I hate it how rewards are distributed in the military

Discussion in 'Security & Defenses' started by ALFORCE, Sep 17, 2017.

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  1. ALFORCE

    ALFORCE Member

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    I think rewards should be given only based on your performance, and not your mere participation on some activity.

    Because than such rewards tell a fake story and/or also lose their value because any one could have them if they were in your situation.
    [​IMG]
    Do you agree?
     
  2. Lil Mike

    Lil Mike Well-Known Member

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    So no campaign ribbons, or occupation medals? What exactly are you saying?
     
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  3. ALFORCE

    ALFORCE Member

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    The soldier could keep a record of what he did or where he was.
    But if he has a medal like everyone else, what value does it really have?
     
  4. Robert

    Robert Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Audie Murphy was remarkable. Starting as an Enlisted man, he earned his commission by excellence at his job. Medals were awarded to a remarkable human and I do not begrudge him his medals and promotion. I served in the same Division he served in. I got some rapid promotions but not due to combat.
     
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  5. ALFORCE

    ALFORCE Member

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    Well, then, you know that your medals arent worth much..

    ..and your daughter in the photo has hot legs.
     
  6. Robert

    Robert Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    She surfs in the Pacific Ocean and is very very athletic. She led her high school up Half Dome in Yosemite and beat all the boys and girls to the top. She has a cool boy too.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2017
  7. Robert

    Robert Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Audie Murphy was extremely famous and died in an airplane crash. Alive he was close to worshiped by Americans. But he served in the WW2.
     
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  8. yiostheoy

    yiostheoy Well-Known Member

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    They love campaign medals however. Always have. Always will.
     
  9. APACHERAT

    APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    During WW ll the average combat veteran was discharged usually with only three ribbons on his chest.

    There was only one campaign ribbon for the 21 European, North African and Middle Eastern combat campaigns that were fought and one campaign ribbon for the 48 combat campaign operations that took place in the Pacific theater of war..

    European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
    Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal

    There was also an American Campaign Medal for those who served outside the CONUS but not in a war zone.

    Then there was the WW ll Victory Medal.

    Any other medals or ribbons would have been Unit Citations like the PUC or actual awards for heroism or going beyond what was expected of you like the Silver Star, CMO, etc.

    Then there was the Purple Heart for getting wounded or killed in combat or cutting yourself while shaving.

    I only did one 13 month combat tour of duty "in-country."
    Landed at the DaNang Air base with only the National Fire Watch Ribbon (National Defense Ribbon) on my chest. Everyone who served got that ribbon. Criteria, standing fire watch for at least once during basic training. ;-)

    After my 13 month of tour of duty in the Nam I came home with eight ribbons on my chest two being foreign awards awarded by the South Vietnam government which everyone got for just being in-country.

    If awards and medals were awarded like they were during WW ll, I would have been discharged from the Corps with only three ribbons on my chest

    Most of the medals awarded today didn't even exist during WW ll.

    Most ribbons you see on someones chest today are nothing more than "been there, done that" ribbons.

    The Air Force today actually has a medal for completing Air Force basic training. :roflol:


     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2017
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  10. ALFORCE

    ALFORCE Member

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    Ahaahhaha... Thats exactly what I knew and my argument was.
     
  11. ArmySoldier

    ArmySoldier Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Soldier only refers to the Army, FYI. We have other branches of service such as the Air Force (airmen), Marines (marine), Navy (sailors or whatever they go by these days), and if you're skinny and not fit for real service, you can slip into the Coast Guard (lol just messing with you Coast Guardsmen)
     
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  12. APACHERAT

    APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Army soldier, you are aware that when referring to U.S. Marines, the word Marine is always capitalized.

    Don't know why but it's always been that way.

     
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  13. ArmySoldier

    ArmySoldier Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I'll keep spelling it lower case to piss em off
     
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  14. JakeJ

    JakeJ Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    What is fake about his history earning those medals? I was repeatedly in combat, kicked many enemy and was wounded many times.
     
  15. APACHERAT

    APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Nothing fake.

    The photo is in black and white but I can identify each one of those medals on Audi Murphy's chest.

