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

The problem with the award system in the Marines is that it is somehow connected with rank and time in service! Like for example a well deserving lance corporal could do a lot more than a Ssgt or LT would under the same scenario during a combat op and receive a lesser medal, because of the rank of the Marines.(I have seen this happen) None of which has anything to do with the actual award. If you read the criteria it has nothing to do with any of those.

Criteria:
The acts or services that justify the awarding of the Meritorious Service Medal must be equivalent to that necessary for the awarding of the Legion of Merit, only performed while in a duty of lesser degree but still significant responsibility. It is awarded to a member of the military of the Armed Forces of the United States for having set him or herself apart from his/her comrades by outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service to the United States after 16 January 1969.

After 20+ years, no one has it right, nor will they ever. One thing is for certain, if you feel rank equals a certain award, you are part of the problem. I was shot down two times in my career for MSMs because of my rank. Both as a SSG serving in a SFC position all while running circles around those other senior NCOs and watched every last one of them walk out with an MSM. I’ve had outstanding subordinates experience the same. I’ve also seen retards with rank walk out of a job with MSMs. The body of work that a service member puts in should be what matters. My suggestion (and many others through the years) is to remove the rank and name of the service member compleltey from the form. This could be digitally. All documents are filed under your SSN anyhow. So take the info off the form and award on write ups and merit alone. This would go a long way to remove what is obviously a rank issue when it comes to awards.

Yes it is and always has been easier for members of the other services to get this award

Without knowing circumstances surrounding the award in question I won't comment. However in my 20 years of service I think awards are given that should not have been which indicates to me a leadership/education problem.

The Navy requires LCDR or CW03 at min and verifiable impact of service region wide or across multiple installations.

As far i I know the MSM was for Officers in Leadership roles who performed beyond the call of duty in either combat or non-combat Every one I saw awarded was to such.....Being in the service during non wartime is truly arduous duty for those people with a true warrior spirit.. while we do have to defend the integrity of Medals that reward heroism and self sacrifice such as Bronze and Silver Stars, and the CMH, Medals are for those of Earned them We either have the pride and Honor that we earned this or that we got it pencil fu--ed for promotion point. I know what you are talking about Gunny But without the personal pride and honor even these awards are nothing more than shiny gum wrappers glued to our uniforms Semper fi HM1 David R Daniel HM1 FMF USN ret.... 1st MarDiv 83-87

Dont know.

No, each service should set their own rules for the award

Last time I saw they were handing Bronze Stars out like they were candy for meritorious service.

When I was in the Air Force you weren't eligible for the MSM until E-7. That being said the MSM was established as an alternative to the bronze star. It is awarded to those who actions merit a bronze star, but were not engaged in direct action with an enemy. There is no real justifiable reason to limit the award to those E-7 or greater, specially if their efforts had a significant positive impact on mission accomplishment.