Appendix 2 – Guidelines for composing supporting narratives
The recommendation for Military Valour shall be accompanied by a supporting narrative which summarizes:
the location, time and date of the incident;
the relative positions and general actions of participants, vehicles, etc, (photographs or sketches are invaluable);
the full name, rank, SN, trade and unit of participants, witnesses and others involved;
separate statements from all participants and witnesses, including the nominee (the confidentiality noted in Chapter 2, paragraph (2) must be respected - this is possible by requesting statements for general investigation purposes, etc.);
comments which may assist in evaluating the accuracy or credence of any statements, e.g. where one suspects bias or where events may be distorted due to passage of time; and
supplementary photographs, plan drawings, sketches, documentary evidence, newspaper clippings, etc.
Supporting narratives should include comments on the following points where applicable:
Were the nominee’s actions needed to accomplish the assigned aim of a military mission? If so, did the actions go above and beyond the normal demands of duty expected of peers in rank and trade?
What training or experience did the nominee have with the problems involved in the incident? Was the nominee aware of the risks involved and did they understand what was happening? Did they keep going even when the danger was obvious? Did they perform the action over an extended period of time or on multiple occasions despite the danger? Comment on the nominee’s physical condition and any ill effects suffered, if applicable.
What was the nature and extent of the peril? What special problems were present? What weapons and equipment, if any, were used? Did others at the scene help? Were others present who might have helped?
When applicable, comment on or provide a diagram of the following: number and proximity of the enemy; intensity and accuracy of enemy fire; distances from safety; light conditions and visibility; environmental elements such as density of vegetation, built environment and presence of debris; depth of water; wave height and wind speed; current, tide and ice conditions; weather factors and temperature; explosions; fire and smoke location, type and severity; location and condition of any victims; and means of access and exit.
If more than one individual might be recognized for a single action, the narrative must make clear the relative contribution of each. This allows intervening officers and the Committee to judge if any potential recognition should be granted equally, or if different awards might be justified for different individuals.
