Remember an LOA can be written and presented by anyone, but a letter signed by the commanding officer or someone higher in the chain of command makes an LOA  more  significant  for  recognition. LETTER OF COMMENDATION.  —A Navy letter of  commendation  (LOC)  can  add  points  toward  the  final multiple  for  advancement  for  first  class  petty  officers and below. When it is signed by a flag officer, that adds 1 point; when signed by the President or Secretary of the Navy, that adds 3 points. If an LOC does not warrant the signatures of such high authority, one signed by the commanding   officer,   will   provide   outstanding recognition  of  deserving  individuals. GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.  —An individual who has  completed  4  years  of  service  or  meets  the requirements  to  receive  a  Good  Conduct  Medal  is awarded the medal in a recognition ceremony. Though the  Good  Conduct  Medal  is  a  fairly  common  award,  it should not be treated as common. It is frequently the first medal a sailor receives. You should have a tickler file or some other way to make sure your sailors receive this award. Make sure that it is on time and given at the right ceremony. NAVY  ACHIEVEMENT  MEDAL.   —Navy achievement  medals  (NAMs)  are  awarded  for professional  achievement  that  clearly  exceeds  normal requirements  or  for  noteworthy  leadership  achievement that merits singular recognition. NAVY  COMMENDATION  MEDAL.   —Navy commendation medals (NCMs) are awarded to persons who distinguish themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement  or  service  performed  in  a  manner  above normal   expectation.   The   deeds   are   sufficient   to distinguish  the  individual  above  those  performing similar  services. Rewards Rewards  are  considerations  given  for  special services or contributions. They are given in many forms, but the most recognized ones in the Navy are those that offer  monetary  pay  or  advancement  to  a  higher paygrade. COMMAND ADVANCEMENT   PRO GRAM. —The purpose of the Command Advancement Program (CAP) is to allow certain commanding officers to advance eligible personnel in paygrades E-3, E-4, and E-5 to the next higher paygrade without reference to higher authority. The intent of this program is to grant commanding officers of ships, squadrons, mobile units, and  staffs  of  the  operating  forces  authority  to  provide substantive recognition for superior performance. That recognition  is  sometimes  done  under  the  rigors  of  the operating environment experienced at sea while the ship is forward deployed. For more on this program, refer to BUPERSINST  1430.17C. MILITARY CASH AWARDS PROGRAM. —The intent  of  the  Military  Cash  Awards  Program  (MILCAP) is to encourage military personnl to suggest ways to reduce costs and improve productivity in the Navy, the Department  of  Defense  (DOD),  and  other  federal government  operations.  It  also  provides  a  formal channel for communications between management and personnel.  It  encourages  an  atmosphere  of  imagination, creativity, and innovation. The MILCAP is addressed in detail in OPNAVINST 1650.8C. Corrective  Measures Chances are you will eventually have to deal with minor  violations  of  rules  and  regulations.  You  should recognize breaches of rules or standards of conduct and correct them immediately. By excusing violations, you give the impression that you condone them and open the door  for  further  violations.  Usually,  discussing  a violation with a sailor lets him or her know the breach of conductor appearance is not consistent with what you expect. Most of the time that will serve to correct minor problems. COUNSELING. —When a member of your division fails to respond to your advice, arrange a counseling session   to   address   the   member’s   performance. Sometimes  misbehavior  is  a  way  of  getting  your attention and an indicator of more serious underlying problems. Document every counseling session, and file it  in  your  division  officer’s  notebook. EXTRA MILITARY INSTRUCTION.  —Extra military instruction (EMI) is a phase of military duty to correct a deficiency of an individual. EMI is a bona fide, nonpunitive, administrative measure used as a training device to correct a deficiency. EMI is not a substitute for punitive action appropriate under the  Uniform Code of Military  Justice  (UCMJ).  EMI is logically related to the deficiency  and  is  corrected  and  implemented  within  the following  limitations: EMI is not normally assigned for more than 2 hours per day. EMI is assigned at a reasonable time outside normal  working  hours. 3-10