Is it common for a person with 17 years in the military to not have a personal award?

Sir, this is very positive advice. Next drill I will take action on it. Thank you

I'm just a PFC but I might have another, round-a-bout way. Do you have a really close friend that's in a different unit that's under the same chain of command? For example: if you are 1 PLT, do you have a friend in 2 PLT?? Both units report to the same senior enlisted staff. You could go to that friend and have him suggest it. Then your friend could go to them and say "Hey, Did you know SSG Sakowski hasn't ever gotten a AAM? It's weird how some people fall through the cracks..." Or something to that effect. I know I've petitioned senior enlisted for awards for others before. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it doesn't come across as "Hey, I need this..."

GySgt John Olson - I can say there was no "lack of action" I was the forward force of invading Iraq 2003, Korangal Valley, Afg 2005 and Hadiatha Iraq 2006. Plenty of "Action" to go around. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1656736/posts

GySgt John Olson - just because you didn't shoot at anything doesn't mean you didn't do your job and do it well. It means you were prepared to, but just never got the opportunity.....which is what service awards are meant to recognize: doing a good job and getting the mission done. Now the example you used of the Lcpl who did everything wrong, he is perfect example of someone who didn't do his job well.

Capt Jeff S. - We'll said "Do your best-not for others to see, but for yourself." Definitely defining

GySgt John Olson - Well put. When I served in a joint assignment I was always amazed at how austere the Marines were compared to all other services when It came to giving out awards. But that's what makes a Marine a Marine.

Would you say you did not receive your first award until GySgt because of your own lack of actions or lack in your leaders/ units actions? Hence do you believe credit was not given when credit was due.

Personally I don't think I should have gotten that NAM in the first place, I was just doing the job I was assigned. Sure it was a lot of work, and holding a billet two pay grades above mine, but it was the billet I was assigned and even though I was successful I still struggled at first. I was a FAST Company Operations Chief, as a SSgt. Basically responsible for training, readiness and deploying 8 FAST platoons(approx. 400 Marines). They also tacked on the time I spent as a FAST platoon sergeant, forming and training my own platoon, deploying to FASTEUR and forward deploying from there in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. All that said, I was still just living up to my billet description.

Gunny, that's the way I see it... I have a few personal awards/citations from the Corps and National Guard. But to me, I was just doing what they told me to.

I also was in a position where I had to fill a billet I was technically not the right rank for. I got shoved in as platoon Sgt as a LCpl. I did it because there was no one else. Well, there was, but I was next senior after our SSgt because all the NCO's in the shop got transferred back stateside. Plus, since I was pregnant, SSgt didn't feel comfortable with me soldering (which was the bulk of the work we had in the shop) even with a mask and gloves due to lead so he felt I was better employed with the paperwork. Didn't get an award, didn't expect one. I just did what needed to be done. Thought I was going to get busted down at one point at our company's weekly plt Sgt meeting because one of the shop's usual guy was on leave so they sent a different Sgt and he started talking down to me because he complained about a policy the company had that a representative from the maintenance shop had to inspect 1/3 of every shop's gear each month so all the gear was checked each quarter to make sure everything was accounted for and anything that should be in maintenance was. I pointed out it was his shop's screw up that caused the policy to be put in place (one of their Cpl's had packed nothing but damaged 26 pair cables for UFL) and he told me to shut up and let the grown ups talk. I have a bit of a temper, plus pregnancy hormones, so I went off on him right in front of 1st Sgt. 1st Sgt just laughed and told him "she's right, you know."
What did piss me off about awards, though, was when the Cpl mentioned above got a freaking NAM for inducting all of those cables she mistakenly packed into maintenance. Over 11 years later and it still pisses me off that she got a NAM for incompetence.

Hahah the funny thing is Maximilian Uriarte, the creator of Terminal Lance was in my company. 3/3 I co.

Sir, I will ask my command if there is anything I can do extra to make a greater impact on my unit.
Sadly we do not wear our ASUs at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. If worst comes to worst I will make a Christmas card of myself in ASUs and send it out to the chain of command.(j/k)

GySgt Bill Smith - When you go see the CSM bring your DA Photo for his opinion/ review.

I second the Connelly Award Competition suggestion. It will give you and your Soldiers an opportunity to showcase what you do.

I have learned 'Resentment Is Like Taking Poison And Waiting For The Other Person To Die'. But sometimes I still crawl in that dark hole and feel anger for all the Marines that gave everything they had on deployments and didn't even get a proper farewell. Used up and disposed of like a Bic lighter.

Thank you for the comment Sir.

Well what was his branch? Remember some clinicians can come into service at advanced ranks based on their civilian experience, yet have as much in-uniform time as a PV2.....

LTC Paul Labrador - I don't remember his branch. But I can assure you he was not a clinician. He was the most worthless SM I have seen in 28+ years.

Sounds like all of the higher leadership in this post is coming to the same conclusion. Seek out opportunities and excel in that opportunity. Thanks for the advise 1SG

PO1 Thomas Jenkins - To a point. But if memory serves, he was USMC for 4 years, USMC Reserve for four, Navy Reserve for 9 years, Air Guard for five years, Army Guard for four years, and USAR for the last ten or so, with short breaks in service in between. When he retired, I asked him when he was joining the Merchant Marine...

PO1 Thomas Jenkins - He was a tough nut to crack, in terms of getting valuable contributions to the unit. I have to say, getting him some confidence and putting him in position to contribute is right up there with things I consider to be great successes in my time as First Sergeant.

GySgt John Olson - When I first met him, he was an E-5 and consensus was he should stay that way. His commander (later my first commander as a 1SG) saw it another way, and allowed him to board. To everyone's surprise, despite his complete lack of awards he was selected for Staff Sergeant - where he stayed for the next eight years.

I remember one time we were at Fort McCoy doing premobilization training in advance to deploying to Iraq. We had spent all day on the MOUT site on a pretty hot day, and I was feeling pretty tore up from jumping through windows and such. I came in muttering to myself about "being too old for this crap" (I was 34 at the time) and SSG P pipes up, "How do you think I feel?" (he was fifty-something at the time).
I said to him, "You know what the difference is between being thirty-something and fifty something? When your are in your twenties, you can do this kind of thing all day. When your in your thirties, you can remember being able to do this all day, and still can, but you pay for it afterwards. When you are in your fifties, you don't even remember being able to do it, you just hurt all the time, so you don't even try."
That got a good laugh out of the barracks.
SSG P wasn't a bad guy, he just wasn't SNCO material.
It is easy to win when the Army deals you nothing but face cards, but winning when you have the four of diamonds takes real skill.