    I know the CIB is for actually being in combat and being in a fire fight. The one at the left bottom is for being being wounded in action. The right bottom medal is a foreign award for what ? I have no freaking idea but it's French. All of the other medals are for heroism on the battlefield or going beyond the call of duty or what was expected of you in combat.

    Murphy rightfully earned them all.


    I remember during the Vietnam War when an officer was awarded the Bronze Star we called it the Officers Good Conduct Medal It seems every officer was given one after being in country for a few months. Enlisted men had to earn it.

    The OP used the wrong photo. I think he's referring to all of those been there and done that awards and they have a whole crap load of them today compared when you and I served.

    [​IMG] :roflol:
    Air Force Training Ribbon

    Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG] :roflol:
    Top: Air Force ribbon
    Middle: Coast Guard ribbon
    Bottom: Navy ribbon


    This is a good one.
    [​IMG] Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal

    so is this one.
    [​IMG] Humanitarian Service Medal

    You get a ribbon for being a recruiter.
    Recruiting service and Training service ribbons

    [​IMG] Navy Recruiting Service Ribbon

    [​IMG] Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon

    [​IMG] Coast Guard Recruiting Service Ribbon

    [​IMG] Navy Recruit Training Service Ribbon

    Holly Bull Halsey, they give you a ribbon for serving on a 200 year old wooden ship, the USS Constitution !
    [​IMG] Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon


    OK, I see where they are coming from. If I joined the Army and found myself serving on a U.S. Navy ship, I would expect a medal.
    [​IMG]U.S. Army Sea Duty Ribbon
     
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  16. yiostheoy

    yiostheoy Well-Known Member

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    Yup the Navy keeps changing theirs.
     
  17. yiostheoy

    yiostheoy Well-Known Member

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    To keep the peace I always capitalize Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Guardsman, and Zoomie.

    :D
     
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  18. APACHERAT

    APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    That's an honorable thing to do.

    Maybe Commander in Chief Trump will issue an executive order that any time when referring to a U.S. Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Guardsman or Airman it has to be treated as a proper noun and capitalized.

    Or an act of Congress can do it.
     
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  19. Mushroom

    Mushroom Well-Known Member

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    First of all, it is an AWARD, not a REWARD.

    And they generally come in 2 varieties. First is the Unit Award. That is given to each member in the unit based upon the performance of the team as a whole. The Presidential Unit Citation and other similar awards are of this type. To get these the entire unit must perform exceptionally.

    Then there are the individual awards. And these are broken down once again into the routine ones, and the ones for merit and valor.

    When I finished my first enlistment in the Marines, I had a single award. My Good Conduct Medal, for 3 years of honorable service. at the end of 7 years I had 2 Good Conduct Medals, and also 2 Sea Service Deployment ribbons showing I had been deployed overseas 2 times.

    The next year I got my first National Defense Service Medal. That one is largely a joke, I was recuperating from injuries during the Gulf War, but everybody in the military got one. So after 10 years I had 2 medals and 1 ribbon.

    Now fast forward 14 years. I join the Army, and my rack literally explodes. Just for being in the Army I get the Army Service Ribbon (everybody gets one), a star for my NDSM, and the newly created Global War on Terror Service Medal (another that everybody in got).

    But in my time in, I have expanded it quite a bit beyond that. My GWOT Expeditionary Medal and Army Deployment ribbon for my 20009-2010 deployment. Good Conduct medals for both Active and Reserve components, the leadership one for finishing the version of NCO school, and at least 2 others I am forgetting at the moment.

    Oh, and the Army Achievement Medal with now 5 separate awards for distinguished service or duty. The last was just a few months ago for support I gave to a Brigade wide exercise.

    But when we look at each other's "rack", we generally look at the top first, to see their highest awards. Then at others, because that can tell a lot about their background.

    Prime example, at our annual Formal Ball a few months ago, I was kind of shocked when I examined the Brigade Executive Officer's rack that he had the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, second award. I never knew he did at least 6 years in the Marine Corps as enlisted. Those little ribbons really do tell a lot about the individual wearing them, if you know how to read them.

