Why are officers recognized with awards more than enlisted?

P.S. I went from E1 to E7 before I went to the Darkside, don't even try that angle of bullshit.

I have always felt that, due to the somewhat privileged and esteemed position that Commissioned Officers enjoy, decorations should be primarily reserved for the enlisted personnel.

That assertion does not reflect my career. Granted, the USAF is possibly the most political of the services. As a ROTC student, I watched or top graduates leave active duty in disgrace after a few months.

As a flight commander, I pioneered a technique to exponentially improve squadron productivity. The staff study I wrote on that issue was added to the curriculum at ACSC.

While I survived four years AD, I had only the ribbons on my chest. My commanding General called me back to AD with a promotion to O-3 and a BTZ to O-4 scheduled for a year later. Before I could pin on the latter, politics treated is ugly head again.

Your mileage may vary...

Please read this entire comment before any judgement, please. My Commander just received a badge for his one year in command that took me over a year in training and 14 months doing my job to earn. Back in my specialist days, I think I saw this as unfair but now I have a bit different of an impression. Sometimes the awards a Commander receives show the accomplishments of the entire unit and depending on the unit and the Commander's previous experience, they may be doing a brilliant job just by jumping in and not wrecking the bus. I have seen people removed from operations and even kicked out of the Army, but Commanders and XOs have a far smaller leeway. They can be relieved for not forseeing the outcome of decisions that weren't theirs in the first place. I suppose I am just saying that I don't fault the CO for getting the higher ribbon than the PSG, even though the PSG most likely has more time in service. I really haven't even seen too many impact awards for officers as their exemplary actions are considered par for the course (like the lack on the AGCM). If anyone is to sore on this subject, I would just ask how much you have considered this point of view. Good question though.

I retired in 1978, and it was worse back then! Recognition was given much more on citations, award letters and mentioned in your evaluations. Today, awards come more freely and medals too! I think there is a medal for deployments and much more not given in my tenure! When recommended for a medal, usually it would be down graded to a lower level. I was surprised when I left Recruiting duty as I received the Navy Achievement Medal for my tenure. I was the Recruiter of the Year twice and in alternate years station of the year, but my tour was extended from a three year tour to a five year tour as each time I was Recruiter of the Year I was extended a year. As an enlisted man, I thought that was my reward! I was selected in the first group into the Navy's Career Counselor Rating. Made Master Chief right away and was satisfied as that was my award! I had orders to Recruiting Area Three as Master Chief of Command and was a Master Chief for Retention on Cruiser/Destroyer Group Eight and wrote the first Retention Instruction just prior and had a series of heart attacks. With twenty two years I was medically retired and left as a two row ribbons sailor. I never felt any resentment that more medals went to the officers as that was the way it was back then. I spent over 10 years at sea before going ashore as a Boilerman and that sea time far exceeded Officers. If an Officer did a recognizable job during his deployment, he could expect a medal to follow and presented at his next command. It was what it was and today it is what it is!

Maybe in the Army, Air Force, and Navy. Not in the Marines or the Coast Guard.

They get the most glory, and get the most blame. Crap runs uphill sometimes too.

I spent 9 on Active Duty in the Marines and 6 in the reserves. It does seem that there is preferential treatment towards rewarding junior officers but I believe that is because the JO has an intermediate officer looking over them whereas, the enlisted has the JO looking over them. The JO knows less and less likely to recognize superior performance, therefore less likely to write something up. Senior Enlisted need to recognize their subordinates when appropriate and make the effort.

Enlisted personnel need to focus on what counts... stripes, not salads. I worked incredibly hard and performed above my pay-grade and was awarded with 2 meritorious promotions (Cpl and Sgt) and narrowly missed a 3rd. I pinned SSgt within 6 years and never was awarded anything other than unit or service awards, but I did have a box full of Meritorious Mass and Certificates of Appreciation that may have included opportunities for write-ups if someone had made the effort.

For the junior enlisted ranks their first level of supervision is usually also enlisted, so unless they kick it up to the officer the actions often go unnoticed. Even providing bullets to the officer is a good start and better than doing nothing. Write them on an MRE box if that's all you have, as the officer's job is to smooth it up and follow up until it's delivered. It's also a time-management issue. Folks are so wrapped up with the mission that any but required admin for ammo, fuel, rations etc. is often the lowest priority. As to officer awards they often get wrapped up in taking care of each other instead of the guys in the trenches that deserve it the most. That may offend some but that's the way I often saw it. USMC was not that big on awards anyway. That can be both bad and good. If the junior folks know that even near super-human efforts will result in a Letter of Appreciation or Meritorious Mast, some will just do the bare minimum because there is no incentive. That's not characteristic of Marines generally though, as they all try to give their best. It is a factor though. It is noticed when someone that works at BN gets an award for showing up while the guys in the Platoons bust their tails. The sweet spot is in the middle. Meaning being, recognize those that rate it but don't recognize those that don't. Not everyone can get a medal but nothing should prevent a lesser acknowledgement; other than apathy and laziness. Many times I saw a unit do great things during a training evolution or exercise and once all personnel and gear were accounted for, that's the end of emphasis i.e. ENDEX and sound Liberty Call. The last phase of anything like that for a leader is to recognize performers. Not associating awards with anything bad because they should be taken seriously, but when you take a dump you're not finished until you do the paperwork.

I’m about to retire and I’ve been in all three compos, served enlisted before becoming an officer and the answer is that supervisors need to put their Soldiers in for awards! I commanded one company and two battalions and I always had a hard time getting subordinate leaders to put their Soldiers in for awards. You won’t get recognition if no one submits you for it! Regarding awards being downgraded, the submitter needs to fight for level of award they are trying to get for the recipients and a lot of it is knowing what the award board is requiring and meeting those standards. Never downgrade an award submission because the BN Commander tells you they are going to recommend a downgrade! Discuss why and see if you can rewrite it to change their mind and if that doesn’t work, KEEP YOUR RECOMMENDATION! ARCOMs are not approved at the battalion level and the brigade commander might agree with you! The worst that could happen is that it gets downgraded, the best is that your Soldier gets the award you put them in for.