TO THE NEXT OPERATION AND SHOULD BE 
DOCUMENTED APPROPRIATELY IN THE INDIVIDUALS NATOPS TRAINING JACKET.
6. A MARINE WHO IS QUALIFIED TO WEAR BOTH THE NAVAL AIRCREW
INSIGNIA AND THE COMBAT AIRCREW INSIGNIA HAS THE OPTION OF WEARING
THE DEVICE OF HIS CHOICE, BUT NOT BOTH. REQUESTS FOR VERIFICATION
OF COMBAT AIRCREW STATUS MUST INCLUDE SUFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION TO
SUBSTANTIATE COMPLIANCE WITH THE PREREQUISITES. ADDRESS ALL
INQUIRIES CONCERNING THIS INSIGNIA TO CMC (CODE ASM).
7. THE COMBAT AIRCREW DESIGNATION WILL BE CANCELED BY THE UNIT
COMMANDER WHENEVER FLIGHT STATUS IS TERMINATED BECAUSE A MARINE IS
NO LONGER PHYSICALLY, PSYCHOLOGICALLY OR TECHNICALLY QUALIFIED FOR
COMBAT AIRCREW DUTY, OR BECAUSE A MARINE IS TRANSFERRED TO A BILLET
IN WHICH DUTY INVOLVING FLYING IS NOT REQUIRED. UNLESS THE MARINE
HAS QUALIFIED FOR PERMANENT RETENTION UNDER PARAGRAPH 3310.4, THE
AUTHORIZATION TO WEAR THE COMBAT AIRCREW INSIGNIA IS REVOKED UPON 
CANCELLATION OF THE DESIGNATION."
 B. POC ON THIS MATTER IS LTCOL V. S. STOVER AT HQMC (ASM-51) AT
DSN: 224-1556 OR BY EMAIL AT STOVERVS@HQMC.USMC.MIL.
5. POC FOR PERSONNEL ADMIN ADVISORIES UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE ABOVE 
IS MR. JERRY WELCH AT DSN 278-9049/9050, COMM (703) 784-9049/9050 OR
BY E-MAIL AT WELCHJR@MANPOWER.USMC.MIL.