Posted on Nov 2, 2014
CSM sentenced for wearing/claiming fake medals. What do you think of his penalty?
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So I was perusing Army Times and saw this little Gem:
http://www.armytimes.com/article/20110309/NEWS/103090328/Ex-Walter-Reed-CSM-sentenced-to-6-months
From the article:
Some of the offenses admitted by Crump include wearing six awards and decorations from March to December of 2009, including the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead device, which indicates — contrary to military records — that he made a combat jump into Grenada. He admitted he wore a U.S. Navy Achievement Medal without authority since 2006 and, on three occasions, two or three unauthorized overseas service bars.
Do you think that the CSM was fined too harshly, just right, or not enough?
I will reserve my comments for now.
http://www.armytimes.com/article/20110309/NEWS/103090328/Ex-Walter-Reed-CSM-sentenced-to-6-months
From the article:
Some of the offenses admitted by Crump include wearing six awards and decorations from March to December of 2009, including the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead device, which indicates — contrary to military records — that he made a combat jump into Grenada. He admitted he wore a U.S. Navy Achievement Medal without authority since 2006 and, on three occasions, two or three unauthorized overseas service bars.
Do you think that the CSM was fined too harshly, just right, or not enough?
I will reserve my comments for now.
Leadership
Stolen Valor
Command
Law
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 190
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He should have been reduced once in rank for each charge and fined $500.00 for each charge with no imprisonment.
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I am puzzled by the awards he chose to give himself. This sounds like he bought a 21 bar instead of an 18 bar and stuck some ribbons he found in a desk drawer on to fill it up. Was he even old enough to have been in Grenada? What a weird award to falsely claim. If you are going to claim an award you didn't earn go big - get some astronaut wings or something really cool. Don't sit in the brig with a handful of gee dunks.
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I think this CSM should be relieved form duty and forced retirement. He is being reduced to SSG which in my opinion is a crucial rank in the NCO ranks. He will never be able to command soldiers once they know that he falsified documents and wore medals he didn't earn. There is no more respect for this soldier. 6 months and then boot him out.
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I dont think he deserves to stay in the military as an NCO, his decision to do the very thing that he probably fried lower enlisted for shows he has no respect for the Military,nor the people he serves with, BCD is the most fitting, after being stripped of his rank and all awards.
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Nice demotion there. Should serve as a warning to any other posers out there. I'm guessing, however, he'll retire as a CSM, depending on how long he served in the position.
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While what he did was highly inappropriate, he still served time as a soldier. I agree that he needed to be punished and that his punishment befit the crime. My biggest concern is for those young soldiers he mentored as the SEA where he was stationed. Looking up to someone and then learning that they were not a very good person to begin with can have some very negative impacts on people.
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SSG Jim Foreman
I’m not sure what would make a CSM add awards that he did not earn to his uniform. Does he feel inadequate with what he earned? What is the mental status of someone like this? I think jail is earned but along with some mental health treatment.
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SSG Ronald Rollins
The biggest thing is what has been said. What of the soldiers that he was mentoring? How will they turn out? Hopefully he did not tell them it was ok to do what he has done. I know people make mistakes and sme say he just made a mistake wearing the awards. I dont belive a CSM could make that many mistakes. Just my opinion.
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Definitely "Not Enough".
Numerous Soldiers that came before us earned the honor of donning those awards and badges. They were buried and laid to rest with them gleaming proudly on their chest.
Any Soldier, NCO or Officer that doesn't respect that deserves the utmost amount of punishment they can receive.
Numerous Soldiers that came before us earned the honor of donning those awards and badges. They were buried and laid to rest with them gleaming proudly on their chest.
Any Soldier, NCO or Officer that doesn't respect that deserves the utmost amount of punishment they can receive.
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He should have demoted to private E-1 and held in the military for a year
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SFC Kenneth Hunnell
Maj. Ballinger, the one year deal would force him to face Soldiers that he was to be leading. That would be worse than any jail time given. If he made it through that period clean, then discharge him according to character of service performed during that period of time
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SFC Guy Quinn
SFC Kenneth Hunnell, you are 100% correct. If the upper crust was subjected to that kind of punishment that exposed them to the soldiers they betray, it would have a greater impact on the all the senior NCOs, field grades and generals that believe they are above it all. They think because they are highly educated and have command experience that the rules are beneath them, that no one below them should bring their eyes up to look upon them. Being exposed as just a man (or woman) would be just the thing to keep a good portion of us in check.
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SFC Kenneth Hunnell
Major Ballinger,
I looked at your profile, I see you went from being a UH-60 Helicopter Mechanic to EOD. Great for you. I applaud your service. How does that equate to highly educated and command experience. I was and still in since 1979, I believed and still believe you should be willing to be held by the same standards as anyone else. You cannot have selective treatment according to rank. If you commit the crime, pay-up and shut up.
As you read my previous posting, you find that would be a wake up call to any one that would contemplate doing the same.
I am not here to school you on leadership, I am sure you have excellent leadership skills or you would not be a MAJOR.
Please do not assume that since I am enlisted, that I have no education experience or leadership skills. Through my many years of experience, I can honestly say that facing the individuals that you are or were to lead would be an eye opener.
Please read my profile before you judge
I looked at your profile, I see you went from being a UH-60 Helicopter Mechanic to EOD. Great for you. I applaud your service. How does that equate to highly educated and command experience. I was and still in since 1979, I believed and still believe you should be willing to be held by the same standards as anyone else. You cannot have selective treatment according to rank. If you commit the crime, pay-up and shut up.
As you read my previous posting, you find that would be a wake up call to any one that would contemplate doing the same.
I am not here to school you on leadership, I am sure you have excellent leadership skills or you would not be a MAJOR.
Please do not assume that since I am enlisted, that I have no education experience or leadership skills. Through my many years of experience, I can honestly say that facing the individuals that you are or were to lead would be an eye opener.
Please read my profile before you judge
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I say a short jail term would be in order but I wouldn't stop at that. Everyone doing claiming false valor should also be punished by taking away everything they have worked so long for. Example....take all rank (regardless of what he currently holds) take away all benefits and make that irreversible. Also make an immediate eviction from military housing for him and his family.
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So after being stationed at Walter Reed while this was ongoing... It was enlightening. This is the same guy that would throw personnel out of the board for the most minute of uniform infractions. He deserved all he received and more. The comments his wife made during the trial definitely brought the term "dependa" to mind.
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