DOD Participation in Public Engagements

Updated on July 18, 2024

Request for DOD/Armed Forces Participation in Public Events Form (Non-Aviation)

Use this form to request a National Anthem Singer, STEM Judge, Drill Competition Judge, K-9 Demo, Represent in a Parade, Science Fair Judge, and/or DOD Equipment for participation in Public Events. One form should be filled out for each request being made. In other words, if you are requesting a STEM Judge and a National Anthem Singer at the same event then you will submit two forms. Honor Guard requests can be submitted at a separate link by clicking here. Requests will be evaluated in accordance with the DODI 5410.19 Community Outreach - Policy Overview & Evaluation Procedures - Vol 1 (CAO Sept 2021).

Instructions:

You cannot save information on the form and come back to it later. Allow yourself 15-20 minutes to complete.
Submitting this request constitutes that you have read, understand, and agree to the following.

This form should be submitted not less than 45 days in advance of a scheduled program. Final determination will occur no earlier than 90 days in advance. Please realize that all Armed Forces units have specific military missions and training requirements. Participation in public programs will only be authorized when such support is in the best interests of the DOD and the Military Services and does not interfere with mission or training programs. In all cases, operational commitments must take priority and can cause previously scheduled appearances to be cancelled.
Submitting this request does not guarantee participation.
In order to be considered, I must answer each question on this application. I understand that my request will not be processed until each question is answered. Unanswered questions will result in a delay and are subject to disapproval.
I will spell out each acronym.
DOD Participation is subject to last-minute cancellation due to mission requirements with little-or- no notice. A back-up plan is highly recommended.
I certify I am 18 years old or older.
I am acting on behalf of the requesting organization and certify that the information provided is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that representatives from the military services will contact me to discuss arrangements and costs involved prior to final commitments, or to inform me of their inability to support this event. I also understand that operational commitments must take priority and can preclude a scheduled appearance at an approved public activity.

Tenant Unit Contact Information

Tenant Unit	Branch	Website	Phone
Space Systems Command SSC/AATS - Assured Access to Space SSC/AAA SSC/S3 SSC/LE	U.S. Space Force	www.losangeles.spaceforce.mil Email: sscpa.outreach@spaceforce.mil	310-653-3145
920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base	U.S Air Force/Aircraft	www.920rqw.afrc.af.mil	321-494-0550
333rd Recruiting Squadron at Patrick Space Force Base	U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force Recruiting	www.recruiting.af.mil	321-494-9361
Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick Space Force Base	U.S. Air Force/STEM	www.25af.af.mil/Units/AFTAC/	321-494-7688
Defense Equal Opportunity Military Institute at Patrick Space Force Base	Equal Opportunity School House	www.DEOMI.mil	321-494-6208
Naval Ordnance Test Unit at Port Canaveral - Includes Color Guard Requests	U.S. Navy	NOTUPA@ssp.navy.mil	321-853-1200
Coast Guard at Port Canaveral	U.S. Coast Guard	www.uscg.mil/	321-868-4200

Is your request being submitted 45 days before the event? The only exception is Honor Guard.

Specific Request

If other, describe:

Is this request for Honor Guard? (Secondary Request Only)

Your organization's name

Title of Event

Provide detailed background and description about the purpose of your organization. For example, include your mission statement, vision, values, and what and who your organization supports. You may use your ‘About Us’ in your description. Be specific:

Describe the event. Be specific.

Date Begins

Date Ends

Date you are requesting our participation

Time our rep is expected to arrive

Time Event Begins

Time Event Ends

Time our rep is expected to depart

Venue Name/Bldg. Number to identify location

Event Address

Street

City

Region

Country

Zip

Will there be a designated parking spot for our rep?

Contact's name, title/rank

Contact's email

Contact's mailing address

Street

City

Region

Country

Zip

Your organization's website

Contact's phone

Contact's office/other number

Name of secondary POC

Secondary POC's phone

Secondary POC's email

Is our DOD rep being asked to sign any type of wavier to participate?

Link to invite/registration (if applicable)

Is the requesting organization a U.S. Federal agency or official entity of a State or local government?

Is the Federal, State, or local government event within the National Capital Region (NCR)?

Is this an official Federal, State, or local government event?

Is this event sponsored in whole or predominately by an element of Federal/State/local government?

Is the event paid in whole or in part with U.S. Government funds?

Are official(s) of the Federal/State/local government involved in the event as part of their official duties?

Is this event at no additional cost to the DOD?

Is the event open to the public (e.g., concert sponsored by the National Park Service)?

Does your organization membership restrict, in limited circumstances, when the event is of community-wide interest and benefit, rather than for the primary benefit of the organization?

