Posted on Aug 15, 2018
Is there a difference between the Navy Commendation Medal & the ARCOM?
17.4K
36
37
5
5
0
My best friend from highschool is a former FAST Marine, reminds me every day. Anyways, I went to visit him the other day out of state and we were looking at each others pictures from our AD days. He noticed my ARCOM I got in Iraq and when I told him what it was he was in disbelief that an E3 would get a Commendation medal. So, is there a difference? Seems to be a bigger deal to the navy and usmc?
Marines
Awards
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 11
6
6
0
The Marines and Navy issue Achievement Medals for occasions the Army would issue ARCOMS or MSM/Bronze Stars for.. Same awards, technically the same criteria, but a very different awards philosophy..
(6)
(0)
SSG Robert Webster
CPT Lawrence Cable and SP5 Peter Keane, I would go back and reread what SFC Michael Hasbun stated and possibly revise my statement. In the 20 hrs between when he posted his statement and this response, he has not edited it. I believe that you misread what he wrote. SFC Hasbun, basically stated the same thing as SFC Brian Johnston, just in different words, and you did not comment on his statement. Thank you.
(0)
(0)
CPT Lawrence Cable
SSG Robert Webster - I didn't address his assumptions, but I'm not sure I think that it's true, or at least in the Navy, no real experience with the Marine. The Navy seems to be pretty generous with the NAM, my son had two by E5. While I like to think that he is a particularly hard charger, I've been around the Navy a bit now and it's not an uncommon award. But when I was in, the Army achievement Medal was a hell of lot more common than an ARCOM too.
I also believe that awards standards vary a lot between units in the same service. That guy in HHC is a lot more likely to pull a medal than some squad level grunt simply because he is in front of the people that approve the medals most of the time. And that guy could move to his next unit and they would just consider his actions part of his job.
I also believe that awards standards vary a lot between units in the same service. That guy in HHC is a lot more likely to pull a medal than some squad level grunt simply because he is in front of the people that approve the medals most of the time. And that guy could move to his next unit and they would just consider his actions part of his job.
(0)
(0)
3
3
0
well a lot of people here have a lot of opinions. To answer your original question Yes they are the same award just for different branch. Just like AAM is the same as a NAM. I have both but I received mine as an E3 lance corporal and as E4 corporal so it all depends on your unit, the job you did, and who put you in for it. For my Marine Corps awards I got put in by a Master Gunns so nobody was going to tell him what his marine deserved for the job I did and the other by a CWO5 with bursting bombs and nobody was going to tell him what his marine deserved.
But yes I've seen the Army hand out awards like cookies but doesn't mean the Soldier didn't deserve the award if they got recommended for it and it got approved someone with a lot more rank O5 and above believed he deserved it.
But yes I've seen the Army hand out awards like cookies but doesn't mean the Soldier didn't deserve the award if they got recommended for it and it got approved someone with a lot more rank O5 and above believed he deserved it.
(3)
(0)
SPC (Join to see)
Face just melted off like Raiders of the lost ark. Thanks. Haha! Well I’ll be damned, they do exist.SSG Robert Webster
(1)
(0)
SFC(P) (Join to see)
lol. my profile picture there is a cwo5 standing next to me on the side of the Commandant of the marine corps. He loved his coffee, showing up in civilians randomly and on road marches he would show up in his old green utility uniform and no one would say a dam thing to him the uniform wasn't authorized for idk how many years.
(2)
(0)
2
2
0
I thought it would be three or more accomplishments from the Navy, the Marine Corps and the US Army and its Reserve components. Correct me if I'm wrong!
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel LT Brad McInnis CDR (Join to see)
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel LT Brad McInnis CDR (Join to see)
(2)
(0)
LTC (Join to see)
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel I didn't get my first Army Achievement medal until I went to Afghanistan and it was presented to me in 2009. I didn't get my first Army Commendation Medal until 2013. I did earn them. I'm sorry you never received one.
(0)
(0)
SPC (Join to see)
Or cutlasses. Haha. But that’s interesting. I’m looking at the form that came with my award certificate and it looks like my LT wrote it up and recommended me, then my CO wrote a comment and approved it, then the BC (O5) wrote a comment and approved it then the brigade commander signed off on it. I don’t think we have boards for that in the army?LT Brad McInnis
(1)
(0)
SPC (Join to see)
I guess I was just oblivious. I really never knew anything about awards, I thought everyone got them.LTC (Join to see)
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google