A question for Iraq vets: are medals cheap these days?

[unhappycamper]

I received a bronze star for my 67 ~ 68 tour in Vietnam. I suspect the reason is for not fucking up in a major manner.

ditto for my next tour.

From your experience, are shiny things the order of the day?

[LiberalFighter]

1. Does everyone receive a medal or ribbon for a tour regardless

of what they did?

[Monkeyman]

2. A COMBAT RIBBON

But the medal means something to those who get it.

[unhappycamper]

3. Oh, yea.

You got the Vietnam Service Medal coming out of the box. I think there was a something-something Overseas Service Medal, but I'm slightly impaired and somewhat forgetful at the moment.

[TahitiNut]

12. Well, not quite. First, most of us got the "National Defense Service Medal"

The National Defense Service Medal was awarded for honorable active service for any period between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954; between 1 January 1961 and 14 August 1974; between 2 August 1990 and 30 November 1995 and between 11 September 2001 and a closing date to be determined. Because I was a cadet at the USCGA 1961-63 and an Army draftee 1968-69, I was awarded it twice (authorized to wear a bronze star device on it).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Service_Medal


Almost anyone serving in Viet Nam qualified for the Vietnam Service Medal


The Vietnam Service Medal was awarded to all members of the Armed Forces of the United States serving in Vietnam and contiguous waters or airspace thereover, after 3 July 1965 through 28 March 1973. Members of the Armed Forces of the United States in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia, or the airspace thereover, during the same period and serving in direct support of operations in Vietnam are also eligible for this award. To be eligible for award of the medal, individual must- -

1. Be attached to or regularly serve for one or more days with an organization participating in or directly supporting military operations; or
2. Be attached to or regularly serve for one or more days aboard a naval vessel directly supporting military operations; or
3. Actually participate as a crewmember in one or more aerial flights into airspace above Vietnam and contiguous waters directly supporting military operations; or
4. Serve on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days in Vietnam or contiguous areas, except that the time limit may be waived for personnel participating in actual combat operations.

Depending on when we were in-country and our assignments, we're authorized to wear campaign stars on the VSM.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Service_Medal



Those serving in-country for more than 6 months or move are authorized to wear the Vietnam Campaign Medal


This was a medal awarded by the government of South Vietnam (RVN). The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal is awarded to personnel who meet one of the following requirements:

• Served in the Republic of Vietnam for six months during the period of 1 March 1961 and 28 March 1973.
• Served outside the geographical limits of the Republic of Vietnam and contributed direct combat support to the Republic of Vietnam and Armed Forces for six months. Such individuals must meet the criteria established for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (for Vietnam) or the Vietnam Service Medal, to qualify for the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
• Six months service is not required for individuals who were wounded by hostile forces; killed in action or otherwise in line of duty; or captured by hostile forces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Vietnam_Campaign_Medal

[unhappycamper]

13. I completely forgot about the Vietnam Campaign Medal.

I just checked my DD-214 & there it was.

[james101]

4. It depends on what branch of the military.

In 1999 a lot of air force people got a bronze star for supporting the operations in Kosovo. Many bronze star recipients diden't even go to the combat zone. Many were awarded the bronze star when they were serving in Italy and Germany.

The marines and the army diden't issue any bronze stars for operations in Kosovo. The navy may have. I hear a lot of medals are being given out to officers because it helps in their promotions. It's the same old thing though. A lot of privates who do extraoridinary feats are often given a pat on the back without any awards.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Tell me about it

my husband's captain got a Bronze for Operation IF... the crew... got shit... or the usual shit, NAM for example

[pecwae]

9. During the Grenada Rescue

I knew a female troop who received an award, but was in the Labor & Delivery area of Womack Hospital on Ft. Bragg giving birth at the time of the mission! Another PAO troop received a combat patch, but refused to sew it on until he was directly ordered to do so. He felt it was disrespectful to the VN troops serving with us for him to wear it when all he did was deploy as a photojournalist after the shooting had stopped.

[sarge43]

5. War story circa Nam era

From a conversation with another personnel puke. He run the Awards&Decoration office, Personnel Shop, major AF base, Nam. He told me that the number of award and decoration requests coming in from the field got so bad, flat too many to process, that he would do a midnight dumpster run with o/a two thirds of them and process the rest.

British and German types always point out that Americans are a medal crazy military. Check out a group picture of the top level NATO brass; they're right. The Good Conduct Medal is my favorite -- getting a medal for doing what you're supposed to do or being smart enough not to get caught not doing what you're supposed to do. Then, there's the Basic Training Graduation Medal. :wtf:

So yeah, chest salad is pretty much a joke.

[TheBaldyMan]

7. in UK forces the GCM is for 10 years 'undetected crime'

in my old unit it was a big deal to get a single stripe up, you had to be a total nut to get a medal.

Quite a few campaign medals kicking around, mostly Ulster & NATO/UN some Gulf War ribbons and a couple of Falkland vets!

[benddem]

6. there were more medals

handed out in Gulf War I than in previous wars. I haven't heard any comments about this fiasco but I do know that there have been some guys who should have been considered for MOH and haven't.
My theory has always been that medals really depend on your commander rather than the individual. This in no ways denigrates your medal. I was in a unit once that we were promised legion of merit or meritorious service medals. The commander was replaced and the new guy said "you were just doing your job." No medal there...not even a letter of appreciation.

[BOSSHOG]

10. You are right my friend

If someone up the chain does not take the time or effort to submit recommendations, good work will go virtually unrecognized. Fortunately, in the Navy anyway, medals or the lack thereof, had little effect on promotion opportunities.

[james101]

11. I was talking to a man who has a son in the Army

and his son is a Army dentist. He was bragging that his son gets the

Army Accomodation Medal every time when they do a review. To me it seems

that this cheapens the medal. I diden't recieve an Army Accomdation

Medal or even an Army Achievement Medal and I was in the field kicking

down doors at 3 am doing cordon and search. The award system is pathetic

[Jackeen]

14. In general, yes. For valour, no.

When addressing that question, you really have to distinguish between the two. I came out with a BSM simply because I was of sufficient rank, and didn't shoot anyone I shouldn't have. (Though the Anaconda Gate Guards were very nearly candidates!). E-6 and below in my unit came out with ARCOMs.

However.

Although the BSM for service uses the same medal and ribbon as a BSM for valour, I do not consider them remotely the same award. That little metal 'V' makes all the difference, and my experience has been that valour awards are still extremely hard to get. In my full year, we only recommended a single troop in my platoon for a valour award (An ARCOM w/V for one of my loaders), and that got downgraded by Higher. In my -battalion-, I am aware of only one valour award that was granted, although in fairness, it got upgraded from the requested BSM w/V to an SSM.

I have concluded that the difference between European and American salad bars is that Americans wear their resumes on their chest. You can determine if a soldier went to Iraq as a reservist, or if he went in an Active Duty role before transferring to the reserves. You can tell if the guy was deployed in the WoT, if he spent more than 30 days in Iraq, or if he spend a full tour in Iraq by the award combinations. You can tell whether or not he has completed the training for the rank on his shoulder if an NCO. By the 'Basic Training Graduation Medal', I presume you mean the Army Service Ribbon? There's a logic behind that as well: A lot of people jump between branches of service. If a guy from the Regular Army joins the Marine Corps Reserve after he gets out, he wears the ASR as part of the 'wear your resume on your chest' philosophy: It shows he had served in the Army. Yes, it's a bit pointless on someone who has only ever been in the Army, but that's the reasoning behind it. For all that sort of thing, if you wanted to know the same of a British soldier, you would have to ask him.