Is the awarding of the Meritorious Service Medal being watered down due to lack of standardization across the services?

In '95, I put my Master Chief and Senior Chief in for the MSM. They received it despite the protest of our command's Chief of Staff (CSO), who was a Navy Captain. I was put in for the same award in '96 by my new CSO and that same Navy Captain was now my CO. He downgraded it to a NMCCM. Though I didn't ask for an explanation, he felt compelled to give me one. He stated an MSM was for senior officers and that the two he was awarded were for O-5 command and being the number one recruiter in the Mid-West. Oh well.

Apparently the award has been watered down. - Ref: SECNAVINST 1650.1G, Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual: "To justify this decoration, the acts or services rendered by an individual, regardless of grade or rate, must have been comparable to that required for the Legion of Merit but in a duty of lesser responsibility. The Meritorious Service Medal is the counterpart of the Bronze Star Medal for the recognition of meritorious non-combat service."

Lets face it, you will never see anyone in the air force, or army, or navy, or coast guard held to as high of standards as their equivalent rank in the Marines.

On a day to day basis, a Marine is excpected to be the best of the best, and on a day to day basis, they are.

That being said, the true American Dogs of War arent kept savage and ready for action by pampering. You dont pin medals or give pats on the back when a Marine does what is expected of them. But you punish ruthlessly when they fall short.


Often times, the only medals a Marine will receive untill they reach NCO status besides deployment medals and shooting badge are, Fire Watch, and a Good Cookie. (Active Duty & Good Conduct for those who haven't served)

After 4 years in the Marines I had my Active Service, Good Conduct, GWAT, Sea Service, and Afganistan Campaing w/single Bronze Star, and a 4th award Expert Rifleman badge.
I had been up for one NAM nomination but didn't make the final cut, and on one meritorious promotion board, E-3 to E-4 that I lost due to not remebering the name of the first female Marine... (Knowing Marine Corps History is mandatory for things like this.)

Friends from high school that joined the Army and Navy had more ribbons and medals than I did before they had ever deployed. They also reached higher rank much faster than the Marine Corps promotes.

So it wouldn't surprise me to find out that lesser ranking members of lesser branches got awards and medals that would typically be reserved for only the best of Marines.

Used to be, in the 80-90s, this was an O-6 award. Almost never awarded to a lower grade rank. USA Rtd

I think a lot of awards have been watered down Bronze Stars are now given as end of deployment award.

I recieved my first MSM as an E4, original award was sent up as an ARCOM, CG upgraded it to MSM for the extra work and briefings I had done not related to my job, recieved my 2nd MSM as an E-6, and was put in for a 3rd MSM that was downgraded to an ARCOM because “the CO had his MSM downgraded”

I want to read about who recommended them to get the medal and for what reason. To many medals are given out for the wrong reasons - the bronze star and flying cross are good examples of medals that are given out to freely. To many medals given out for no reason - John Kerry is a prime example.

Today’s world is all about making everyone feel good the awards system is broken!

It could be. Awards in general get watered down if Criteria is not tightly adhered to.

You have to be in a click or sneeze to get one.