If it take a NAM ....

Benchmarking the Bronze Star

We all have stories of, "They got a Bronze Star for what?"

9.9 times out of 10 it isn't that you don't think what they did was good or great - but just that one has an idea what a Bronze Star should be for, and that ain't it.

That boat sailed a long time ago, but this almost gets a shark jumping award.

After the accidental burning last year of Qurans by U.S. troops in Afghanistan sparked deadly rioting, an Air National Guard chaplain from Springfield stepped in and potentially saved countless American lives.

For his effort, Lt. Col. Jon Trainer received the prestigious Bronze Star — a medal given for heroic or meritorious achievement in connection with operations against an armed enemy.

And he did it with a PowerPoint presentation.
...
The ensuing outrage claimed more than 30 lives, including two U.S. troops and two U.S. military advisers.

Within 48 hours, Trainer developed a PowerPoint presentation on the proper handling and disposal of Islamic religious material that was seen by every American — military and civilian alike — in Afghanistan. The presentation then was distributed to the U.S. for use in all pre-deployment training.

Good work and not to take anything away from the good Chaplain - but a Bronze Star?

Also - 48-hrs for a PPT? I know that on both the USA and ISAF side of the house, there was already a lot of info out there on Koran handling (it has been an issue for a decade, dontchaknow).

So, consolidating a variety of sources in to a PPT in two days for something important gets ... a Bronze Star.

OK, as long as we are defining our terms correctly. Noted.

It is official: we are the North Korean Boy Scouts

I am seriously trying to find something positive or programmatically interesting to post on - well, one is on the way - but the FOD around the deck this week is off the hook.

Judging from my email, most of you think so as well

We've hit on this subject before, and it is time again - it is getting worse. We give out WAY too many ribbons, medals, and "warfare" pins - and have diluted those that we have. From "good bowel movement NAMs" to "Bronze Stars for all my friends (combat V not included)" to the "haven't deployed EVER but am at 1.5 rows ... it is just pathetic.

It is patronizing to the individual, it hides true accomplishment, and to the outside world - we start to look buffoonish. Not everyone deserves a trophy, and "you pick your rate - you pick your fate."

Just look at Rear Admiral Woodward, RN right prior to taking his Task Force to retake The Falklands Islands. Who is the real professional warrior - the Brit with one ribbon, or the North Korean gangsters?

This is seriously becoming self parody. A lot of people thought this was from The Onion or Duffleblog, just not funny enough.

This is just pathetic to the extreme.

The Pentagon is creating a new high-level military medal that will recognize drone pilots and, in a controversial twist, giving it added clout by placing it above some traditional combat valor medals in the military’s “order of precedence.” The Distinguished Warfare Medal will be awarded to pilots of unmanned aircraft, offensive cyber war experts or others who are directly involved in combat operations but who are not physically in theater and facing the physical risks that warfare historically entails.

What insecure little man-child came up with this idea, and why did no one up the chain stop it?

It is nothing more by an award created by insecure people, approve for insecure people, to be issues to insecure people. Sorry .... but we have awards that exist that will fit the bill fine for doing what you are doing in your chair - no need to clutter things up.

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All hail the Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr

We should all nod our heads to the Germans - thanks.

Fourteen members of the Army’s 12th Combat Aviation Brigade on Thursday became the first non-Germans to receive Germany’s Gold Cross, one of that nation’s highest honors for valor.

The soldiers, based at U.S. Army Garrison-Ansbach, Germany, were honored for medevac flights they performed April 2 involving German troops who had been ambushed by some 200 Taliban fighters while on patrol north of the city of Kunduz, Afghanistan.

The firefight was still going on when the Black Hawk evacuation helicopters — two medical transport helicopters and one heavily armed “chase” helicopter — arrived, according to what Army Capt. Robert McDonough, who piloted one of the medical helicopters, told his father, Jack McDonough.

