What is your favorite medal and why?

As a infantry soldier I would say my Blue Cord and my Drill Sergeant badge

Not a medal but unique in the Army - The Army Sea Duty Ribbon. Received mine by serving as an 88K during my enlisted days.

I think you now have a GREAT one, the bars you're wearing. Salute!

CIB

The screaming chicken. Aka the Air Medal. Iraq, OIR 2014 & 2016

Antarctic Service Medal, Operation DEEP FREEZE 2017.

Though the Reserve Sea Service Deployment ribbon is a rare award, hard to get to sea for a reservist. Navy Achievement medal for service on the 6th Fleet flagship as a reservist was pretty neat too, as was a Navy Comm for my first EOT. Humanitarian Service, USCG Achievement....now that I think about it, every one that I have reminds me of a unique and special period of ministry and service.

I have a friend who once argued “If it has more than 3 words in the name, it doesn’t mean anything. National Defense Service Medal (4words), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (6words), Armed Forces Service Medal (4words), you wouldn’t change your medal rack for that. Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Medal of Honor, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, see three words or less, you’d totally spend money to change your rack for that.”

The ARCOM that my team and I received for participating in the ROWPU Rodeo at Ft. Story, VA in 2001. (Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit or ROWPU). We had zero train days as a team before going out because we were all Guard members from different units. We held our own and placed 3rd in the Reserve Component Category and finished 13th out of 39 teams overall if I remember correctly (which is questionable!!). It was a great two weeks and certainly memorable. We really just didn't want to be embarrassed and ended up rocking it out!

I would have to say that today, I'm most proud of my Purple Heart. I spent just short of a decade feeling embarrassed to have it and not wanting anyone to know. But thinking back on a conversation I had as a Drill Sergeant with one of my graduates, my perspective completely changed.

Baghdad, Iraq 21 Apr 2004

My Samuel Sharpe award... I had to jump through my butt and perform above my paygrade for years to earn that one..

In second place is my Combat Action Ribbon... It may not have a dangling medal beneath it, but BOY did the Marines make me earn that one...