    In fact, that was the first time I had seen anybody in my unit in their dress uniforms. And there were no less than 3 in the rank of Major and above that had been Marine Enlisted. One other I guessed had been a Navy Corpsman, and was right. He deployed as a Devil Doc with the 3rd Marines prior to getting his RN and joining the Army Nursing Corps as an officer.

    Then there were the others. 6 years in the Reserves, only the original 2 or 3 awards they left boot camp with.

    Myself, I wish we would go back to reporting in wearing a more formal uniform. It really is almost like a mini record book when meeting others for the first time.
     
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  20. Mushroom

    Mushroom Well-Known Member

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    This one is actually normally pretty hard to get. In order to qualify you must volunteer for service with various non-profit type organizations. Most units require a certain amount of time, one was 40 hours a month for 3 months, another was 100 hours in 3 months. But the time must be documented, and outside of your duty hours.

    I knew guys who were busting their butt trying to rack up the hours for these because they do add promotion points. And only 1 or 2 lasted the entire 3 months to qualify. They simply got burned out of working all week in the unit, then pretty much spending 3 or 4 nights a week helping at an organization like a homeless shelter, or doing another 1 or 2 days a week on their days off.

    When I was on unemployment a few years ago I started volunteering at the museum at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. And I was getting close to the required hours but then got a job and had to quit my volunteer work (we could only do the work there on 2 fixed days a week).
     
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  21. APACHERAT

    APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The way I look at it, the only one that really matters is this one...
    [​IMG]

    and this one helps.
    [​IMG]
     
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  22. ALFORCE

    ALFORCE Member

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    First of all, you require a medal for writing this post.

    [​IMG]


    Second, do you feel good that you got medals/awards? or do you think that the hard things that are not necessary accounted for are important.


    I served in the Israeli army for a bit. I have never heard of anything like that. I think I saw very few soldiers with awards on them. I met and saw many combatants (paratroopers, engineers, paramedics and even special forces).
     
  23. APACHERAT

    APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    They don't any more ?

    Ribbons on your chest are your service record book, (SRB), been there, done that.
     
  24. Mushroom

    Mushroom Well-Known Member

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    Not even an SRB anymore. It is all computerized. And nope, no more reporting in formal uniform either.

    I did it when I arrived at Fort Bliss, and they asked me what in the hell I was in Class A for. Thankfully the 1st Sergeant understood I was "old school", and he told me they had not done that in years.

    The only time I did not wear Class A to report in was my first duty station. But that is because they literally picked me up in a van when I graduated Infantry School (was in cammies), and drove me right to my first duty station 2 hours away.
     
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  25. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    This discussion reminds me that when I came out of the Army (74-77) I left with one ribbon for good conduct for 3 years. Ha! You get a bunch of young men away from home for 3 years, I guarantee you they're going to do a bunch of dumb chit, and they're either going to get lucky or they're going to be smart enough to get away with it somehow. I don't think I was that smart at that age, so I think I just got lucky.

    Anyways ... not even a National Defense Ribbon because we weren't at war during those years.



    My son went in the Marines from 2005-2009 and came out with 11 ribbons and medals.

    Some of those 11 were for little more than enlisting and going through boot camp and advanced training, like the National Defense Ribbon and Global War on Terror ribbon.

    But I'm not carping about that. These young people who enlist during a time of war deserve some recognition for doing that.

    He got two for deploying to Iraq - The Iraq Campaign Medal and the Sea Service Deployment ribbon.

    He got a "triple" for going to Afghanistan - the Afghanistan Campaign, the NATO Medal, and a campaign star for the Sea Service Deployment ribbon.

    2 more were Unit Commendations.

    One was for Good Conduct.

    He got 2 the hard way though. The Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon.

    I suppose if you took away the "gimmes" and doubles, he'd still have 6 - Purple Heart, Combat Action, Iraq, Afghanistan, and 2 Unit Commendations

    I don't know, guys ... It doesn't bother me that our service members get recognized in multiple ways for things other than fighting in wars. And remember, those service members may not think they did much to deserve a National Defense ribbon or a Global War on Terror ribbon, but it's not just all about them and what they think.

    A grateful nation has a say too.

    God bless our troops. :salute: :flagus:

    Seth
     

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