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I have a Solider on my deployment that isn't happy about being recommended for an AAM for an EOT award for this deployment. I feel they deserve an ARCOM, but I wasn't the one who wrote their award recommendation. The Soldier stated they don't even want the AAM. Can they refuse it? PFC (Join to see) SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" LTC Stephen F. CPL Dave Hoover SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SSG (Join to see) Capt Dwayne Conyers CPT Jack Durish
Awards
Deployment
Knowledge
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 36
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SSG(P) (Join to see) For EOT awards, really except those for heroism, what is looked at is scope of duties and responsibilities. My BCT Commander received a BSM for OIF V. I was a 1SG and I also received a BSM. A lot of people think awards are rank based. Rank has a very small part of who gets what award. It's all about how you do your job and about scope of duties and responsibilities.
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SSG John DeLore
With all due respect SGM, 80% of it is rank based. Multiple deployments, seeing 638’s Written where E4-E6 went above and beyond, BSM recommended and denied/downgraded. Flip sided, O3-O5’s who barely left their CHU’s, BSM’s handed out like candy.
Had an O6, that I PSD’ed for, tell me to my face, God himself could recommend a Jr. NCO/Lower Enlisted, for BSM......He’d deny it and make them beg for an AAM/ARCOM.
Had an O6, that I PSD’ed for, tell me to my face, God himself could recommend a Jr. NCO/Lower Enlisted, for BSM......He’d deny it and make them beg for an AAM/ARCOM.
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LTC (Join to see)
SSG John DeLore - My daughter got a BSM as an EOT award during OEF. She was an E4 35F in the 2 shop and the S2 CPT got relieved for cause. That left her and an E7. she ran day shift and the E7 ran night shift. They both got BSMs.
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SSG John DeLore
LTC (Join to see) sir, she is def. not in the 80% then, and thankfully had higher ups who recognized that. Awesome to here lower enlisted getting truly and honestly recognized for the work.
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19 mentions of "refuse" or "refusal" in 600-8-22, none of which seem to apply to the soldier refusing to accept the award. Only thing I think he can control is table 3-6 step 1: 'Perform a valorous or heroic act, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service.'.
My first AAM I only learned about because my team leader was reviewing my 2-1.
There does seem to be some language about upgrading awards; I think that is the most appropriate route.
My first AAM I only learned about because my team leader was reviewing my 2-1.
There does seem to be some language about upgrading awards; I think that is the most appropriate route.
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Never encountered this. The award was approved. The Command was formed. Awardees formed behind formation. SgtMaj or 1stSgt gave command "persons to be recognized, center, march. The rest is self-explanatory. Marines have refused to accept after I got out, one was a Navy Cross.
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FYI my friend SSG(P) (Join to see) The same question was posted several years ago at
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/can-a-soldier-refuse-to-receive-an-award
Here is the response provided by SGM Erik Marquez
"No, it is not an option. It is an order, signed by the approval authority. There is no procedure in regulatory guidance that allows for the receiving SM to refuse the award.
The SM's options are limited, they can speak to the recommender or the approver and argue their position and request to have the award recommendation process stopped, or ask the approver to deny the award.
They can accept the award....yet choose not to acknowledge it.
Anyone stating the SM can refuse in a manner other than symbolically, please cite the reg passage that shows that procedure.'
FYI LTC Stephen Conway Maj Marty Hogan SFC (Join to see) MSG (Join to see) CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025 TSgt Joe C.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/can-a-soldier-refuse-to-receive-an-award
Here is the response provided by SGM Erik Marquez
"No, it is not an option. It is an order, signed by the approval authority. There is no procedure in regulatory guidance that allows for the receiving SM to refuse the award.
The SM's options are limited, they can speak to the recommender or the approver and argue their position and request to have the award recommendation process stopped, or ask the approver to deny the award.
They can accept the award....yet choose not to acknowledge it.
Anyone stating the SM can refuse in a manner other than symbolically, please cite the reg passage that shows that procedure.'
