Posted on Apr 18, 2014
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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?
Posted in these groups: Afghanistan AfghanistanUs medals AwardsRibbons banner2 Medals4575 orig Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Posted 12 y ago
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Responses: 58
TSgt Scott Hurley
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Posted 12 y ago
It took over 50 years for the US to approve wear of the Korean war service medal from Korea. It was originally issued in the 50's but the US did not accept it at the time due to regulations. I am betting the same is being done here. But I am guessing that the Afgan government has not given the proposal to the DOD. Instead they are offering it up to everyone as a whole. That is what I am getting since the ROK medal was the same way according to what I have read. But it should be along with Iraq's.
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SSG Aircraft Powertrain Repairer
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Edited 12 y ago
Posted 12 y ago

Sir,

 

We already have the NATO, GWOTE, and AGCM along with whatever awards are cited to the unit as a whole and what is earned through deployment do you really want another ribbon to rebuild another rack of awards..?  At this point I say No I dont want to add another useless ribbon to my rack so someone high up may feel impressed to have it.  Long time ago there were ribbon hunters, no need to as this war on terror dwindles down.
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MSG John Ada
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Posted 12 y ago

"Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!"


Now that I have gotten that out of my system - I apologize for the poor sarcasm and I know it is a medal not a badge before I get criticized for terminology.


If the U.S. didn't accept the Afghan Freedom Medal on behalf of the military men and women that is a shame.  I look at it as the Afghani government recognizing the sacrifice by the military on behalf of their nation.  Accept the award and figure out how to get it in the hands of the military members that participated in OEF.


The Iraqi Freedom Medal has been awarded and accepted what is the issue.  Most likely comes down to dollars unfortunately.  This is not a justified reason for not getting the medal in the hands of the military members that sacrificed a lot during any one of the Iraq war phases.
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MAJ Senior Signal Oc
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12 y

MSG Ada,

I read an article a few years back said unless the Iraqi government would pay for the production of the awards and give them to the US they were not going to authorize them because of the costs. That is the dumbest shit I have heard in a long time.


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SPC Elijah Benson
SPC Elijah Benson
>1 y
MAJ (Join to see) and MSG John Ada: That is a dumb reason to not authorize this award for you guys. And MSG, funny about the badges... lol Take care both of you!! :-)
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SGT 94 E Radio Comsec Repairer
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Posted 12 y ago
Sir,

I wouldn't wear a foreign decoration unless required to.  If we take part in a conflict that warrants a medal, the U.S. will issue it to us.  Plus, foreign decorations are no longer authorized to be entered on our ERB/ORB, so wearing one feels wrong.

Therefore, my vote is no, we should not accept it.
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SGT 94 E Radio Comsec Repairer
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SSG Schirach,

That's good to know.  Thank you for the information.  
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1SG(P) First Sergeant
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Foreign awards may not be on the ERB.  But they can be included in iPerms.  I've a few foreign awards, some aren't authorized, and frankly they're more meaningful to me than some of the superfluous ribbons I have, like the ASR.  There are several allied units that wear previously awarded US unit awards as foreign decorations.  They're quite proud of them.  When the shoe's on the other foot, we should be as well.  A caveat, this is a Wiki article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-U.S._recipients_of_U.S._gallantry_awards




Non-U.S. recipients of U.S. gallantry awards - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Other than the awards to unknown soldiers of World War I, the Medal of Honor, the highest United States valor decoration, has not been awarded to a non-U.S. recipient. The highest valor decoration whi...
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CW2 Ipps A Branch Chief
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12 y
Chris Swan, 
Many people will not understnd the time and partnership we place in foreign personnel. I believe that when it comes to foreign awards it should be based on recognizing the efforts and time our boys place in foreigners. Most people do not understand that it is not easy working with foreign personnel and the time we place needs to be recognized. My foreign wings are precious to me because it shows that I used my patience, time, and AIRBORNE skills to share with other countries and provide them with the proper face and intro that should be displayed to other countries. Many LEGS will just never understand until they too choose to exit a high performance aircraft at 850' AGL in full combat equipment. 
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LTC Area Director
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Foreign jump wings are a big deal in the Airborne world as well. Certainly a worthy endeavor considering Gulf War Vets were authorized medals from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
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Cpl Jeff N.
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Posted 10 y ago
We might want to at least wait until we see if our efforts provide for a free Afghanistan. Looks to be teetering on the edge right now.
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SPC(P) Jay Heenan
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Posted 11 y ago
Just a thought...do you think that the country that had it made to present to the foreign SMs would feel slighted if it wasn't adapted by the foreign countries? If I were a foreign country and I had a medal made to honor foreign war fighters that assisted my country and they didn't let their SMs wear it, I might feel a bit slighted.
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Cpl Glynis Sakowicz
Cpl Glynis Sakowicz
11 y
You know, I don't know if we were ever given the right to wear the Kuwaiti medal, but the fact that it was given so joyously to us, from their hands to ours as he came upon groups of Marines everywhere he found us... made it mean so much more... it was as if the Ambassador, was not simply thanking each of us... even though many of us had not been chosen for Desert Storm, he made each of us... supply clerks, truck drivers, aircraft mechanics, cooks... everyone he saw, as if he was thanking each of us personally. To me, on hold for a spinal injury, and two little girls, with a husband who was in the sandox, it was as if someone was acknowledging what we'd done to help as well.
I can't help but get the feeling that this Afghan medal was created because that's what countries do, but then their people don't attack those who 'saved them' afterward... at least not outside of the UN.
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SFC Mark Merino
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Posted 11 y ago
They allowed the one from Kuwait. I don't know why they wouldn't.
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Cpl Rick West
Cpl Rick West
11 y
Yup, you should
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SSG(P) Instructor
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11 y
I don't know, is Afghanistan free yet?  Free from what?
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SFC Counterintelligence (CI) Agent
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Ah more bling i see
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LTC Strategic Plans And Training Officer
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Posted 11 y ago
Yes, we as the US have this habit of snubbing our allies by not excepting their awards. Funny thing is the Afghan Freedom Medal says "FREEDOM MEDAL" in english, so who do you thing it is for. Most of the medals were created to give to Americans. NATO/OTAN if you know the second offical language of NATO is french hence "OTAN". Yet I do not see french, spanish, italian nor german on the medal.
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MAJ Infantry Officer
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OTAN is not French. it's OTAN because Arabic, Dari, Pashto, etc is read from right to left and OTAN read from right to left spells NATO.
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LTC Strategic Plans And Training Officer
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LMAO Well I guess that's what I get for listening to the Italians. Ciao!
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MAJ Infantry Officer
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NP, glad I could help ;)
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Cpl Glynis Sakowicz
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Posted 11 y ago
WAYYYY Back in the dark ages of Desert Storm, we were awarded medals by Kuwait... and you know, I'm still not sure if we were allowed to wear them, because I got mine straight from the hand of the Kuwaiti Ambassador who seemed to be all sorts of places at the time.
Lots of people were going thru some horrible times... the reserves were called up, their pay didn't kick in and their families were in dire strates, and suddenly here come the Kuwaitis with trucks full of food and every other word was "Thank You"
I never saw anyone actually wear one of those medals, but I can't be the only one who got one, they were passing them out everywhere the Miltary went, and each was handed over with a very heartfelt thanks, but you know, considering the country, the blue on green crimes, I'm not sure I'd even want to wear one.... so many bad memories.
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LTC Area Director
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MAJ Brigade Logistics Officer (S4)
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Signed.
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