Pentagon Announces New Medal

[COL Jagdog]

Defense Secretary announced the creation of a new medal designed to be awarded to drone pilots and cyberwarfare
folks who engage the enemy from a computer panel while stationed in the US -- this is the first-ever combat award that will be awarded to service members who are not actually in the "theater of operations" and it is the first combat award to be created since The Bronze Star Medal was created in 1944,
It will rank "slightly above the Bronze Star and below the Silver Star" in order of precedence. The Bronze Star, Silver Star and other combat valor awards require the recipient to be engaged in combat operations and physically present in the theater of operations.

It will be termed the "Distinguished Warfare Medal" --
medal will be a 2' bronze pendant with a globe encircled by a laurel wreath, with an eagle imposed on the face of the globe. The pendant ribbon will be blue, white and red (no info on how those colors will be arranged on the ribbon).

My first thought is that it will diminish the cachet of the Bronze Star, Silver Star awarded in theater -- second thought is that other awards exist (commendation medals of the various services, Meritorious Service Medal, etc) that are perfectly adequate for recognizing those who pilot drones from an AFB in the US or who sit at a computer in Alexandria
fighting off Iranian and Chinese hackers -- I admire their mission -- but I believe we have perfectly adequate medals to properly honor them for their accomplishments.

Interested to hear comments/your "take" on this.

 

[charlie sherrill]

Kinda like getting the most points on a video game? I gotta agree with you on this. If that hiney ain't working buttonholes because of incoming projectiles they shouldn't receive a higher award while sitting in front of their computer drinking Mountain Dew. Ain't fair to the guys actually getting shot at.

 

[Evil Dog]

What happened.... some General's kid complain he couldn't get a "combat" decoration playing video games? Pretty much cheapens both the Bronze and Silver Stars.

 

[LVSteve]

For all those evenings I spent playing Elite, F-19 and Red Storm Rising I should have a chest full of medals then.

 

[REM 3200]

You gotta' be sxxxin' me ! Above the Bronze Star? People have died earning the Bronze Star. And they want to put a feel good medal above it. That's BS.

 

[C.S.63]

Wow No disrespect intended, but kinda, everyone gets a trophy?

 

[Out West]

Why not? If going forward this how we engage our enemies I want the best darn drone pilots we can get. Morale is better when troops are recognized for their contributions. Makes sense to me.

Out
West

 

[ordy]

I have no problem with them getting a medal for what they do. The new technology is a great thing and helps to save the lives of the guys with boots on the ground. I do have a problem with it's ranking between a bronze and silver star, however. The worst thing these guys may have to endure is carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

[litauer]

That's what we get for embracing soccer.

 

[Maximumbob54]

Sure, morale is a good thing. Until it's just another decoration handed out like candy. I don't care for this idea at all.

 

[Comrad]

and the dumbing down of American traditions continue....

what next Purple Heart for carpal tunnel from excessive typing...

 

[Rule3]

but I believe we have perfectly adequate medals to properly honor them for their accomplishments.[/B]

Interested to hear comments/your "take" on this.

I think your statement above covers my feelings. There certainly is a lot to "fighting" a war or conflict that goes on in the back rooms. Lots of computers and "intelligence", there perhaps should be some type of recognition but it should not be any where near what those who risk their lives are. Maybe a new mouse pad or something Modern Warfare is very high tech from what little I know.

But really, their contribution is important also just as all the Women who worked here in the factories during WW II

 

[mrbort]

Why not? If going forward this how we engage our enemies I want the best darn drone pilots we can get. Morale is better when troops are recognized for their contributions. Makes sense to me.

Out
West

I went to a seminar given by a honcho from the Air Force Academy and he noted that this past year (maybe more time has passed) the top cadet chose drone school rather than I guess either the traditional fighter school (not sure if every other first in their class cadet chose fighter school but I want to say so). I just found it an interesting commentary on where the top young minds in the military see it headed.

 

[Alnamvet68]

This whole medal/award thing started going south right after Grenada. Pentagon pogues who never set foot on the field of battle suddenly were awarded the CIB for their "actions" in directing what I know to have been a total fiasco. Let me digress for a moment, if you want to know what happens when you downsize the military, drastically cut training budgets, what you get are Navy SEAL's from Team 6 who drown off the shores of Grenada, you have an A-7 Corsair pilot from the USS Independence drop a payload smack dab on US friendly's (Ranger's from the 75th) , loss of numerous rotor aircraft to include members of the Nightstalkers, and in the end, you rescue a bunch of pot heads studying medicine in an island outpost because they didn't qualify for admission to a proper American medical school. So, who got the awards...those REMF's 0-5 and above who's careers would soon end if they didn't get their CIB's, and yes, they got them.

So much for the value of the CIB. Everybody gets a trophy, win or lose, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice get a flag and a spot in the Garden of Stone.

 

[WuzzFuzz]

Does not each branch of service have their own variation of say the Silver Star, or Bronze Star? Therefore, will this new medal be Uni-Branch in it's design?

Also, I wonder if there has been consideration made, this medal will be given to civilians working the command center, since the military appears to be in the stages of elimination.

Was there any mention of receiving a D.W. M. with Clusters?





WuzzFuzz

 

[Ray Vaughn]

Get used to drone jockeys. They will continue to take a more and more high profile role in the military as combat roles change and technology is able to do jobs that boots on the ground or pilots in cockpits are simply unable to do.

A drone [Predator or Reaper] can loiter up to 40 hours, has three mission specialists on duty at any given moment looking at radar, IR, visual [with zoom], night vision and other sensor packages [Gorgon Stare or ARGUS as examples] and can do all that while not worrying about flying the aircraft [tests show 75%+ of a pilot's efforts are in flying, navigation, defensive] and spend all of its time actually on task...identifying targets, coordinating and putting ordinance on target. [all in an air conditioned building].

And the drone team do this without risking $30M+ Aircraft or most importantly, lives.

But the folks I talk to say much of the stresses are just the same...killing, performing, being right 100% of the time. And that deserves consideration when the job is done right.

 

[Comrad]

 

[jlrhiner]

I was kind of surprised to learn that there were Bronze Stars awarded for "Meritorious Service". I saw a citation awarded to a young fellow for having all the vehicles in his charge ready for action.

 

[Coldshooter]

My father in law received the bronze star for actions as a tanker in WWII. He was a disabled vet from head wounds. forward to 1978 and we had an operations E-6 who had a Bronze Star from his time as an Ops Sgt in Vietnam. He must have done a great job schedualling the General a cab. So like all thinks there seems to be an inflation which demeens many things.

 

[mrbort]

I have no problem with them getting a medal for what they do. The new technology is a great thing and helps to save the lives of the guys with boots on the ground. I do have a problem with it's ranking between a bronze and silver star, however. The worst thing these guys may have to endure is carpal tunnel syndrome.

While not being shot at (I agree that this should not trump the Bronze Star), I think that perhaps we don't understand some of the psychological trauma that these individuals endure.


NPR Story... I don't detect bias in this one and the story and study have been highly cited elsewhere.