Posted on Apr 18, 2014
Should we be awarded the Afghan Freedom Medal?
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I stumbled upon the Afghan Freedom Medal that was approved by Afghanistan to present to foreign Soldiers who helped them. The US never accepted it and therefore we are not authorized to be awarded it or wear it. What are your thoughts? Should we have accepted it? Should we now?
Afghanistan
Awards
Medals
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 58
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Sir, I think we should wear the award. However, I would make it a unit citation like the Republic of Korea Presidential unit citation or the Philippine Republic Presidential unit citation.
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SSG (Join to see)
I like the idea of a unit citation instead of an individual award. But it also make it more similar to a campaign medal, as being simply representative of service in a particular area/theater.
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<p>I'm sure this thread is for SM's only, thought I put in an image to give an idea of this Medal in question.</p><p>I will now go to my corner sit down and stay quite.</p>
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SPC Elijah Benson
SSG Laureano Pabon: Thanks for the image!! Looks very nice. I saw it before but a while back ago. Again, thanks!!
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Medals like that have been approved in the past but I really don't care about medals and stuff, I just wear what I rate.
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GySgt (Join to see)
Many from the gulf war rated foreign medals, two Kuwait Liberation Medals, one issued by saudi arabia and the other from kuwait.
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That conjures up the thought about the NDSM. I see my daughter is in the USCG and is authorized to wear it. THE USCG is now under DHS and not likely to see military action.<div><br></div><div>I served during the Cold War period after Viet Nam. <span style="color: rgb(55, 64, 78); font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12 [login to see] 91406px; line-height: 18px;">We had enough threats during the time I was in. We were put on alert when N. Korea killed 3 American officers, had alert to Russian subs off the coast of California that were found monitoring my unit's work. There was Libya, Grenada, Panama. Not to mention the Iron Curtain and threat of MAD.</span><br style="color: rgb(55, 64, 78); font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12 [login to see] 91406px; line-height: 18px;"><br style="color: rgb(55, 64, 78); font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12 [login to see] 91406px; line-height: 18px;"><font color="#37404e" face="lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12 [login to see] 91406px; line-height: 18px;">I helped develop the equipment and weapons that carried us through today's conflicts. But there is no recognition for our service. Check this out.</span></font><br><font color="#37404e" face="lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;">http://vimeo.com/90408471</span></font></div><div><font color="#37404e" face="lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br></span></font><div><font color="#37404e" face="lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Any support for this? How about the idea of authorizing the NDSM for all serving? We serve for the defense of our country, do we not?</span></font></div></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://i.vimeocdn.com/video/469538402_1280.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://vimeo.com/90408471">Cold War Victory Medal | PSA</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Standing fierce in the face of an overwhelming enemy, these Veterans answered the call -- drafted or volunteered -- as America needed its guardians of freedom, and…</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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SPC Elijah Benson
Some State National Guards authorized the wear of the "Cold War Era" Medal for their service, although it's rated as a State National Guard Medal only. It's a start at least for you guys that served during that timeframe.
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SSG Jeffrey Spencer
Not at all knocking the USCG and their mission. In a way, they see more 'combat' doing enforcement of our maritime borders and drug interdiction. However, my point is that with 8 years of service under constant threat post VietNam, I am not authorized to wear the NDSM, whereas I see everyone serving since 1991 getting to wear it.
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GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad
The Cold War Service Medal should have been authorized years ago. Frankly, I don't see any difference between it and the GWOT Medal. Particularly since many who served during the Cold War weren't even authorized the NDSM --- but people awarded the GWOT also got the NDSM.
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PO1 (Join to see)
The USCG has been in the Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan along with all the other services so the NDSM does make sense.
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If you served in combat, I feel you should be awarded a medal from the nation that you fought for. I cherish my foreign awards.
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Accept yes. Wear no. We already have a campaign medal. Same with NATO medal for Afghanistan, accept but not wear.
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SFC (Join to see)
We didn't all get the NATO medal for OEF. That fact doesn't create an argument for the issue of this medal, nor does it defeat its issue. I personally would appreciate the medal, but its continued lack of support from the DoD won't upset me.
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MAJ (Join to see)
I can't think of a single foreign award that didn't have a contemporary campaign medal. It is normal to receive one from your country and one from the country where you served in combat.
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I still want to know what happened to that medal that Iraq awarded us all, the Secretary of Defense received in person in a ceremony, and then we never heard anything about ever again...
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LTC (Join to see)
That was Biden, not the SECDEF, that got the Iraqi Committment Medal. Iraq was supposed to forge some number of them and ship them to us, then we would approve them for wear and distrubution, but Iraq never followed through. I suspect this may be the same deal, where the other government announces the medal, but then doesn't want to pay to mass produce and distribute it.
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SFC Michael Hasbun
Ah, indeed it was. Honestly though, all they have to do is authorize it, and local manufacturers will be jumping all over themselves to produce it. It's not like Desert Storm vets have to travel to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for their awards...
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MAJ (Join to see)
SPC(P) (Join to see) that's a very good point. So, does anyone feel strongly enough about either of these awards (Iraqi or Afghan) to start a petition about it? And if so, be sure to post the link here so others can sign it!
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SSgt (Join to see)
SFC Michael Hasbun - Desert Storm vets were issued medals from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Not all received the medals that those governments issued them but they were made and shipped to the US for distribution. Just before I retired (20 years after DS) I was going through an old storage room at my unit and found a box of about 20 of the Saudi version that had never been issued out.
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I say yes! I was aware of the Iraq medal, but not the Afghan medal. Our brothers in arms were all awarded medals from those countries in Desert Storm/Vietnam/Korea......Why not the current crop of veterans?
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