The Auxiliary Commandant Letter of Commendation, also referred to as the Auxiliary Letter of Commendation (ALOC), ranks directly below the Auxiliary Achievement Medal and precedes the Sustained Auxiliary Service Award in the order of precedence of Personal Decorations issued by the Auxiliary. While it is the equivalent of the Coast Guard’s Commandant Letter of Commendation (CLOC) and the citations for the award are prepared using the same format, criteria, and style, there are some differences in eligibility between the two decorations.
Any member of the Armed Forces of the United States and even foreign military personnel are eligible for the CLOC provided they are serving in some capacity with the United States Coast Guard. The ALOC, on the other hand, is issued only to Auxiliarists who are serving with either the Coast Guard or the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
But the primary intention of both awards is the same: To recognize an action or service that results in an unusual or outstanding achievement. For both awards, the act or achievement should be of a lesser nature than that required for the Achievement Medal, but the Auxiliary broadens the eligibility standards somewhat by issuing the award in recognition of an Auxiliarist’s service during a special project or event.
Despite the title, the ALOC can be awarded by any Coast Guard Officer (O-4 and up) who is commanding a Coast Guard unit or who is serving as a Coast Guard Division Chief (District Area, Force Command, or Headquarters office) or as a Director in the Auxiliary.