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Recently I saw a post from a friend stating they didn't get an award after retiring from the military. To me it was a bit odd but I find myself in a similar situation. After spending about ten years in the North Carolina National Guard I transitioned to the Regular Army. In my time I have served full and part time as an NCO and Officer. I completed two deployments and a plethora of schools in support of my unit.
I can't tell you how many ceremonies I have been in for soldiers retiring or PCSing where they received an award. We all know after a deployment they are handed out like candy. Maybe I am expecting too much. I would hate to say I expected one. Maybe a handshake with a "smiley face" device would have nice.
What have you seen when your peers retired or moved on to another duty station? What is your expectation of how a unit should handle this?
I can't tell you how many ceremonies I have been in for soldiers retiring or PCSing where they received an award. We all know after a deployment they are handed out like candy. Maybe I am expecting too much. I would hate to say I expected one. Maybe a handshake with a "smiley face" device would have nice.
What have you seen when your peers retired or moved on to another duty station? What is your expectation of how a unit should handle this?
Awards
Retirement
PCS
Edited 7 y ago
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 31
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Barring extraordinary circumstances, I do not see a reason why good leaders wouldn’t take a moment to recognize someone on their retirement. At an individual level, writing an award is a simple matter that costs the unit little and matters a lot to the retiree. At the Army level, presenting an award to a retiree in a public forum provides a leader a platform to affirm Soldier for Life and inspire other Soldiers to provide a lifetime of service to the nation.
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No, your not entitled, you are authorized.
But that takes a chain of command and supervisor that is interested in doing so.|
I was at NTC just weeks prior to my last duty day, and in the parking lot doing a TOCEX the day prior...
We were busy as a DIV Staff..and I think it all just got lost in the mess... I could have thrown a fit or asked the G3, ADCM for an award......but its kind of like respect, if you have to ask for it, it does not count.
I was at work Friday, I was not Monday and that was that. 27 years 8 months, retiring as the 1st CAV DIV G3 SGM and I retired with a hand shake from the three NCO's that worked directly for me.
But that takes a chain of command and supervisor that is interested in doing so.|
I was at NTC just weeks prior to my last duty day, and in the parking lot doing a TOCEX the day prior...
We were busy as a DIV Staff..and I think it all just got lost in the mess... I could have thrown a fit or asked the G3, ADCM for an award......but its kind of like respect, if you have to ask for it, it does not count.
I was at work Friday, I was not Monday and that was that. 27 years 8 months, retiring as the 1st CAV DIV G3 SGM and I retired with a hand shake from the three NCO's that worked directly for me.
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CW4 Craig Urban
Upon my retirement from active duty in 1992 I received a MSM. Upon retirement as a GS 12 I received the USAREUR Civilian Achievement award.
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MAJ Javier Rivera
CPT (Join to see), as you can see by some of the examples in the post, is something that happens more often than expected. Now, in pure military lingo: what’s your lessons learned? Make sure it doesn’t happens to none of your subordinates.
On a very serious note. What I did, I did it by choice and without expecting anything back but the personal satisfaction of doing a good job. Now, I have my DD214 blanket which is priceless!!!!!
On a very serious note. What I did, I did it by choice and without expecting anything back but the personal satisfaction of doing a good job. Now, I have my DD214 blanket which is priceless!!!!!
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MAJ Javier Rivera
Funny thing SGM Erik Marquez, my former boss called sometime after retirement to tell me that the award was submitted for a 3rd time.
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SSG Jason Penn
As a Squad Leader in Germany, I had a Soldier who was PCSing, and the unit asked me to write his award. I told them that if they wanted an award for the Soldier, that they would have to write it themselves, because I refuse to write an award for a Soldier who just checks the boxes (he never did more than he was asked, and never volunteered for anything, not to mention that everything he did, he just did the bare minimum.) An award is to recognize achievement, not mediocrity!
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As a good friend said after he received some retirement awards " If I was so great, why didn't I receive awards before I retired "
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CW4 Craig Urban
Nothing is automatic. I received a msm on retirement. My next job was to be chief supply and services with the xo as my civilian rater. As a cw4 he was my senior rater as a major. His senior rater profile only had one warrant and that was me. My rater gave me 100 a captain. He gave me 198. I signed it. Just before the award being given to me with a smile he asks me good Oer? I say not really. That is why you will not make ltc. He did not. You must have made your final boss mad in some small way.
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