“The two Black Hawks did a combined seven landings into the middle of this battle. My son told me that he could see rounds hitting the blades of his helicopter and there were bullet holes in the Blackhawks,” Jack McDonough wrote in an e-mail message. “He said the incoming fire was so bad that at one point he banked the helicopter real hard to avoid the incoming rounds. He told me he saw the Taliban celebrating, thinking they had downed them.”
....
Lt. Col. Norbert Rahn, a spokesman for the German Federal Ministry of Defense, said in an e-mail message that this award to the 14 U.S. soldiers marks the first time that any citizen or soldier from outside Germany has been given The Gold Cross, or Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr, for “outstanding achievements under danger for life and limb.”

He wrote that at least 11 German soldiers were critically wounded when the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade soldiers arrived. Three did not survive due to the severity of their injuries, but the others were transported to safety.

He said that without the assistance from the U.S. helicopters, it would have been impossible to get the wounded to a field hospital and Germany would be lamenting the loss of additional soldiers. Even though the helicopters were under “steady, heavy fire. ... They completed their mission without hesitation, courageously and professionally,” Rahn wrote.

I did a backgrounder on the Gold Cross last year here. I would be remiss if I did not also recognize the efficiency of the German military's admin dept. Nice award timeline. Less than a month for an award of this level - from act to ceremony. I used to run one of the best Admin shops in the Navy, and we were lucky if we could do a FLOC in that time.

Oh, and the fact that almost a decade of war and no living MOH. Shame and pox on the senior leadership. Shame and pox.

Thanks Germany - we'll take it and will buy you a good beer some time.

Hat tip Argghhh!!!.

That about says it ...

Rather than recognizing concrete achievement, the 2009 prize appeared intended to support initiatives that have yet to bear fruit:

What and who, you say?

President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday

This isn't from The Onion.

Never before has someone received so much for doing .... well .... nothing.

Congrats; I guess.

John J. Miller gives the timeline:

The deadline for nominations for this year's Nobel Peace Prize was February 1. So that means that Obama's award was based on what he had accomplished through about the first ten days of his presidency.

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When you think of all those who have languished or are languishing in prison or house arrest from China, Iran, Burma and other places under the boot in order to set an example for freedom -- this simply degrades the award to little more than a popularity contest; and that is a shame.

Where is the living honor?

Greyhawk got me thinking again about something that has been bothering me for awhile: why has the Medal of Honor become a posthumous award?

Especially in an age where any junior officer who does not get a DWI during his first tour gets a NAM, why now do we not have a single MOH given to a living Soldier, Marine, Sailor, or Airman?

Don't tell me no one has earned it - many have. Why the disconnect? I am baffled.

Some are wondering why there are not more, great question, I want to know why we can't find a reason to give it to someone who has lived. No living person since the Vietnam War.

The system is broken.

Bronze Star becoming BS?

This problem first came to mind for me when I saw the paperwork for the N2 of the Carrier Battlegroup Staff being pushed to get a Bronze Star for his work in during a short operation. He never left the carrier. 

I really started noticing it following the start of OEF when everyone from LNO to SSN Skippers starting getting them....though all they did was meet with Pakistani military officers or launch a few TLAMs. After awhile, it was very clear that, like happened in DESERT STORM I found out, if you were a Commanding Officer of anything in a combat zone, even if you did little more than avoid running aground, you received a Bronze Star in addition to your standard issue Meritorious Service Medal at the Change of Command. There are tons of stories out there like this. Well, I was reminded again in a bit from the Washington Times a few weeks ago,

In the hierarchy of military medals, the Bronze Star ranks in the top tier. But in the war on terror, some troops have been honored with the medal for going above and beyond the call of duty, while others received it for just getting the job done.

Sad but true. It goes towards the North Korean like awards inflation that you see for everything. The BS has been diluted to the point that in only means something if you get the "V" for valor.

For example, the Bronze Star has been awarded to:

*Army Lt. Col. Andrew MacDonald, Soldier Systems Center chief of staff, for leading a team of military and civilians in delivering equipment to troops in Iraq.

*U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Patrick Burke for "transporting a hospital" from Pakistan to Afghanistan with "no pilferage or incident."

*Marine Cmdr. Alan Hansen, deputy force chaplain, for fulfilling his role as adviser and confidant to service members of all faiths during his deployment in Iraq.

