Bronze Stars for Everyone!!!

[Vulture6]

DoD officials reject strict timelines, criteria for awards
Medals process unfair to troops, veterans tell lawmakers

December 18, 2006
By Rick Maze
Staff writer

Pentagon officials want service members to perceive a timely and fair process for honoring heroic acts, but they don’t want overly defined eligibility rules or hard-and-fast timetables for issuing medals for valor.

“Valor and heroism are subjective concepts. … It will always be a tough judgment call,” said Michael Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, as he and other military officials testified before a House subcommittee.

The Dec. 6 hearing of the House Armed Services military personnel panel was held to focus on complaints that the services have become increasingly stingy in handing out awards for valor in comparison with past wars and, when they do issue them, they take too long to get it done.

Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., the subcommittee chairman, highlighted differences among the services that he said need study. A key example is shown in statistics for Bronze Stars for meritorious service awarded in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, McHugh said. The Army has handed out more the 52,000, the Air Force 3,849 and the Navy 1,080. The Marine Corps has issued 1,466, despite having deployed far more people for dangerous ground combat than the Navy or Air Force.

The Defense Department has launched a review of the military awards process that will look at ways to make it move more quickly and apply similar criteria to all services. That review, ordered by Congress, is expected to wrap up in June.

“The department recognizes its duty to sustain a credible awards program that is consistent with military tradition and supportive of a strong military ethos,” Dominguez said.

But he discouraged direct comparisons of numbers of valor awards from one conflict to another, saying the changing nature of warfare, weaponry and tactics makes comparisons meaningless.

“The events themselves must be reviewed by military leaders, one by one,” he said.

Statistics compiled by the subcommittee show the percentage of posthumous awards of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor, has changed over time. In World War I, 27 percent of Medals of Honor were posthumous. That climbed to 57 percent for World War II and 71 percent for the Korean War and dropped to 38 percent for the Vietnam War.

The two Medals of Honor for action in Somalia and the two for valor in Iraq — one to a soldier and one to a Marine — also were posthumous awards. Two more Medals of Honor under consideration also would be posthumous awards, adding to the belief that a service member must die to receive the nation’s top honor.

Two decorated Marines, Vietnam veteran Joseph Kinney and Korean War veteran Gerald “Jerry” Jonas, led off the hearing with an indictment of a process that they said is unfair to troops.

Kinney, a North Carolina businessman who is writing a book about modern-day heroes, said he thinks troop morale and public support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would be higher if the military gave more awards for valor and did it faster.

“In trying to protect the integrity of the Medal of Honor, we end up diminishing it,” Kinney said. “We are losing our capacity to recognize true valor.”

Awards for valor should be issued within 30 days if a service member is alive, and within seven days of death for those who have been killed so the family will know at burial of the government’s recognition, he said.

Jonas, a newspaper columnist from Bucks County, Pa., who has studied differences in awards for valor for troops who jumped on grenades to save their comrades, also said the system is unfair.

“All too often, the award boards subjectively interpret how an individual’s actions match up to the rigid criteria for awarding the Medal of Honor,” he said. “One board’s interpretation … can vary considerably from another’s.”


Service Award Totals as of 30 November 2006
Army
Medal of Honor – 1
Distinguished Service Cross - 4
Silver Star - 249
Bronze Star “V” – 1,700
Bronze Star – 52,000+

Marine Corps
Medal of Honor - 1
Navy Cross - 14
Silver Star - 69
Bronze Star “V” - 691
Bronze Star - 1466

Navy
Medal of Honor - 0
Navy Cross - 6
Silver Star - 30
Bronze Star “V” - 701
Bronze Star - 1080

Air Force
Medal of Honor - 0
Air Force Cross - 2
Silver Star - 34
Bronze Star “V” - 285
Bronze Star - 3849

[SpongeJuan]

So this was never a problem in the Corps in past wars? The awards were given out faster but were not given out like candy?

[cincymarsdad]

I don't mean to sound the way this is going to sound, but I noted at Arlington that every recent soldier there with a PH also had a Bronze Star.

[Vulture6]

It used to be that the Bronze Star was an award that meant valor in combat - and for many it still does (thus the "V" device). But for many, it is nothing more than a glorified achievement or commendation medal, which in my mind, devalues it.

No doubt that many who have received the medal deserve it, as I am sure that most/all of them that have been awarded posthumously.

But over 60,000 have been awarded so far....