Is your group Civic, Patriotic, or a Historical Organizations?

Is your organization interests primarily service to the community, including associations representing a cross section of an industry or interest?

Is your org a public, private, or parochial school or college that is primarily educational or patriotic in nature or that benefits recruiting?

Is your group a commercial, private, or sectarian organization that is primarily intended to serve the community and not the sponsoring organization?

1. An organization that specifically exclude any person from its membership for reasons based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation?

2. A commercial enterprise or organization? (Community outreach support to events sponsored by organizations with a narrow membership base or interest, such as commercial enterprises, religious or sectarian organizations, or ideological organizations, may occasionally be considered to be in the common public interest when it is clear the support primarily benefits the community at large, rather than the sponsoring organization.)

2a. Is event of general benefit to the community and not a commercial or promotional activity intended primarily to benefit the sponsor?

3. An organization that advocates adherence to or support of a religious, ideological, sociopolitical, or partisan viewpoint?

3a. Is this event sponsored by a religious organization that are open to the public, including events held at religious facilities, when the event is not part of a religious service, fraternal gathering, or other circumstance where religious viewpoints are expressed.

4. An organization whose constitution, bylaws, membership qualifications, or ritual are not public (e.g., secret societies)?

1. A Congressionally recognized veteran service organization?

2. Civic, Patriotic, or historical organizations?

3. An organization whose interests are primarily service to the community, including associations representing a cross section of an industry or interest?

4. A public, private, or parochial school or college that is primarily educational or patriotic in nature or that benefits recruiting?

5. A commercial, private, or sectarian organization that is primarily intended to serve the community and not the sponsoring organization?

Will support be at no additional cost to the government?

1. A commercial activity or a commercially oriented program (e.g., a motion picture premiere, fashion show, beauty pageant or similar event), or a program where support primarily will serve to increase sales or business traffic.

2. An event that benefits a particular business or company?

3. A testimonial to an individual, group, or private organization?

4. An event at which public confrontation or controversy is planned or is reasonably likely to occur?

5. An event that involves the solicitation or the appearance of solicitation of votes in a political campaign for an individual candidate or issue?

6. An event for a narrow segment of the populace (e.g., a family reunion or wedding)?

7. A religious service. (Note: State, official or special military funerals are excluded. Proceed to the next question.

8. An event that would be detrimental to the interests or values of any DOD Component?

9. An event at which admission, seating, or other accommodations are restricted on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation?

10. An event with a theme or purpose intended to promote ideological movements, sociopolitical change, religious beliefs (including non-belief), and specific interpretations of morality or legislative or statutory change?

11. An event whose sponsor’s intent is to use the military to further a politically charged, contentious, or unresolved policy matter?

12. An annual or one-time event that has no apparent military or patriotic connection or benefit from military participation and the anticipated decorum of participants or nature of exhibits could detract from the professional appearance of military participants?

1. Has a primarily patriotic or military-related theme?

2. Is a commemoration of a nationally significant or historical event?

3. Is in support of an officially recognized national holiday or patriotic observance, as defined in Volume 3 of the DODI referenced above?

4. Is in support of the 11 published DOD Diversity and Defense EO observances include: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday; African American/Black History Month; Women’s History Month; Transgender Day of Visibility; Holocaust Remembrance Day/Days of Remembrance; Asian Pacific American Heritage Month; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Pride Month; Women’s Equality Day; Hispanic Heritage Month; National Disability Employment Awareness Month and National American Indian Heritage Month?

5. Is event endorsed by the local government as a city, town, or county-wide celebration of civic pride?

Is the event or occasion of general interest or benefit to a local, State, regional, national, or broadly representative community?

Is this event open to the public?

Are the invited guests broadly representational of the community?

1. Ticket/attendance fee proceeds are reasonable and intended primarily to cover the cost of producing the event?

2. Admission fees do not appear intended to generate excess revenue?

3. Excess revenues, if generated, are donated to a general charity fund where numerous broad-based charitable organizations have an equal opportunity to benefit from the proceeds. (Note: Any money raised from commercial or similar paid sponsors independent of the ticket/admission fee to see a military performance is not considered as excess revenue for the purpose of this instruction or for determining whether an event is eligible for military support.)

Is this a fundraiser?

