Award Review Board

Once the Approval Authority approves the recipients of the FA Association Medals, their adjutant or appropriate point of contact coordinates with the Field Artillery Association for payment/delivery of medals and certificates.  This process is now conducted on-line at www.fieldartillery.org.  It is important to note that only members of the FA Association are eligible for these distinct honors. If the award nominee is not a member of the association, or in the case of the Molly Pitcher Medal- the awardee’s spouse is not a member- membership into the association must be paid prior to processing the awards.  In order to avoid late fees, all Award orders must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the presentation date.

Units are encouraged to conduct FA Association Membership drives prior to 1 OCT.  This does two things for the unit.  1. Prospective recipients of this award are provided the opportunity to become members- so they are eligible for the award. 2. Chapters receive bonus checks from the FA Association based on the number of active members inside the chapter.  This money can be used towards the funding of the unit’s Saint Barbara’s Day celebration.

Most approval authorities for the Saint Barbara and Molly Pitcher Medals convene a board of the unit’s leaders to review nominees and vote on inclusion into the respective order.

FA Brigade/Div Arty/Regimental Commanders should provide their subordinate Battalion leadership with guidance on who should be eligible for these two distinct honors. This should be done NLT 90 days prior to the proposed presentation date.

The Honorable Order of Saint Barbara recognizes those individuals who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character; displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence; served the United States Army or Marine Corps Field Artillery with selflessness; and contributed to the promotion of the Field Artillery in ways that stand out in the eyes of the recipient’s seniors, subordinates and peers alike.

** The approval authority for the Honorable Order are Field Artillery Colonels in current command who are members of the Field Artillery Association in good standing.  Field Artillery Lieutenant Colonels have approval authority where there is no Field Artillery Colonel in their immediate chain of command (e.g., Brigade Combat Teams of the Army National Guard) as long as they also are members of the Field Artillery Association in good standing.  When there is no Field Artillery commander available, an approving authority will be selected by the Association-usually the Assistant Field Artillery Commandant or MARDET Fort Sill CO.

The Order of Molly Pitcher recognizes those individuals who have voluntarily contributed in significant and meaningful ways to the improvement of the Field Artillery Community.

** The approval authority for the Order of Molly Pitcher is the same as the Honorable Order

Battalion leaders should in turn share this information with their Battery leaders who compile a listing of eligible candidates.  Pending on the approval authorities’ expectations, battery leaders will either advocate for their nominees in person, or prepare a written memorandum explaining their merits and rationale for the award.

Battalion commanders should convene a board.  Board composition varies based on availability and commander expectations.  Boards usually consist of a minimum: BN CSM, BN XO, BN S3, BN OPS SGM or Operations Sergeant. 

These individuals take the time to review all of the battery nominations and vote on whether they are deserving of these esteemed honors. 

Following the completion of this board, the BN CDR prepares a memorandum for record to the FA BDE/Div Arty/Regimental Commander with a consolidated listing of BN endorsed nominees. 

FA BDE/Div Arty/ Regimental Commanders have the option of reviewing/approving these memorandums or convening their own boards.

Traditionally, nominators pay for the award of their nominee if approved by the Approving Authority.  FA Association memberships should be paid by the nominee if they are interested in being considered for this distinct honor.  Recipients of the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara traditionally maintain their membership in the FA Association for the remainder of their careers to ensure this esteemed award endures and to maintain their professionalism by supporting/endorsing USFAA activities at the headquarters and chapter level.