The DOD Annual Environmental Awards Programme originated in 1983 to inspire units and members of the department to honour their responsibility towards the natural and built-up environment under their control as well as to give recognition to these units and individuals for their contribution to Environmental Services in the military. Currently there are eight categories in the Awards Programme, five of which are awarded trophies and the remaining three awards.

The oldest competition is the Ecological Management category for the natural environment sponsored by the Endangered Wildlife Trust. It is followed by the Base Environmental Management category for the built-up environment, which is sponsored by Caltex Oil. The third category is on Environmental Education and Training, while the next Conservamus category recognises individual or team contributions to Environmental Services.

The fifth category is the prestigious Military Integrated Environmental Management competition, donated and sponsored by the SA National Parks. Only units which have already been national finalists in at least two of the following categories, Ecological Management, Base Environmental Management or Environmental Education & Training and therefore have achieved and sustained the highest standard of professionalism and military integration of Environmental Services in the DOD qualify for entry into this competition.

The Aquator Award for Water Efficiency and the Bonesa Award for Energy Efficiency serve to inspire and develop the conservation of water and energy in the department which has until recently been a fairly uncharted concept in the conservation of natural resources within the DOD. The eighth and last category on Integrated Waste Management is sponsored by the Keep Durban Beautiful Association for the responsible management of all waste products in the DOD.

The entry for these eight categories is in the format of a mandatory Annual Environmental Management Report to be completed by all bases and units within the department. The finalist bases and units are evaluated by various panels of external and internal environmental experts in order to appoint winners and runners-up in each of the categories, which are presented with trophies, awards and certificates by either the Minister, Deputy Minister, Secretary or CSANDF at the prestigious award ceremony annually in June.

Base and unit commanders are encouraged to assure that their Annual Environmental Management Reports are submitted to the RFIM office in their region by no later than 31 January 2004.