As a follow up to yesterday's post about excessive fruit salad on military leadership, it seems that this is a persistent problem with the Air Force in particular. Here's the relevant bit from Wikipedia (yeah, I know - Wikipedia; but it is all sourced):
In 2012, two U.S. airmen were allegedly subjected to cyber-bullying after receiving Bronze Star Medals for meritorious non-combat service. The two airmen, who had received the medals in March 2012, had been finance NCOICs in medical units deployed to the War in Afghanistan. The awards sparked a debate as to whether or not the Air Force was awarding too many medals to its members, and whether the Bronze Star should be awarded for non-combat service.[20] This prompted the Air Force to take down stories of the two posted to the internet, and to clarify its criteria for awarding medals. The Air Force contended that meritorious service awards of the Bronze Star outnumber valor awards, and that it views awards on a case-by-case basis to maintain the integrity of the award.[21]
This is not the first time that the USAF has been criticized for offering this award. The Department of Defense investigated the award of the Bronze Star Medal (BSM) by the USAF to some 246 individuals after operations in Kosovo in 1999. All but 60 were awarded to officers, and only 16 of those awarded were actually in the combat zone. At least five were awarded to officers who never left Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. During this campaign, the Navy had awarded 69 BSMs, and the Army with 5,000 troops in neighboring Albania (considered part of the combat zone) awarded none.[22][23] In the end, there was a Pentagon review and decision by Congress in 2001 to stop the awarding of Bronze Stars to personnel outside the combat zone.[24]
So Gen. Wolters came by his Bronze Stars honestly, at least by Air Force standards at the time. Your standards might be different, as are mine.
It used to irk me but then I read the old Blue Jacket's Manual and it clarified something for me about the BSM. It is an award that can be given to non-combatants during a war in lieu of a Meritorious Service Medal. OK, so, without the V it is simply another inflated medal they give each other in the USAF for the most part. The Army does it too. The Navy never did during my time in. The one LCDR I knew with a BSM got his during Desert Storm serving in McDill on the CENTCOM staff. Never left the state of Florida. He was a little embarrassed by it.
ReplyDeleteTwo words... "Ranger Tab"
ReplyDeleteIt appears on a lot of Army top brass uniforms without these clowns actually serving as a Ranger. When I was in, we really looked up to the REAL Rangers.
Similar to elementary school where everybody gets a ribbon and a medal for showing up.
ReplyDeleteNoted.
ReplyDeleteHe's an honest cheesdick cantcunt.
No one ever said he lied about his awards. Just that he doesn't deserve any. He's literally never done anything noteworthy nor valorous.
In a just military, he'd have a toilet paper roll on his left chest, so he had something with which to wipe his hindquarters besides using his subordinates' faces.
I was in for 16 years, and most of my ribbons were "I stuck around long enough and somebody told me I was supposed to wear this." I can think of three Army medals awarded only for valor -- Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star -- and four that may be awarded with V for valor -- Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Army Commendation Medal and Air Medal. I have read that every soldier awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge was is authorized the Bronze Star Medal.
ReplyDeleteFull career, last 10 as E-9, much of last as advisor to wing commanders and as a commandant. I'd redline any bronze star recommended to my boss for those actions and circumstances. MSM, perhaps, maybe, appropriate, but bronze star? No way in hell.
ReplyDeleteYep. In the Army E7s and O1s and above were given the bronze star for just doing their jobs in running a platoon. IE not fucking up. Everyone gets awards for a specfic length of time or not fucking up. I had a few that were for something like that, where a generation or two ago you generally get the awards for above and beyond. (Depending on what they were. Everyone gets the gay pride ribbon and the defense ribbon for just not totally fucking up during basic, etc.) This is why now you see what you showed yesterday. Or E4s that have more awards than Eisenhower did in WW2.
ReplyDeleteI was one of the troops in Albania (day 4) and Kosovo (day 2). I got a coin, a wart, and a NATO medal with star. What a stupid war. We got involved to keep it from spiraling into a regional conflict (and so BJ Clinton could show what a strong President he was). Albania was preparing to invade Serbia to defend their Kosovar cousins. Greece was preparing to attack Albania to defend their Orthodox brethren. And Turkey was threatening to attack Greece because two thirds of Albanians were Muslim. (And because Turkey/Greece, of course.)
ReplyDeleteIn the end, Russia won, and used Kosovo as an excuse to invade Georgia. But I got to play with a Russian BRDM at the Pristina airfield. (It sucked to be the only Serbian/Russian linguist. Especially when you've been speaking Serbian so much that you can't speak coherent Russian any more. And your little team of three is sent cross country alone, to go ask the Russians to leave before Secretary Albright's plane lands.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incident_at_Pristina_airport
Totally off topic and unrelated… but I see the services are having massive problems with recruitment this year. I wonder how this could be given all these rock star officers…?
ReplyDeletePart of preparing for the NCO Academy was making sure your ribbons on your class A uniform were correct. Personnel gave me a list things I didn’t recognize including a presidential unit citation with a V device (for valor). I used to joke that the only valorous thing I ever did was lead a fighting withdrawal out of a bar brawl in Angeles city PI.
ReplyDelete