FYI LTC Stephen Conway Maj Marty Hogan SFC (Join to see) MSG (Join to see) CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025 TSgt Joe C.
Can a soldier refuse to receive an award? | RallyPoint
If yes, what could be the consequences?I believe the purpose of competition in the Army is to bring out the best in soldier and also to help allocate the manpower within the unit. But working for awards and recognitions can create an unhealthy competitive environment and more if one's investment only benefits self and doesn't add any value to the unit as a whole.
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Suck it up. I remember an E-6 got an ARCOM for being a squad leader during urban warfare training in Berlin. I was an E-5 doing the same job and I did it better than he. I asked my platoon sergeant why he was getting an ARCOM? My platoon sergeant said, "Because he reenlisted." So there you go.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen SPC Woody Bullard CPL Dave Hoover SFC William Farrell Lt Col Charlie Brown Col Carl Whicker SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SPC Margaret Higgins SGT Robert Pryor SGT Jim Arnold Maj William W. 'Bill' Price PO1 Tony Holland SGT John " Mac " McConnell LTC Wayne Brandon PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Douglas Bolton PVT Mark Zehner
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen SPC Woody Bullard CPL Dave Hoover SFC William Farrell Lt Col Charlie Brown Col Carl Whicker SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SPC Margaret Higgins SGT Robert Pryor SGT Jim Arnold Maj William W. 'Bill' Price PO1 Tony Holland SGT John " Mac " McConnell LTC Wayne Brandon PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Douglas Bolton PVT Mark Zehner
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SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
I know a few that got awards for off the wall reasons, just shrug it off and move on brother SGT (Join to see)
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I get it from his point of view. That said, did he do the great job to earn a medal or did he do a great job because that's how he does things? If it's the latter, then the award shouldn't matter. All of us have done good to great things that were, or never will be, recognized.
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I did when I got out in 2001, I told them to keep it, then they order me to take it. Left it there, when I flew home. Got it in the mail a couple of weeks later. Email a mpeg back showing it going thru the shredder after my ETS. Made sure it didn't show up on my 214. Did it really do any good, doubt it. But I did feel better. I rather not talk about it, but I'll give the basic, I gave alot in those 3.5 years I was there but because of other people feelings my award was degraded.
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Is he out the door? IE end of tour and hitting civvie street??? Look when I retired in the USN they ( CPO MESS) put me in for an end of tour NAM !!! Great!! However, to this very day, I do believe that others in my squadron could and should have received that award... Who were forced into changing services because of high year tenure.
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I knows how the soldier feels. It’s been 30 years and I remember a certain commander and his lack of appropriate awards for a job done well over and above the call for myself while in South Korea. I won’t get into details here, still gets my hackles up today if I dwell on it.
Just tell him to play it smart, take his award, put it in his 201 file, collect his promotion points and move on. But tell him to learn the system and learn how to make it work for him in the future.
Just tell him to play it smart, take his award, put it in his 201 file, collect his promotion points and move on. But tell him to learn the system and learn how to make it work for him in the future.
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It’s unfortunate when a Soldier “demands” an award they feel they deserved. How can a person judge what they have accomplished? You have to consider that maybe the CDR only wanted to submit so many ARCOMs and maybe this Soldier didn’t make the cut. I still don’t agree that every Soldier should get an EOT award for deployment. The campaign medal is recognition of service. This is what happens when we apply one standard to ALL Soldiers, they become entitled. I didn’t get my 1st ARCOM until I was a SGT in a SSG billit and PCS’d. I agree with the rest of the comments on here, it is ill advised to refuse an award. Further more, as an NCO, you shouldn’t be feeding his/her displeasure by saying things like “I think you deserved an ARCOM” or “If I had wrote your award you’d have gotten an ARCOM”. Help this Soldier understand how the award system works and that he/she will get what they deserve when the time is right.