[Vulture6]

From DoD 1348.33-M
Manual of Military Decorations and Awards
Dtd September 1996 with change 1 dated September 1, 2006

AP1.1.2.20. Bronze Star

AP1.1.2.20.1. Authorized by Executive Order 9419, "Bronze Star Medal," February 4, 1944, superseded by Executive Order 11046 (reference (sss)).

AP1.1.2.20.2. Awarded to any person who, after December 6, 1941, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States, distinguishes himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, under any of the following circumstances:

AP1.1.2.20.2.1. While engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.

AP1.1.2.20.2.2. While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.

AP1.1.2.20.2.3. While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

AP1.1.2.20.3. When the Bronze Star is awarded for heroism, a bronze letter "V" (for valor) is worn on the suspension and service ribbon of that medal.

[Grimmy]

In some units it's a "I want my troops to feel important too" medal.

[Covertness]

My brother has been nominated for one of these. Not with a "V" or for any specific action just for doing an outstanding job compared to his peers. If/when it becomes official I'll share the write up with ya'll. I love my brother but when I read it my first thought was, "Yeah so?" Like they are giving him some bling for doing his job. Probably has more to do with his decision to retire once his required term of service is up combined with the fact that he's a great officer.

[RR691983]

This is something I used to bitch about until I was blue in the face. I finally gave up realizing it won't change. Cincy, It's pretty much SOP for a soldier to recieve a BSM and PH when KIA these days and IMHO they deserve it alot more than 95% of the awardees in the Army.

The BSM has become a blanket award for anyone service in a squadleader postion and up regardless of what they've actually done. I've witnessed it on two seperate occasions now. It's also awarded based on rank to anyone SFC and up. Think I'm bullshitting? Ya better take a cold hard look. I've seen it some many times it's disgusting.

Nowadays the BSM is nothing more than a glorified ARCOM. I've seen soldiers to amazing things that easily warranted a BSM or honestly even a Silver Star but they were denied. Why? It's not because the soldier didn't deserve it... the awards were kicked back because the soldier was only a PV2 or a SPC.

The awards system is broken, I don't give a shit what anyone else has to say about it the fact is the guys making the money these days just want a bigger rack so they can show off to their other blowhard buddies while the young soldiers out in the fight recieve COA's and AAM's if they're lucky.

[Vulture6]

Unfortunately, this will continue as long as we continue to judge a man by what he wears on his chest -- thus the rash of people in the civilian world wearing high level decoration that they don't rate, or claiming to be SEALS or such.

[RR691983]

The whole point of the awards system is to recognize the soldier and what he/she has done and where they have been. IMO, they DOD needs to scrap the current criteria and completely revamp the system.

I'm sorry but the current bronze stars for everybody system is bullshit. The current awards system doesn't do what it is intended, and again that is to recognize soldiers. It is purely a rank based hierarchy. Private Snuffy is put it for an ARCOM, and has earned it and then some. The award is written, and in fact is probably more suited to earn him a BSM yet it is reduced to an AAM because he is only a PFC and "You can't get an ARCOM unless you're a SGT TL or above."

Fuck that. I've been doing what I can to teach the young soldiers coming in not to worry about awards, etc. But that is impossible to do when they see so much favoritism within the units. One soldier recieved 3 ARCOMS and 5 AAM's during the last deployment!!! He didn't do anything spectacular to warrant them, yet I had to FIGHT to get my soldiers an AAM. Why? Because the system is set up for the favorites game.

Sure, anyone can write up an award. Do you think that means it will go through?

[Vulture6]

Here is what I was able to find for the Marine Corps, as of 7 December 2006 (that's why some of the totals may be off)

Medal of Honor
Officer -- 0
Enlisted -- 1

Navy Cross
Officer -- 2
Enlisted -- 12

Silver Star
Officer -- 24
Enlisted -- 45

Legion of Merit w/ “V”
Officer -- 24
Enlisted -- 0

Distinguished Flying Cross w/ “V”
Officer -- 21
Enlisted -- 0

Distinguished Flying Cross
Officer -- 3
Enlisted -- 0

Bronze Star w/ “V”
Officer -- 338
Enlisted -- 399

Bronze Star
Officer -- 1332
Enlisted -- 236

Purple Heart
Officer -- 371
Enlisted -- 6350

Air Medal w/ “V”
Officer -- 514
Enlisted -- 168

NMCCM w/ “V”
Officer -- 1050
Enlisted -- 2273

NMCAM w/ “V”
Officer -- 664
Enlisted -- 5575