Has anyone ever received an ARCOM for achieving Distinguished Honor Grad from a NCOES school?

No, but I did receive an AAM for earning the EFMB. To this day, I still don't count that AAM.

I got an AAM from the schoolhouse for DHG for Assault Climber and ALC. I was the DHG or HG for several other courses including WLC and SLC, and I got nothing for those. It's hit and miss, and in my experience, the awards have only come from the schoolhouse and not my unit. I've never seen an ARCOM awarded.

Considering the time required for an ARCOM, and the fact that most DHG's are not determined until four or five days before the class graduates, I think it would be difficult, never mind morally wrong, to award an ARCOM.

I've seen an AAM awarded for PLDC, WLC, BLC, whatever the hell its called this week.

If I have an honor grad I give him a certificate and a coin.

I've seen the school award an AAM but not an ARCOM

I haven't. Although personally, I feel for NCOES, that achieving Commandant's List should be an AAM, and if you're the Distinguished Honor Graduate, an ARCOM. DHG is the best in the entire class, so I don't feel giving AAM like with CL would be appropriate. If the schoolhouse awarded a COA, I'd tell that Soldier to pretend that COA doesn't exist and recommend for an actual award according to what they achieved. Big thing is to be consistant. CL, DLG, and DHG is a huge deal at any school, especially NCOES, so recommend regardless of rank. If you recommend AAM for CL, don't recommend a SSG for an AAM and give a SPC who got CL a COA IMHO.

The criteria for awards has so much subjective variation from recommender and awarding authority. You will accumulate awards as you continue your career. I dont know how many of those peacetime awards I received. I once got a medal because the Asst Platoon Sergeant was impressed by my motivation on advance party. And Ive seen people get relieved for inspections. So, my advice is to just accept any awards that someone took the time to recommend you for and move on with humility. You can always remember those heroic souls that jumped into Normandy and did not live to see another dawn. In many cases, no one was left to recommend them. If you dont get an award, dont sweat it. You are in good company. Just keep being the best soldier you can be. Hooah! And yes I was the Distinguished Honor Grad. No medal that time, but I did get a neat plaque. I was not thinking about medals along the way.

Yes. I did.

Nope.

I am a stickler for awards and feel that they should be earned. The NCOES already awards the SM for their achievement albeit a COA, plaque or some form of recognition to award the SM again for the same achievement seems rather redundant in my opinion.