Posted on Feb 6, 2015
LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
12.9K
98
20
3
3
0
Recently there have been Special Operations servicemen who have allegedly committed crimes of fraud and potentially murder. Should their conduct after receiving their elite status (Green Beret and Navy Seal Trident) or medals be reason enough to strip them of them? Should it matter if they are still in the service, retired, or ETS'd?
Posted in these groups: 2dc806a0 ValorRoandco honor branding 01 1299 xxx q85 HonorUs medals Awards
Avatar feed
See Results
Responses: 15
1px xxx
Suspended Profile
Edited 9 y ago
LTC (Join to see). As far as an award . . . as long as there is no mistake regarding the facts on which the award was based . . . it should not be taken away . . . it is a historic fact.

With respect to promotions and membership in elite organizations . . . having once held a specific rank or membership is a historic fact . . . but that rank or membership may he revocable.

Warmest Regards, Sandy

LTC Stephen C.
COL Vincent Stoneking
6
6
0
The published policy is only the discovery of facts that would have caused the awarding authorities to not issue the award in the first place. Ie something that they had already done that simply wasn't known at the time. Subsequent conduct cannot erase the meritorious actions.

It can make the person a low-down bastard, but a low-down bastard who once did something good.
(6)
Comment
(0)
LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
LTC (Join to see)
9 y
COL Vincent Stoneking would you change that policy if you could?
(0)
Reply
(0)
COL Vincent Stoneking
COL Vincent Stoneking
9 y
I would not. I can see yanking an award for fraud, but not for subsequent behavior. Dishonorable discharge, reduction, prison, etc. yes.
(4)
Reply
(0)
SPC(P) Jay Heenan
SPC(P) Jay Heenan
9 y
COL Vincent Stoneking, I think you deserve a RP award (what say you SFC Mark Merino) for using "low-down bastard"...
(1)
Reply
(0)
SSgt Boyd Herrst
SSgt Boyd Herrst
>1 y
S’one in military who has retired /discharged and a egrigious act happens .. that has nothing to do with what happened in service.. Why should convening authority have a right to revoke an award .. I can see maybe the Medal of Honor , but any other award should be off-limits..
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SFC Detachment Ncoic
4
4
0
I relegate this in my mind to something akin to what the NFL Hall of Fame voters go through prior to electing a former player into the NFL HOF. What these voters are supposed to do is to only take what the player did on the field, and leave any off the field distractions out of the decision. We all know if these voters took off the field actions into consideration, there'd be no players in NFL HOF.
Take for example, Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. On the field, he was an electric player, dynamic, one of the best to ever play wide receiver (hence his election into the HOF). However, his off the field antics showed him to be a not so mature guy, he did drugs and paid for prostitutes, pretty much like a lot of those guys (not everyone). The HOF voters though didn't look at his off the field body of work, and thus he was allowed to be voted it. At the time of his voting in, it was controversial, due to his actions off the field. Today, no one talks about it.
I agree with 1LT Sandy Annala, once that award has been earned, it's the SM's award. That award has become a part of the SM's permanent record. "Off the field" actions should only ever be taken into account during consideration for receiving a current or subsequent award for a different act.
(4)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close