What is the best way to tell your unit that you in no way shape or form want an ETS award from them?

Look I know how you feel. I was at a post for 9 years and 4 deployments. Our unit went light from heavy. After writing 13 awards for my Soldiers I was not writing my own award. However in hind site I should have went ahead and done it. Instead I'm short an award that I should have gotten

Maybe I'm rusty, but last I can remember my ETS award was my DD214

I would go to the chain of command and speak with them privately about the matter. Making issues like that public for the whole unit to see could have a very negative impact on unit morale and cohesion. There are many reasons the sm may not want it. It may be out of guilt, survivors guilt or other forms of PTSD or issues developed from combat.

I had to medically retire after 21 years I really didn't feel like an award for my retirement was necessary but the person that wrote the award for me explain to me he felt it was important for him to be able to write this award because he felt my career and the sacrifices that I made deserve that recognition. Never asked him what it was and never really cared What mattered to me was someone felt that I made a real positive contribution to the Army. I have seen people get upset because they were given and an ARCOM as an ETS award or a retirement award and felt they deserved more that's just Petty and they didn't deserve an award in the first place.

I'm assuming a ETS award is a End of Service award! Isn't a DD Fom 214 a form of an award if you get out Honorably? Now retiring is slightly different after doing 21 years! I accepted a retirement award in the form of a MSM. Did the ETS award replace the ARCOM?

In a few years that award will have some sentamental value too you. Maybe you might not think so right now, but it will remind you of the good times and the comraderie from your years of service. Take care and good luck.

You don't tell them anything and you accept the award. As a SGT and leader, you should respect the tradition and set an example for those you lead. You are probably familiar with the phrase, "Counsel in private, praise in public." If you have a "bad taste", you are doing a disservice to those who look up to you. Accept your award in public and schedule a one-on-one with senior leadership to express your issues and bring a proposed solution(s). If you keep those issues bottled up, you will be setting yourself up for years of regret.
Lastly and contrary to your statement, "that a civilian company cares not a whit about"...it does matter. In getting the post-military career I am in now, I had to provide written artifacts documenting my experience and qualifications. My end of tour award was the only document that officially proved all of my late military career accomplishments. Granted, if you choose to work at Wal-Mart, Home Depot or the likes, it does not matter. If you want a real career that pays well, it matters. Future employers do not have the time or the desire to call your prior military leaders and discuss your qualifications. A permanent document is always the way to go.
Keep charging!
Signed,
A Navy Chief (Retired)

Man up! Tell your First Seargeant you don't don't want it and why. MAN UP!

Go talk to your SgtMaj, be professional and make your case and listen to his recommendations. He is your senior enlisted and will give you his recommendation. Listen to him and follow his guidance.

I spent 8 months in Korea away from my family, and had to leave early for a MEB due to permanent injury. I served with zero issues, and did not even receive a COA for PCS, while people got ARCOMs for spending 2 weeks in the barracks during exercises. I totally understand why you feel the way you do. It is just an award, most civilian employers don't know the difference between an AAM and an MSM, and no one cares how "stacked" you are at the unit ball. Id just toss it in the trash if I was that dead set on not receiving it.

If you honestly want to get recognition for your soldiers, write them letters of continuity for their ETS/PCS awards so the don't get handed a blank 638 for their input from a new NCO.

Recommend that you reconsider accepting a ETS award. CPL Wilfred Roberge put it far more eloquently than I could.

Be gracious. Accept the award and use that opportunity to thank them but highlight the ones you believe are more deserving of the credit.

Some say suck it, some say a handshake, I prefered the hand shake

I'm a little hazey on this one. Being Navy, I don't recall an "ETS" award. We had plenty of awards that weren't worth anything. I'm supposing this like a participation award? How about a brief on this one for an old squid-dog.

So I went through this has I was retiring. My DD214 appointment was fast approaching so I kept bugging my S1 for it. I was assured it was coming along fine and then the day of my DD214 appointment comes along and, not only is the award not finished but it got kicked back has a rewrite to a lower award. Needless to say I just told them and my BC not to worry about it since I already had a couple of those awards and I needed to have it that day for my final DD214. They all thought I was ungrateful but having another of an award that I already had really didn't mean anything and it's not like I am going to wear the award on a uniform again.

I have been out for nearly three months and every time I talk to my BC he says they are still working on it. I still think they are wasting their time and could be doing other things. But, what do I know?

I can relate to this question. I was offered an ARCOM as a retirement award after 20 years of service. It was insulting to say the least, so I declined my final NCOER and did not attend the retirement ceremony. For you, I believe the best way to do this would be to simply tell your 1SG/Commander. Sometimes, there is no way around receiving a sh#t award because it is "part of the out-processing process".

Not necessary thank you

For someone who just starting his military career i don't have much say in this matter. As someone who wants to become an officer i'd say take every award you can get even a participation award unfortunately the only way the army recognizes anyone is if their name is on a certificate. As a sgt you know you cant do any thing in the army with out a piece of paper. An ETS award may just be a paper saying hey you didnt screw up but is still considered an award their are civilian jobs that will look at that greatly and hire you because you completed something that not a lot of people can say they completed

Have been retired from USMC over 30 years. Haven't kept up with Army abbreviations. What is ETS?

When I got back from Iraq a few buddies and I got downgraded awards to AAM. We spent most of our deployment outside the wire. The POGS who spent their whole deployment on base got ARCOMs and of course all of the e-7 and above got the bronze star. My buddy threw his in the trash and I would have too but they lost mine lol. I never received anything. They made me walk up there and not receive a fucking thing. I ETS'd soon after and left all that behind me.