Why are officers recognized with awards more than enlisted?

Having spent time on both sides of the fence (E and O), my feeling is that senior NCOs (the ones who write the award up) feel that the person is "doing their job", whereas the officer sees the recognition as a way to acknowledge the effort put in by the person. Case in point, I received no individual awards when I was an E, despite the fact that I was regularly selected for high visibility jobs and deployed many, many times a day pulled countless days on SAC nuclear alert. As an O, I responded with another medic to an on-base accident that took the life of a young troop. We initiated efforts to revive and stabilize the guy, ran the "code" until the clinic medical teal arrived, countinued to care for him until he was medevaced by help to the regional hospital where he died. Wing Commander was there as we tried to revive him and on the way out, asked that the first responders be recognized with AF Achievement Medal. Found out later that the "Awards and Dec's" SNCO shot it down because "they we're just doing their jobs".

Honest-to-god half the time that I see this is due in large part to junior NCOs. I strive to make sure my "guys" get the recognition they deserve for outstanding accomplishment because I myself as a junior enlisted soldier felt a bit jilted seeing all these senior NCOs and officers getting awards for what I saw as simply doing the minimum required by their assignment to a particular task. Often junior enlisted soldiers are overlooks for awards because their junior Officers (the LTs and Captains) don't have enough interaction with them to SEE the accomplishments. This is coming from the Aviation world where we work with our Officers far more regularly than the ground-pounder tends to. As such I feel much of the "blame" (although that isn't a far word to use really) lies with the SGTs and CPLs who need to take the initiative and sit down to write that DA 638. It will often be the first that the Chain of Command hears about a soldier going above and beyond in their tasks.

Back when I was active I was sent for detailed training on my SC along with my squad. There were no officers there other than the Sgt training us. When I got to Nam none of the officers were trained in my SC (Munitions) but the Senior NCO’s we’re all retreads. The only AF officers getting awards were the pilots and as you should know why, they had to fly in the face of danger. But what is meant by Awards? Maybe now a days it something a lot different? Still awards may be an incentive to do things better so good luck with that!

Officers need their ego stroked.

In my very biased opinion, using a very unscientific poll, (my experience in the US Army, exclusively CONUS 1969-70), I know the reason. It is referred to as "ticket punching". I guess over that time I had dealings with 20 or so company grade officers. Two I would have followed into hell. The others, not so much. As a matter of fact I thought half of them would probably have gotten me killed, stupidly, in a combat situation. Since that time I have raised three young men, all who have become officers and all of whom demonstrate a deep loyalty to their troops, sailors and airmen. This has carried over into their civilian lives. I see a lot more good than bad these days but there still is a disconnect between officers and Enlisted in many areas where it should not exist.

The reason is because there are two types of awards. One for achievement one for service. Most awards are awarded for service ie deployments. Deployment awards are based off of level of responsibility. Does an e-4 have the same level of responsibility as an o-2, no. And he never will. Can the e-4 earn a higher award for an heroic action? Hell to the yes!

Officers need awards to get promoted.

You’re joking right?

The idea anybody can put anybody in for an award is a figment of the regulations fantasy. It will just keep getting kicked back again and again until you get tired of changing commas and periods back and forth and finally just give up.

Cronyism and taking care of O Elites over the EM's.
After returning from DS / DS, our BN O"s all got BSM's. Not a single EM was awarded much of anything. I can't speak for the other companies but our EM's got nada. 8 months of very hard living, very first units on the ground with the 82nd, all the things we did and and no EM's were awarded anything? And the O's all got BSM's? Some one said more responsibility for the O's. Maybe but that still doesn't wash. Not one O did I ever see hump the M60 mile after mile in soft sand or the mortar system and never fall out; that's not worthy of recognition? But an O gets an attaboy because they didn't get us lost? Having put my time in and watched the Army inside and out, its cronyism. Pure and simple.