Why are officers recognized with awards more than enlisted?

After 50+ years, I ran across the lady's phone number in DC that could send me my awards shone on my records that I never got. It took 6 months and they finally came. My kids will wonder what they were when they clean out and throw out my stuff when I die. At least I finally got to see them. I guess they figured I would not live to see state side or any awards. I know what I did. I really never needed the pat on the back. Oh, back then NCO's ran the show in spite of Officers with no leadership skills what so ever!

Kind of like why does Congress get pay raises even when the economy tanks.

Well I was aviation and trust me I heard of people getting an aviator valor award just because they saw in a distance the explosion of flair and they just happened to be flying at that time

Sorry gang, officers rank higher than EMs always have always will. Officers even screw over others. Don't let it bother you, it don't mean nothing. You did your job that is why you joined. Ribbons mean nothing except look at me I'm impotent, thank to those who do the job!

There is a sequence for Army awards that goes with rank. And dare I say there is also laziness on the part of first line supervisors. I was theoretically over the reserve / guard religious assets on AD west of the Mississippi and North of Mason Dixon. I saw the moves and asked what the awards were. I even made recommendations. My 2 MSM's and LOM were written by me.

We had a Capt back in Nam. XO of the company. One night we got hit and everyone was on the revetments. This capt ran around behind the revetments (in a place where it was impossible to get hit) firing a blooper over the wire. He gave himself a Bronze Star for that. BTW we got 2-3 rockets and that was that.

As seen in OIF while working at Brigade is that Division puts out a roster by percentage to the Brigades on all awards by rank. Hence certain awards are given to higher ranks regardless if they performed their jobs proficiently.

I was deployed to Haiti for Operation Uphold Democracy as a buck Sgt.. My Lt. asks me should he put us in for an award for just doing our job. I, answered sir we are doing our assigned duties in a real life environment. This is not a training mission. I'm pretty sure you'll be getting an award for this deployment. He missed the deadline to submit for any awards. Needless to say he received an Arcom for the deployment. Just my two cents...

You have to think about the types of awards: some are for valor (moh, silver star etc) , some are for merit (MSM, LOM etc), and some are for being there (osr, swas-s , etc). Officers tend to PCS more frequently that most nco’s and em- been there awards; officers tend to have greater responsibility - merit awards; valor awards tend to be more to combat arms Infantry, SF, etc but are certainly not exclusive. I had 34 separate awards in my 30 years of service. Desert Storm I got 6 different awards, seemed excessive. OEF and OIF I got three per, somolia two..... I gave a hella of a lot more awards to EM and NCO’s than I did officers yet most of my officers had more awards than the EMs.... screw the awards, do your best, study, be technically and tactically expert, and the awards will take care of themselves. The system is only as good as the integrity of the NCO’s and officers in the organization!

Obviously things have changed since I was in the Army. I see the young NCO wearing almost as much as a North Korean General on their chest. Having served as both officer and NCO. Most certainly officers receive higher awards. A silver star on an officer might be the equivalent (or less) to an ARCOM w/V on a SP4. I refer to the legion of merit as a field grade ARCOM. That said it is what it is.