(4) Submit an Application for Certification along with a $25 processing fee.

Service/component designation  the applicant will only be certified in the protocol and event management practices, policies, and procedures of the service or component in which he or she has served at least 24 months unless specific experience in either two or more services, or experience at one or more  joint commands or agencies, is documented by (2) above. In such cases, the applicant must choose which designation they prefer.  If two or more designations are desired, a separate application, documentation, and fee must be submitted for each.

Once the certification process has been completed, the applicant will receive the certification document, along with copies of the documentation of work experience, the letter of recommendation, and a program letter of explanation.  For the certification to remain valid, the applicant must keep all documentation together with the certificate.

Documentation of training
JMAR Management & Training shall have sole authority to validate attendance at the required courses as indicated above.  If the applicant's attendance at both courses cannot be verified and the applicant has a certificate of training or completion for one or both courses, he or she may submit copies of them to JMAR Management & Training for evaluation and verification.

Letter of recommendation
To satisfy this requirement, the applicant must submit a letter of recommendation from the supervisor of the position or positions in which the applicant's experience was attained.  The supervisor signing the letter of recommendation must be a military officer in the grade of O2 or above, a civilian employee in the grade of GS9 or above, or an enlisted supervisor in the grade of Command Sergeant Major (Army), Sergeant Major (Marine Corps), Master Chief Petty Officer (Navy and Coast Guard), or Chief Master Sergeant (Air Force). The letter must be notarized or certified. If a supervisor in one of those grades is not available, the letter may be prepared by the next level supervisor, if in those grades.  The letter must include a commercial telephone number so that JMAR Management & Training can contact the supervisor to verify the document and experience.

Documentation of experience
To satisfy this requirement, the applicant must submit a certified or notarized copy of that portion of  his or her personnel file or equivalent document, reflecting at least two years of protocol experience. The applicant's name must appear on the copy. Job performance documentation must reflect a duty position that contains the terms, "protocol," "special events," or "event management."  Position titles can include "chief," "officer," "assistant," coordinator," "NCO," "NCOIC," or "superintendent" or similar titles.

While the preferred documentation is a certified copy of the applicant's official employment or personnel file, in certain situations an employee may be delegated to and work in, a protocol position while officially occupying another unrelated position. In such cases, we will accept a certified letter from the applicant's supervisor attesting to that experience. The letter must include at least the information shown in the 'Sample records documentation' example below. The supervisor documenting the experience must be a military officer in the grade of O2 or above, a civilian employee in the grade of GS9 or above, or an enlisted supervisor in the grade of Command Sergeant Major (Army), Sergeant Major (Marine Corps), Master Chief Petty Officer (Navy and Coast Guard), or Chief Master Sergeant (Air Force). The letter must be notarized or certified. If a supervisor in one of those grades is not available, the letter may be prepared by the next higher supervisor providing he or she meets the above grade requirement.  The letter must include a commercial telephone number as JMAR Management & Training will contact the supervisor to verify the document and experience.  

All three of the above requirements must be met for the certification process to proceed.  There will be no exceptions.  JMAR Management & Training will validate letters of recommendation and, if submitted in lieu of the personnel file, letters documenting experience, through phone calls to the officials who signed the letters.  

Note 1:  the two-years experience requirement is defined as a cumulative period of 24 months or more served in one or more protocol-related positions or assignments within a four calendar-year period and for the same branch of service or component, except that 24 months service served with two or more branches of the services will qualify for the 'multi-service' certification.  If multiple positions are involved (excluding those within the same office or work center), whether with the same agency or several, a letter of recommendation from a supervisor for each of those positions must be submitted.