Only one campaign medal for both Afghanistan and Iraq....

[Webster Green]

I just heard this on ABC radio news.

The Bush administration is refusing to issue separate campaign medals for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Service personnel who served in both theaters will only receive one campaign medal. The administration insists it is all part of the same war on terror. Military and veterans groups are pissed.

They never drift off message, do they?

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. will it have a little sword and cross on it?

I hope they've outsourced to china for the manufacture of these, they are going to need a lot of them.

[Webster Green]

2. Yes and a citation signed by crusader bunnypants!

Bastards!

[Terwilliger]

3. well, that's the benefit of claiming that Iraq isn't a separate mission

with this attitude, he can simply attack more nations claiming that all of his actions are part of the larger war on terror

[Lisa]

4. and cheap*ss them on the medals, too!

I suppose he will pocket the money that might have been used to design and manufacture separate medals/ribbons, for his campaign photo-ops!

[OldSoldier]

5. Well, actually it's two medals...

The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

to be presented to those who go to Afghanistan and Iraq

and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

to be presented to all other soldiers

[leftchick]

6. Rumsfeld Denies Playing Politics with War on Terror Medal

I posted this in LBN this morning.....

http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040106231629.4zeuncms.html

<snip>US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Tuesday denied that politics played a role in a controversial decision to not award troops separate campaign medals for service in Iraq or in Afghanistan but instead to have a single decoration for the global war on terrorism.
Rumsfeld said the decision to have a single Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal was "unanimously recommended" after debate and discussion by the chiefs of all the military services.

Asked whether there was a political agenda behind the action, Rumsfeld said, "Not that I can imagine, no. This department is not involved in politics."

General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, backed him up, saying that "we thought that this was the best for our forces."

Some servicemembers are privately seething, however.
"They're pissed," said one servicemember who asked not to be named. "They don't understand it."

"As a servicemember who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, it doesn't make sense. Those were two totally different wars. People should be recognized for the service they give," he said.

:puke: :puke: :puke: