Correspondence Management Division

            

FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES ONLY

 

Description (Eligibility: 30+ Years of Service)

A Presidential Letter of Appreciation (PLOA), or retirement letter, is a standard letter of appreciation prepared by the White House and signed by the President of the United States. The letter recognizes military or Department of Defense civilian retirees with (30) or more years of creditable service for retired pay. This award may be given to civilians, Service members who served in multiple branches, and those who served in both military and civilian positions.

Each Military Department requests PLOAs through their respective White House Liaison Officer (WHLO) and provides the information necessary to complete the letter.

 

Process For Submission

Please submit requests at least 90 days in advance of actual retirement date or retirement ceremony (whichever comes first).  Due to the high volume of submissions, neither this office nor the White House are able to provide status updates.

 

Civilians Retiring from NON-SERVICE SPECIFIC DoD Components (i.e. WHS, JCS, AAFES, DCMA, DISA, etc.)

Non-Service Specific DoD Components shall request PLOAs through their respective awards representative. Use the template provided in the left margin of this webpage. Requests shall be routed through the Executive Secretary of the DoD. 

 

For information and to submit a request for a PLOA for a Department of Defense retiree, please email the WHS Correspondence Management Division  (If the email link does not work, copy and paste this address: [email protected]).

 

Military and Civilians Retiring from SERVICE DEPARTMENTS (Department of the Army, Navy, Air Force)

Each Service Department shall request PLOAs through their respective White House Liaison Office (WHLO). The WHLOs are a function of each Service Secretary’s administrative department and are located in the Pentagon. The role of the WHLOs is to serve as the official channel between the Military Services and the White House. Only requests routed through the WHLOs will be reviewed by the White House.

 

Department of the Army - Military and Civilians

For information and form to request a PLOA for a Department of the Army retiree, please email the Army White House Liaison Office (if the email link does not work, copy and paste this address: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-csa.mbx.csa-white-house-liaison-office@mail.mil).

 

 

Department of the Navy - Military Personnel

Do not submit requests for retiring military personnel. Letters for retiring Navy and Marine Service members are automatically requested by Navy Personnel Command (NPC) and Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps (HQMC). Once NPC and HQMC receive a service member's retirement paperwork from the retiree's parent command, their staffs will forward an official request to Navy WHLO.

Department of the Navy - Civilian Personnel

Requests need to be verified by the retiree's command and submitted to Navy WHLO. To obtain the form required to request a PLOA for a Department of the Navy civilian retiree, please email the Navy White House Liaison Office (if the email link does not work, copy and paste this address: ([email protected]).

Note: Navy WHLO will confirm the initial receipt of your request. However, due to the high volume of submissions, the White House is unable to provide further status updates.

 

 

Department of the Air Force (USAF AND USSF) - Military

Active Duty (Enlisted):  The Military Personnel Flight (MPF) or Commander Support Staff (CSS) will NOT submit requests for retiring active duty Chief Master Sergeants (CMSgts). Letters for retiring active duty CMSgts are requested by the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) Retirements and Separations Branch (DPMSSR) through the Presidential Letter of Appreciation Request System (PLARS) PLARS.

Active Duty (Officer):  The MPF or CSS must submit all requests for PLOAs through the PLARS.

USAF Reserves/Air National Guard:  Service members currently serving with 30+ years will automatically be submitted for PLOAs by HQ ARPC/DPTTR.  Retired service members will need to submit an “Ask A Question” or “General Inquiry” ticket through myFSS to HQ ARPC/DPTTR. Once the myFSS ticket is received by HQ ARPC/DPTTR, they will submit the PLOA requests for retired ANG/USAFR service members through the PLARS.

Department of the Air Force (USAF AND USSF) - Civilian

The Civilian Personnel Section (CPS), Employee Management Relations (EMR) Office, or CSS must submit all requests for PLOAs through the Presidential Letter of Appreciation Request System (PLARS) PLARS.  The employee’s Service Computation Date for Leave (SCD Leave Date) is used to determine the employee’s eligibility for a PLOA.

 

MPFs, CPS, or EMR Offices with questions may contact SAF/AARL (If the email link does not work, copy and paste this address: [email protected]).  Retirees or Retiree's representatives should not contact this email address unless you have already contacted your servicing MPF, CPS, CSS, EMR Office, AFPC/DPMSSR or ARPC/DPTTR.  DO NOT send requests to this email address, they will not be processed.