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

I would’ve asked them what they got it for. I was, as a Specialist put in for an MSM. I was put in for saving an off duty police officers life who crashed into the back of a car well I was stationed in AZ. It was downgraded to an ARCOM because as the reviewers remarks stated E-4s don’t earn MSMs. So in my opinion it’s very subjective to reviewing authority. For me, it was enough to safe this officers life. Didn’t need any other praise or ribbon.

Are you sure it was an MSM and not a DMSM for meritorious service while deployed?

The is robery on insignias and medals!!!!no juist tribut,Award onn NAVY,ARMY,AIR FORCE.The Honor is for,Hero no for!!! A Tak er O, I finde or stealing!!!!!Good bay.

Not my monkey, not my circus

Rank has nothing to do with this award - it's based on merit not rank. What did the person do to get it is the bottom line....

Awards are based on impact not rank or time in service. The regulation even states that. Course it would be difficult for an E2 to do something that would merit an MSM but it is possible.

As a retiree, I can tell u out here in the civilian world it doesn’t even matter. I have 3 MSM’s and am thankful for them, as they are a reflection of my service. Even though it may seem out of the ordinary, they may have been worthy of their awards.

I earned an ARCOM for a deployment with the Rakkasans and a couple of years laters I earned one for going to annual training. I earned my first and only MSM when I retired. Go figure.

I can't speak to the Army Staff Sergeant, but in general, in my AF service experience, decorations were awarded with three components: (1) the level of responsibility involved - for example my retirement DMSM was for service as a Deputy Director in the Joint Strategic Defense Planning Staff, an O-6 slot I filled as an O-5 in a JStaff office at US Space Command - my previous MSMs were for positions such as Director of Training in an Air Force School, Squadron command, etc. (2) the quality of the job done - when I was a Squadron Commander an end of tour award to a 1st Lt Combat Crew Commander who had led an outstanding crew was a Commendation Medal, a meets standards + a bit award for the same job was an Achievement Medal. (3) whether the award was appropriate given previous awards held. A MSM as a first award would require a really substantial achievement, a MSM for someone who already had a couple of Commendation Medals and an Achievement Medal and who was in progressively more responsible jobs would be less of a stretch. My experience is dated, but I would expect an Air Force E-5 with a MSM to have an otherwise impressive ribbon rack. Of course, he or she might have been a Captain passed over for Major who was serving out the rest of a career as an enlisted man. I would add a comment on level of responsibility. Level of responsibility means that you are responsible for more stuff, tougher stuff, with greater performance demanded. A higher level of responsibility means that if you are doing your job your are making a greater contribution to the outcome. As a sector battle commander in Alaska I sat in the operations room with responsibility for the performance of seven radar sites as an integrated defense. The senior director sitting two seats down was only responsible for defending the area assigned to our radar site. The 2nd Lt controller on the top deck of the dias was responsible for vectoring 2 fighters to engage an enemy bomber. Each of our jobs were difficult if we had to go to war. Each required perfect performance or we all would die (assuming the incoming bombers were nuclear armed). But the senior director had to make sure the controller did his or her job, and I had to make sure all of the sites were fighting the best battle possible. Level of responsibility is a very real thing, and has always been a component of award programs. That said, I was happy to get through a career where the battles were practice and without ever having to fight to defend North America from Soviet attack.

I recently returned from Iraq and when the awards were being given before we left country I was just mind blown. Only 2 enlisted people received MSM's because they fully earned them. There were probably about 9 to 11 officers who received MSM's. A few fully earned them but others got them because their friends put them in for the award.

I'm in the National Guard so the people in my unit have known each other for many years. The ones that are full time know each other very well. So when I saw them giving each other MSM's, except for the O6 and the O5's who got bronze stars, it just threw me off at how easily this award can be thrown around. I even saw a female Major cry because she didn't get a MSM. She literally did nothing but was put in the S3 and she wasn't even the acting officer. There was already a Major who was earning his award.

So as you can see with this very small example, the award is only as good as your friends. The best award any of us can earn is a dd214 unscathed.