Do I need a 638 to have a award on my ERB?

Yes, you need to have the DA 638 in Iperms before it can be updated on your ERB.

Yes, you must provide documentation of approved and awardance the award!

Now with the SRB you will need the 638 to be ipermed. That’s if they are from 2017 or newer. If you are needing to update your board file you will need to have your certificate uploaded. That’s the only document that they will see. So I suggest you upload both documents

Yes, the DA 638 is a request for a federal award that, once approved and signed with an award order number, becomes a legal order showing that you are authorized to receive the award. It becomes part of your permanent record and is the document that is proof of an award. The certificate is great and all, but without the signed 638 it's a nice piece of paper.

I would look into AR 600-8-22 or try and find a smartbook on milsuite for it that specifies what is considered the 'official document'.

Hope that helps.

Yes