*Navy Yeoman 1st Class Matthew S. Bryan for "repeatedly being under fire in Iraqi convoys," but also for planning a party -- the "Seabee Ball -- " in Baghdad.

As the fourth-highest medal, the Bronze is awarded for heroism or "meritorious achievement or service." According to the Military Awards Manual, a "meritorious" Bronze Star medal is given to individuals whose acts are "well above the expected performance of duty." For particular acts of bravery, military members receive a Bronze Star for Valor.

In the war on terror, the military has been generous. More than 47,000 Bronze Star medals have been awarded for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, the Wartime Award Statistics by the Military Awards Branch shows.

That is substantially more than the 30,000 Bronze Star medals given during the Korean War -- a war that involved triple the amount of troops and approximately 20 times more casualties.

Sad. From the same people that believe "All kids should get a trophy." Not to take away from the outstanding and exemplary service of these personnel. They deserve recognition in one way or another. But the question is, is it Bronze Star worthy? If so, do we really need those state license plates with "Bronze Star" on them?

Hey, I'll admit that I wear all the "salad bar" goodies ones I have been awarded - to the point the collar on my khaki shirt is starting to bounce on my warfare device and I feel like some Soviet officer. I have had a very interesting career, but at best I have been a modest player in modest roles. A Canadian, Belgian, or Brit thinks I have been in command at every conflict since Agincourt.

Just a snark here; one thing I don't like is someone who sends out NAMs and NCMs by the boat load, and only wears his "Top-3." Here is a trick I offer to anyone who is planning to get out inside this order cycle and isn't available for an IA anytime soon; next time you are at an all-hands meeting with a Flag Officer, especially one you don't like - be nice to the warfighters - and he/she is wearing only the top 3, ask the good Admiral, "I am concerned that there are too many awards being handed out to the point that they are becoming meaningless unless you earn a Purple Heart, Navy Cross, Silver Star or CMOH. Do you think the Navy has a problem with awards inflation?" If he answers "No.", then in a very respectful tone ask a follow-on, "Then why Admiral, do you only wear only your top-3?"

Remember, be nice to the Philippino civilians at Diego Garcia - they can get you anything you want.

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UPDATE: A Shipmate of Petty Officer Bryan mentioned sent along his citation (I assume to be correct, but cannot get a second party verification) to the Bronze Star as a rebutttal to the post above. Doesn't change my argument any, but here it is.

FOR EXCEPTIONALLY MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN CONNECTION WITH COMBAT OPERATIONS AS THE J-7 ENGINEER NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN-CHARGE AND CONVOY COMMANDER WHILE DEPLOYED WITH THE MNF-I SECURITY TRANSITION COMMAND - IRAQ, IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM FROM 5 NOV TO 10 MAY 2006. RISKING HIS OWN PERSONAL SAFETY, YEOMAN FIRST CLASS BRYAN EXPERTLY LED THE CONVOY TEAM DURING MORE THAN 40 GROUND MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS AREAS IN IRAQ. DURING NUMEROUS MULTIPLE SMALL ARMS AND IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE ATTACKS, HIS TEAM REACTED WITH COURAGE AND EXPERTISE EFFECTIVELY RETURNING FIRE TO ENSURE MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT. AS ASSISTANT FINANCIAL DATA ANALYST, HIS INITIATIVE AND DEDICATION ENSURED THE TIMELY AND ACCURATE FUNDING, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND REPORTING OF OVER 5 BILLION DOLLARS IN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND MINISTRY OF INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WHICH DIRECTLY ASSISTED THE IRAQI SECURITY FORCES IN ESTABLISHING A STABLE HOMELAND. HIS DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP AND NUMEROUS ACHIEVEMENTS CONTRIBUTED SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE MULTI-NATIONAL SECURITY TRANSITION COMMAND-IRAQ MISSION OF DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING IRAQI SECURITY FORCES THE SINGULARLY OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF YEOMAN FIRST CLASS BRYAN HAVE BEEN IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF MILITARY SERVICE AND REFLECT DISTINCT CREDIT ON HIMSELF AND THE UNITED STATES NAVY"

Yep, makes my point.