What are your thoughts on the award policy in the Army? Should certain awards be reserved for higher ranks and positions?

It should be open to everyone if it wasn’t for the little private the higher ranking people would not get anything see we make you what you are.

To me: the higher the medal is ranked the higher the positive impact made to warrant it (this is strictly concerning peacetime personal awards). Did you do something that changes your whole MOS for the better? Heck yeah, that should rate an MSM. A Marine Corporal received an MSM for that very reason plus saving the Corps, by estimates, over a million dollars. A positive impact within one's unit to me shouldn't necessarily be more than an AAM unless accolades about you/your company/platoon level-unit were made specifically to general officers. That's just me though. It took me five units and stations before I finally got any semblance of a personal award; which also goes to show that part of receiving an award is also with some level of social politics.

Army awards process is broken. Awards are simply an evolutionary Process that occurs like osmosis not merit. I’ve heard it said that an Comm is a young troop award. Should be based on performance not pay grade or inevitability.. The military really wanted to do something about this. They would make the star a combat only valor award, and the V wouldn’t be necessary. During my time in the Marine Corps, it never even occurred to me. Someone could get a bronze star for achievement. And unfortunately, that’s pretty much a block that check that every officer eventually get one. The Army has too many redundant and participation awards, the most ridiculous too, that I can think of NCO professional development is one. If you have the rank, you obviously completed the requisite schooling. It’s like giving a ribbon to a new lieutenant revving college degree. If they weren’t college educated they generally wouldn’t be an officer so it’s presumptive. The other most ridiculous one is the Army ribbon. On your army uniform while you’re obviously a soldier in member of the US Army you have an award that says I completed army training? Obviously you completed it or you wouldn’t be there.

It is my opinion that your company commander needs to read the regulation. In all likelihood he was 'advised' by someone higher of the 'policy ' his quoted.

It’s always a tricky topic. I don’t understand why in cases like this, soldier competitions, academic or physical- why isn’t the award already preapproved?

How many different units give different awards for winning a soldier of the month board? I wish the army would streamline some of this a little bit more.

It’s never going to be perfect. There are people out there, who were skilled with the word, and can make you sound like a hero for simply showing up. And obviously, there is the commands that unless you are deserving, a congressional medal of honor, then you were “just doing your job.”

I think the truth lies somewhere in between. But making standards for gunnery competitions, boards etc….. I would help alleviate some of that.

Sounds like someone did not read the regulation. Was the same commander involved last year? It seems to me that winning the gunnery competition takes more knowledge and skill than doing the fastest ruck time.

Congratulations for becoming Divisional Top Gun. When I was Corporal I did the same thing and I received a personal written congratulations from the 9th ID CSM and a coin from the commander. Awards are usually weighted, and dependent upon the event being recognized.

I agree with the technical response from COL Cudworth. I think a discussion with your PL is warranted. I think this is an opportunity for you, your PL to learn the process and it sounds like a great subject for NCOPD and OPD. The re-address the event for an award.

Service in Viet Nam was a rank based award assignment for the Army. Meritorious awards for completing the year without incident got SGT and below an ARCOM, SSG and above got a BSM. I received 2 ARCOMs just for doing a decent job and spending 22 months there. (I use those ranks as catchalls, SP5 and so forth) Downgrading was common then also. I learned well after the fact that an ARCOM w V was actually submitted as a BSM w V. No biggie, as the V and 2 OLCs looked fine on my chest. The real awards were the 2 SS recipients that were next to me that day, and the MOH that would come for a PL KIA that day.

I am not postive about the meaning of “kicked back” but it probably doesn’t mean he disapproved the award. He most likely said the act doesn’t rise to the level outlined in paragraph 1-21 for an impact award. The rank examples most likely were intended as guidance for the type of positions that normally have responsibility levels that may reach the level of magnitude outlined in that paragraph. Your PL could push the issue to the approval authority although he probably should wait and include in your service award when you depart. If this had been an impact AAM it might have gotten through. I can’t speak to the other Soldier’s awards but in my opinion this falls way short of the criteria most Commands use to when awarding MSMs.

I was RIF in 1992 and put out with VSI. Went on to get my Electrical Engineer. In 2006 letter received "Welcome back you are headed to Iraq". Ended up deploying with a SOF Sigdet. We'll being a POG my Engineer skills throughout deployment solved a lot of issues. The Det put me in for BS but was downgraded to ARCOM. The unit got to go home but this POG was left packing their gear and customs. This put me over 18 years and I did correspondence courses to get my 20 or letter. No end of service award just a letter in the mail. I kept a copy of the write up for the BS award but it was explained to me as an IRR recalled soldier I was not in their unit. Sometimes sacrifice is unseen but I know I helped save lives with systems engineered in the field. SFC Lee hard work and going way beyond expectations will need to be your personal award.