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SGT Edgar DeLoach
If any can commanders philosophy is anything other than what is in the regulations as set out by Department of the Army then that philosophy is misguided. Ex: If a soldier (SP4) is stuck on a train on a siding in the middle of nowhere South Korea guarding it for 10 days with no food in the winter, no facilities, limited communications to his unit, and having to be responsible for multi millions of dollars worth of US Army equipment and he finds a way to complete his mission despite his challenges his chain should reward him with an appropriate award, and not a AAM.
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MAJ Samuel Weber
SGT Edgar DeLoach you have to understand that regulations are written to provide minimal guidance, which allows Commanders, who run the Army, to make decisions based on thier experience and the advice of thier Senior Enlisted and Staff. Unless you’ve been a commander at any level, it’s hard to pass judgment on those who have had to make hard decisions. The belief that commanders make these decisions based on emotion or to be vindictive is what I believe to be misguided.
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SGT Edgar DeLoach
MAJ Samuel Weber - It is at best a flawed philosophy if said commander is adding a extra requirement on receiving a certain level of award. Rank level as a basis for any award is not in the regulations. Its just like adding another requirement (like California tried to do) to running for President, its bad philosophy as well as (in the case of the California law) unconstitutional.
So, are soldiers ( i am too old now) going to live in an environment where commanders make up rules such as this as they go along? I can see not giving them out like candy for everything like tying your shoes 10 straight but come on, to say a SP4 cant get a ARCOM because he is just a SP4 but would get one if he was a SGT makes a mockery of the awards system.
Every heard of the Son Tay Raid? I read the book on it. (terrible that the prisoners had been moved early) I want to say it was by Colonel Arthur D. “Bull” Simons, but i might be wrong, i can't find the book on Amazon. Anyway, after the raid, there was apparently an attempt to give all the soldiers in the raid an ARCOM (or "Green weenie") as the author described it. Apparently there was a table somewhere that listed how many of what award could be given for a raid that size. Now, these guys trained for months, took off on a raid, flew to a spot 23 miles from Hanoi, crashed (per plan) a helicopter into a compound itself, met and killed any guards they found, searched the place top to bottom, then extracted all assaulters after not finding any prisoners, with only 1 leg injury and 1 broken ankle. The Raid lasted only 27 minutes. And some command philosophy wanted to give them all ARCOMs.
Take the Rank and MOS out of the process and give the right level of award for the level of the action. Is that too much to ask for our soldiers? Especially if you tie awards into Promotions.
So, are soldiers ( i am too old now) going to live in an environment where commanders make up rules such as this as they go along? I can see not giving them out like candy for everything like tying your shoes 10 straight but come on, to say a SP4 cant get a ARCOM because he is just a SP4 but would get one if he was a SGT makes a mockery of the awards system.
Every heard of the Son Tay Raid? I read the book on it. (terrible that the prisoners had been moved early) I want to say it was by Colonel Arthur D. “Bull” Simons, but i might be wrong, i can't find the book on Amazon. Anyway, after the raid, there was apparently an attempt to give all the soldiers in the raid an ARCOM (or "Green weenie") as the author described it. Apparently there was a table somewhere that listed how many of what award could be given for a raid that size. Now, these guys trained for months, took off on a raid, flew to a spot 23 miles from Hanoi, crashed (per plan) a helicopter into a compound itself, met and killed any guards they found, searched the place top to bottom, then extracted all assaulters after not finding any prisoners, with only 1 leg injury and 1 broken ankle. The Raid lasted only 27 minutes. And some command philosophy wanted to give them all ARCOMs.
Take the Rank and MOS out of the process and give the right level of award for the level of the action. Is that too much to ask for our soldiers? Especially if you tie awards into Promotions.
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MAJ Samuel Weber
SGT Edgar DeLoach is challenging your view of the Soliders action. Impact on The organization carries the most weight. I’ve see many Soldiers, regardless of rank, do amazing things that impacted the entire unit (BN, BDE, DIV). Most commanders publish an award policy, but most Soliders and junior leaders don’t read it. At the end of the day, the Commander has to make the final recommendation and be as fair and impartial as possible.
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