Posted on Oct 5, 2016
What is the best way to tell your unit that you in no way shape or form want an ETS award from them?
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First off, wow kinda surprised this generated any response at all. I was looking more for a "oh hey, just do this memorandum and it's all done." kind of a deal. Anyways as for context, awards here go through about 15 or more corrections for non-grammatical issues. The award hasn't been written yet and I would probably end up writing it anyways. I just don't want to waste anyone's time or my own for that matter with writing an award that a civilian company cares not a whit about that just going to get kicked back over and over and over. I know what I have done and I honestly don't care much for recognition. I'd rather see some of my Soldiers get credited as they go on to do bigger and better things. Do I also have other motivations for not wanting an award yes because there have been several things that have left a bad taste, but I didn't post this to air my dirty laundry, I was just simply looking for advice. Thanks all for the numerous replies. Most were pretty entertaining, and a few were even helpful.
Awards
ETS/EAS
Advice
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 350
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AFAIK, you can't clear without one, or a memo justifying why you aren't eligible to get one.
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I have a few awards and things like that myself that i didnt care for but still accepted not for me but for my kids. I have 3 kids and they are to young to understand what these awards mean but someday when they are older i want them to know what there father did big or small and know that they can be proud of their father so in my opinion take the award worst case scenario you put it in a file folder that takes up minimal space and toss it in your military trunk and lock it away for when they want to onow more about you. Like many on this post have said its not just about you so much as it is about your loved ones.
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Just take whatever award they give you, salute smartly and put it in the box with whatever gear you're gonna keep when you get out. Before I retired, our S1 informed me that I needed to write up my retirement award and have it to him by such-and-such date. My response made it clear to him that awards really weren't that important to me so he could just let the chips fall wherever. He ended up writing up the award. My plan was to quietly sign out and go home to the swamps, but in the 101st the retirement ceremony was mandatory in those days. I was proud to see how many of our young troopers came to the ceremony, though. Awards may not mean much to you, but they do to the troops you serve with. They know who really does or does not deserve recognition anyway, so making some sort of statement about the unit by refusing an award will just be preaching to the choir anyway.
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Obviously it's a "it depends" kind of thing. Take the award if it's what you deserved, however if it's an insult (for reasons like the staff officers that didn't do a damn thing are getting bronze stars and the enlisted are getting ARCOMs - been there, done that...) then it's an entirely different issue. People have jobs to do, those include writing and delivering awards. You should insist people do their jobs.
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Hey - from my foxhole, if this is an ETS award it's cumulative of all of your service. Not just this particular unit. So go ahead and take the award. Make sure that you mostly wrote about the proud accomplishments you did. Since you will be writing it yourself, that should be easy.
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Be benevolent about it and accept the award. Whether you feel it is smoke or not, not accepting it may have lasting effects, you may need a reference some day, you may need to show a trail of awesome, you never know. In the end, it is a just a piece of paper, you can take it, smile, shake a hand, toss it in the drawer...
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As you say you would want your soldiers to get credit. Seems someone in your chain of command felt the same way and IMHO you should feel the same as when you recommended one of your soldiers for an award. Take it be gracious and then if you wish file it. These things may mean something to you later. Had a certificate when I left the Army in 1970 with the presidents signature on it years later he was gracious enough to sign over the top of the printed signature. Now I cherish it. Dutch DeGroot MSG, USAF, (ret)
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I never got an ETS award but I did throw away all the awards I got in OIF right after I received them. I am retired now and I would do it again.
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Awards are supposed to be for service rendered and the level rendered, sometimes the award is downgraded for mutiple reasons. At the end of your duty if you get an award taken it and move out. Will civilians care? Maybe maybe not it's all.in how you word your resume. But most of the time a civilian doesn't know the difference between and AAM and a MSM, it's on your writing skills. You didn't serve for awards, you know what you did, don't discredit your service by leaving on a bad note.
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