1. Does the event adhere to Subpart 2635.808 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, and other applicable laws?

a. Military presence at the event must be in the best interest of the DoD.

b. Access to all military support (e.g., Military Service exhibits) must be free and open to the public. Exception might apply for events that charge admission (See c and d below.)

c. Total U.S. military support must be incidental to the event. In other words, the event could proceed without military participation.

d. Specifically for international military tattoos only: Total U.S. military unit(s) participation must be no more than 20 percent of the total talent and may not perform more than 25 percent of the total show duration.

e. DoD may not perform an active or visible role in fundraising event, including the opening ceremony. (For ex: a color guard, a patriotic opening, along with a general officer speaking in an official capacity, is not considered active and visible participation. However, the combined participation of an official general officer speaker, color guard, and a military flyover or parachute demonstration team would likely be considered active and visible.)

All of the combined support at a fundraising event is prohibited. See Subpart 2635.808 of Title 5, CFR and consult with legal counsel for further guidance regarding active and visible participation.

f. Military flyovers and parachute demonstration teams are considered visible participation and therefore are prohibited at nonprofit NFE fundraising events. This includes fundraising events sponsored by military aid societies. Air shows that distribute funds to a diverse selection of the community or that use funds to cover operational expenses are exempt from this prohibition.

g. Admission charge must be used principally to cover the operational costs of the event.

h. Proceeds in excess of the event’s operational expenses must be donated to one or several charitable organizations that further distribute monies to other nonprofit organizations. This policy reflects the practical limitations on the ability of the DoD to extend support equally to every local, regional, and international charity and is not a direct or indirect expression of the relative merits of any charitable organization.

i. Military support must be at no additional cost to the government.

j. Military support may not be used in the sponsor’s promotional material for an event with the intent of providing a significant draw for the audience.

k. Preference should be given to events that provide a free day for students to observe military performances. This criterion may assist Military Department recruiting.

Is the event taking place at a site or venue where admission, seating, or access is restricted based on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation?

1. A military installation?

2. Municipal, State, or Federal property?

3. A private or commercial property when the program is of community-wide interest or is patriotic in nature and does not benefit or contribute to the profits of the property owner?

4. A religious facility or building when the program is of community-wide interest, non-sectarian, and broadly promoted, or involves a program at a parochial school or college?

How many years has this event been held?

Explain desired effects of DOD participation in this event

Will other members of the DOD be present or invited?

If your event is outdoors, what is your plan if there is rain or inclement weather?

Will a meal be provided for our DOD representative?

What is the (value) dollar amount of the meal even if it is provided at no charge to our representative?

If yes, will the cost of the meal be waived for our volunteers?

What is the meal or meal options?

How will guests/audience be dressed?

Select the appropriate attire for our Uniformed Military representative:

Select the appropriate attire for our DOD Civilian:

What date do you need a reply by? Allow a minimum of 45 days to process your request. For Honor Guard Requests, allow 30 days to process.

Is there any other information regarding this event that you want us to know about?

Proposed date and time that works best to have a "Tag Up" Meeting to discuss details with our representative(s).

SLD 45/PA Recommendation

SLD 45/JA Recommendation

SLD 45/CC Recommendation

POC Coordinate

Acknowledgment/Soft RSVP

Name of Volunteer

Add to SLD 45/PA Shared Calendar

Add to Microsoft List

Add to SSC Tracker

Escort

Sent Official RSVP

PA Review Speech

Follow-Up Feedback

DOD participation in public engagements

DOD/Armed Forces Participation in Public Engagements

Request for DOD/Armed Forces Participation in Public Events Form (Non-Aviation)

DOD/Armed Forces Participation in Public Engagement

Part I: Sponsor Criteria

Part I, Section 2: Non-Federal/State/Local Agency Government Requests

Does the requesting/sponsoring organization fit into any of the categories below? Select Yes or No.

Part I, Section 2: (Continued)

Does the requesting/sponsoring organization fit into any of the categories below? Select Yes or No.

Part II: Activity Criteria

Part II: (Continued)

Does the event fit into any of the categories below? Select Yes or No.

Part II: (Continued) Is event a parade, fair, festival, or similar public celebration?

If YES, Does it fit any of the categories below? (Cat 2-5 must also have a distinct patriotic or military-related component.) If NO, STOP Here. Event is NOT eligible for support.

Part II: (Continued)

Are ALL of these statements True? Only if cost applies.

Part II: (Continued)

Fundraising

Part II: (Continued) Fundraisers may be eligible for support only if all criteria below are met. Select Yes or No.

DoD participation in fundraising events sponsored by businesses or business related organizations, including nonprofit NFEs and sports organizations, is not necessarily prohibited.

Part III: Site Criteria

Is the event taking place at a site or venue that fits one of these categories?

DOD Representative

Event Data

Attendance

Refreshments | Cuisine | Delectables

Dress Code

Additional

Tag Up Call / Meeting

For Internal Use Only