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

Rank and/or time in service should not matter when receiving an award although approving authority's unfairly downgrade awards to lower ranked solders that would otherwise be approved

I have to add at some point awards don't mean a lot. I had a group of Soldiers who thought the greatest award was going home at the end of 14 months intact. Home was priceless.

The biggest issue I saw before retirement - inconsistent awards. The Army awards system should be based on merit but is often based on rank and position at least for service awards. And you cannot separate easily those based on service versus achievement.

There was a very high standard when I was in. After 20 years of dedicated service, no trouble, a good soldier my highest award was the Arcom. In the Army, an MSM recommendation that is downgraded will be approved as an Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM). I think it has been cheapened.

I was in the 82nd in peacetime in the late ‘70s and you had to do something truly outstanding to receive much more than a letter of commendation.

I got an MSM when I retired from the Army.

I was put in for a BSM while in Iraq as an E-4 (Army). It was downgraded to a MSM because I was not an E-6 or above. Units have BS criteria they establish for awards, regardless of what the regs say.

What the heck? Where was mine after basic? Oh thats right, I was a Marine. We had higher standards.

As a retired NCO in the Air Force, I believe this medal and a few others should be awarded based on outstanding action, above and beyond call of duty , not rank, nor TIS. I was a Cook during Viet Nam, and a Master Instructor the last twelve years. I resurected a Training program from unsatisfactory for two years, to an outstanding rating by the Air Forcr in a year, working 12-15 hours a day to turn it around. This was to a Group, not squadron, that played a major role in Desert Storm after put back on course. I was put in for The Air Force Commendation Medal...which would count as three points toward promotion. It was downgraded to an Achievement Medal
( 1 point). I missed promotion the last two times by 2 and 1 points respectively . But saw many Airmen be awarded the Commendation medal that contributed very little to the mission, so they would stand a better chance of promotion. I’m not a medal guy, so I just let it go, I knew the quality of my performance and that’s really all that mattered, and held my head up high. Funny thing is, upon retirement, I was awarded the Commendation medal, when I would never test again! Heck, I’d go back in a heartbeat in spite of the politics!

As in all awards, it is not a time in grade or rank requirement, but what was actually accomplished. Too often boards downgrade awards based on this and personnel who should be recognized for their efforts are not. Boards are arbitrary and too often they ignore recommendations or information. The previous comment about the O4 Fobbit getting the MSM and the E4 trooper who was outside the wire for 300 days getting an AAM is spot on. The system is broken and is not likely to be fixed. In my reserve unit we send up award recommendations and they disappear, never to be seen again. It does no good if your approving authority doesnt read or act upon your recommendations.