Posted on Apr 19, 2017
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It seems to me that officers are recogized far more often then enlisted soldiers. I mean an officer and junior enlisted could do the same exact thing, or an enlisted could do more then an officer and chances are the officer will be given a higher award. Why? I have been in for almost 8 years and only have 1 AAM which is my only actual award.
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PO1 Mike Wallace
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This occured in the Navy as well during my time. Captains would receive awards that were a result of the effort, sacrifice, and performance of every member of ships company. As the old saying goes 'we were all in the same boat' but as Orwell observed some are more equal than others.
I would note also that enlisted MOH recipients far outnumber officers.
Of course officers must have decorations to be promoted. We in the enlisted ranks neefed to know our jobs, do our jobs, and provide that first line supervision necessary to accomplish whatever the mission might be.
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Sgt Peter Schlesiona
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Jeez..... after reading many of the responses, all I can say is.......Huh? For crying out loud, folks (especially you Army folks), could you stop assuming that everyone on Rally Point is familiar with every freakin’ acronym you use every day? I can certainly get the jist of the comments, but it would be better to know (completely) what you are saying. Some of us have been out of the service a long time now. 75% or more of the modern acronyms mean nothing to me/us.
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SPC David Gray
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Only person in my 11c mortar class of 100 to score expert got pat on shoulder company mortar ash and xo got arcoms
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SSG Paul Mulvany
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Simple answer, what comes naturally to EMs & NCOs is difficult and confusing to JR officers!
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CPT Robert Holden
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While it’s possible. Officers are usually in charge and their actions are much more visible
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CPT Robert Holden
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Not an unreasonable question but I suspect it’s all about perspective. Since I began as enlisted I tend to look at things through two perspectives
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SPC LeBron Spain
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quit yer bitching , you know they're better than we are....
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PFC Melissa Fix
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Doesn't matter where you are employed, upper management always get the credit for subordinates work. Get use to it.
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CW3 Joe Woolever
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As with many traits a soldier, NCO, or Officer should have, being humble is one of the most important in my opinion. I understand that being recognized for a successful mission or going above and beyond, is important...it isn’t everything. Knowing you’ve given the task your all, and it helped in leading to the success of your units’ mission should be all the thanks you should expect. Look out your window and down the street...you see the children laughing and playing, you see the shiny new cars, you see neighbor across the street having a BBQ with friends...do you hear the music you prefer to listen to? All these things are the result of you giving it your all every day. Yes pinning a medal in your chest feels good, but seeing your friends, family, and neighbors benefit from the fruits of your labor is all the reward I ever needed. My words will not mean much until such time you are able to step back and take a real look around.
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1LT Medical-Surgical Nurse
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The award system is definitely broken. When I was enlisted, I was in charge of the brigade’s dental section (orders,inventory,shortages, etc) that was worth over 300k. I was over this section for 6 years. At the time I was a SPC/CPL. My company COC put me in for various awards but I could never get an ARCOM (until I ETS’d). However, I’d see SGTs and SSGs get ARCOMs for single inventories that involved less equipment and dollars than my own.

When I was having my DD-214 prepared, the GS-11 checking it said that it is ridiculous that I have 11 AAMs and if my rank had been higher (SSG or LT for example), I’d likely have 3 or 4 ARCOMs. On the other hand, I did see my Brigade Dentist leave the unit with only an AAM despite multiple field exercises and providing dental coverage for over 4,000 assigned soldiers and multiple attached soldiers.
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