When you retire, are you supposed to get a certificate?

You’re probably right Sir, they didn’t care not even a ceremony

SFC Michael Hasbun

I dove into my crate of “military goodies” and dug up my retirement pack. In addition to letters from the Commandant and Sgt Maj of the Marine Corps all retiring Marines get a Certificate of Appreciation from the President. Which needs to be corrected from my earlier statement as it isn’t a formal letter from the White House. But it’s still something from POTUS which is better than nothing.

SSgt Christophe Murphy yup, that's a completely different document , but certainly, yes, better than nothing.

SPC Luis Serrano - I looked at my retirement packet and it seems there is a difference from what SFC Hasburn is referring to and what a lot of other retirees have received/experienced. From my experience and what other retirees are confirming we received a Certificate of Appreciation from POTUS upon our retirements. What SFC Hasburn is referring to is a personalized letter from POTUS which has a different process and different eligibility criteria. To answer your question I am not sure how to address it. Considering it is an award you would need to either address it directly with your previous command or possibly reach out to any colleagues you served with who are still in. I had to do something similar when I was tracking down an award from a previous Command after already PCSing to a new Unit.

I have personally handed the presidential certificates out at retirements below 30 years of service.