Comments on: Is It Time To Do Away with Military Valor Medals?

By: gerry

gerry — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:17:03 +0000

The short answer is 'no'. The US has been luckey to have had the edge during the latest conflicts. All well and good. But that may not always be the case.

To the few who have recieved V for valor or silver stars, good for them as well. It is not the end all to a career or promotion for the majority who didn't get one.

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:46:01 +0000

Hopefully they will brief you at retirement. If not, you can do a correction of records. Only applies to certain individual medals, not

unit wide like a PUC with V.

By: 2dogs

2dogs — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:09:01 +0000

How does someone do that?

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:22:36 +0000

The major difference between the V and no V is you can bump up your retirement (75% is is still max)if you have a V. Now the Purple Heart gives you an edge in getting government jobs.

By: Chris In Dallas

Chris In Dallas — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:51:51 +0000

I don't see the reasoning here. Let's look at the hypothetical. This officer would have instructions from higher up to pacify the area. If he starts being a dick and tries to stir up trouble, he is not going to get a valor medal. Instead he's likely to get fired and receive a career ending OER!

From what I've seen, glory hounds fall into two categories. They are either unobtrusive senior leaders who try and place themselves near enough to gunfire to justify getting a little bling bling or they are arrogant SOBs who let everyone know what they are about. Good example would be from a story a Sergeant Major I met while in ROTC told me. He's a grunt in Vietnam and he gets a new platoon leader. The guy calls a formation and gives a Patton-esque speech about how he intends to win a Medal of Honor. The system took care of him. Instead of a CMH, he got a Purple Heart for the 5.56mm round which went through his back and his name on the Vietnam War Memorial! As to the first, they just quietly slink away, get their ribbon and just leave everyone annoyed.

By: Retired GI

Retired GI — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:38:06 +0000

One month? It didn't seem right because it wasn't.

But in 2005, I understand those stationed in Kuwait were getting a CP, while never going north. But they were there for a year.

Then there was that female in Iraq who lost her mind every time we were mortared. She was sent back to Hood after a couple months. I would bet she got a cp and likely all the ribbons they could possibly give her.

I didn't know someone could scream so loud and so long, when not much was going on near by. I was more worried about losing control and "butt stroking" her, than being hit in our concrete shelter!

By: guitard

guitard — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:09:28 +0000

On a somewhat related subject…

I was TDY in Iraq a few years ago for a month. One of the soldiers in my group had well over 20 years in and was getting ready to retire soon. He had never deployed before and was just tickled that he now was going to be able to retire with a combat patch.

Thing is…we never left base though…never saw anything remotely resembling combat.

I never said anything about it – but it just didn't seem right that he was getting a combat patch from that.