MREC-11 · MILITARY RECORDS LIBRARY
Awards, Decorations & Citation Records
MREC-11: Records distinguishing recommendation, approval, order, citation, presentation, personnel-file entry, and later correction of awards and decorations.
What this record can establish
That an award was recommended; that an authorized approval/order exists; citation text; date/unit/action credited; later correction when documented.
What it does not establish automatically
A recommendation is not proof the award was granted. A memoir, unit score sheet, or personnel summary may require the underlying order or approval instrument.
Preservation package
Recommendation; endorsements; board/command approval; general/permanent order; citation; certificate; personnel-file entry; correction decision.
Minimum source metadata
- Stable source ID and record class
- Creator or issuing office
- Document date and covered period
- Subject identifiers
- Repository and exact locator
- Provenance or acquisition note
- Proposition supported and express limits
- Evidence-status code and derivative/OCR/transcription lineage
Evidence testing
- Identity: Is the record tied to the correct person, unit, platform, or event?
- Chronology: Separate document date, effective date, event date, and covered period.
- Institutional purpose: Understand why the record was created and what it was designed to record.
- Corroboration: Seek independent records; copies and derivatives from one source do not create independence.
Evidence status key: D1 direct primary; D2 corroborated primary; S1 authoritative secondary; S2 credible secondary; I inference; C conflict; U unverified; N negative research result.
Connected Life Record chapters
- MLR-03 — Training & Qualifications
- MLR-06 — Career, Assignments & Deployment
- MLR-11 — Separation & Transition
- MLR-13 — Veteran Lifetime
Related navigation guides
Retrieval and authority status
This page defines the evidence family and preservation method. Repository-specific access rules, privacy limits, request forms, retention schedules, service/era differences, and governing authorities must be verified for the particular record before treating retrieval instructions as final. Start with current official repositories and the linked Navigation Guides.
