Why is it so hard to get an award?

2019-07-31T16:16:15-04:00

I am not saying I joined to get an award but I keep seeing so many people around me get awards and I be like I must be invisible when I work hard. I am not a lazy or a bad solider if that's what some of you think.

Response by SSG Michael Noll made Jul 31 at 2019 4:18 PM

2019-07-31T16:18:42-04:00

Tough question my friend

Response by CW5 Jack Cardwell made Jul 31 at 2019 4:18 PM

2019-07-31T16:18:51-04:00

When the award citations are being read what are the awards for ?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Jul 31 at 2019 4:24 PM

2019-07-31T16:24:01-04:00

The only thing I was ever given was a plaque by my unit CO for helping get a good unit rating on an IG inspection, which, of course, I still have and treasure...other than that, and a cpl of the purely routine ribbons, one for mil training, the other for 4-yr longevity, that was honestly all I ever got...it does still obv bug me yrs later, many days, as I'd seen others many times get commendation medals quite frequently where I was, so I do kick myself quite often about that aspect of it, certainly....

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 31 at 2019 4:25 PM

2019-07-31T16:25:59-04:00

It's not hard to get an award...per say. You have to set yourself apart from your peers and accept missions, tasks, duties that go above and beyond your expected level without prompt. You have to amaze and bedazzle your leaders, proving to them you deserve an award.

In a nutshell, it's all about level of responsibility and impact on the mission(s) your action(s) have to warrant an award or not.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 31 at 2019 4:30 PM

2019-07-31T16:30:38-04:00

Ask your supervisor how you can exceed his/her expectations.

Response by SGT Christopher Hayden made Jul 31 at 2019 5:03 PM

2019-07-31T17:03:12-04:00

Volunteer for everything that ever comes up. You're bound to get an AAM for one of them.

Response by CSM William Everroad made Jul 31 at 2019 5:15 PM

2019-07-31T17:15:31-04:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member This is always a tough discussion because so many people rely on perception to evaluate worth and compare that perception to the worth of others getting the same award.
You may not be getting awards simply because what you perceive to be "hard work" is not to the level or perception of hard work that the people around you perceive as meeting the standard for an ARCOM or AAM.
First step for you is to review the award criteria for both the AAM and the ARCOM (the two most commonly awarded during peacetime operations) and realistically evaluate whether your performance has met that criteria. AR 600-8-2 states the following for:
AAM: "meritorious service or achievement of a lesser degree than required for award of the ARCOM"; and ARCOM: "heroism, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service"
Additionally, the AR goes on to define who can recommend: "The recommending official must have been senior in grade or have first-hand personal knowledge of the event, at the time of the action(s) or service, to the individual being recommended for an award."
So if you perceive your performance has met a degree of "meritorious achievement" or your service can be characterized as "meritorious", then the disconnect lies with the perception of those who are "senior in grade or have first-hand personal knowledge of" the service or achievement. In this case, I would follow the advice of CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member and get a feel for what constitutes "meritorious". The worst thing you could do is say, "But so-and-so got an AAM for doing nothing or less than me". This assumes you witnessed the entirety of that Soldiers' service or achievements and are the sole authority of whether that service or achievement was meritorious and your opinion outweighs the recommender's.
At the bare minimum, you may qualify for a Good Conduct Medal if you "distinguish [yourself] from among [your] fellow Soldiers by exemplary conduct, efficiency, and fidelity" over a period of 3 years.
[Real-talk] Do Soldiers get overlooked for awards? Yes. Does is appear that some Soldiers get recognized for b.s. achievements? Yes. Is the Army fair, equitable, and rational when it comes to recognizing its members' achievements? Unfortunately, no. The thing to take form this is that we learn a lot from other leaders' mistakes. If you are ever in a position of leadership, ensure that you let your Soldiers know what qualifies and stick to it. I never advise making it rain pretty colored ribbons, that just de-values the awards themselves, but I can see the frustration that unbalanced recognition causes when one Commander gives them out like candy and another sticks to hardline criteria or the BN set quotas.
Stay positive, do your job to the best of your ability, and strive to exceed Army standards and become a consummate professional. Never perform to other peoples' negative expectations of your performance. I can't guarantee someone will take notice and pat you on the back, but I can guarantee that at least you know you lived up to the old Army motto, "Be all you can be" and you will look back on your service with pride.

Response by CPL Gary Pifer made Jul 31 at 2019 6:03 PM

2019-07-31T18:03:31-04:00

I raised my hand once, when they asked who could type. I discovered the secret to get an award is "who you know" or "who you bl**. I noticed higher ups nominated each other for awards and some of the laziest but very pretty girls got them along with the office pogies. Just like High School... the popular kids got the awards and attention Same in the Military. My job was to type the citations. Most were BS.. threw some in the trash...

Response by CPL Gary Pifer made Jul 31 at 2019 6:06 PM

2019-07-31T18:06:28-04:00

PS: as a 91B you can trade car repairs to admin peeps for an award.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Jul 31 at 2019 6:15 PM

2019-07-31T18:15:56-04:00

No one can judge what we do not know. Awards of all sorts have foundational requirements. Recognition generally comes of selfless acts. It is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Do your job, do it in earnest, seek guidance ensuring to perform your actions with the good graces of the unit. At some point your hard work will result in the type of recognition you seek. In the meantime, working hard while meeting organizational requirements will result in you becoming an SME in areas that others choose not to, this will result in better opportunities all around. Thank you for your service.

Response by CPL Gary Pifer made Jul 31 at 2019 6:21 PM

2019-07-31T18:21:21-04:00

Ya got to be part of the "IN CROWD"

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 31 at 2019 7:09 PM

2019-07-31T19:09:17-04:00

Bottom Line Up Front: Directly ask your leader what you can do to earn their recommendation for an AAM. It's not too uncommon since most SPC are looking for ways to build promotion points.

Aside from that:

I strongly concur with CSM William Everroad .

SPC Private RallyPoint Member To add on to that, I've mostly seen it come down to lazy leaders not wanting to do the extra work of writing an award recommendation for their Soldiers. Either that or they are so caught up in trying to catch the attention of their own leader that they aren't able to see the accomplishments of their subordinates. That is why leaders at all levels have to look out for those directly under them, so that those under them can do the same for the next tier down. If everyone is having to act in self-interest because they don't feel their leadership is looking out for them, the system breaks down. That's a slightly different topic for another time though.

Sometimes the awards you see others getting are less about the absolute value of what the Soldiers accomplished (it's subjective) and more about the fact that their recommender actually submitted something that met the criteria. That is, in comparison to other leaders who never submit anything until they are forced to at PCS time, and then they do it poorly or late.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 31 at 2019 8:02 PM

2019-07-31T20:02:49-04:00

Awards have their place, a lot of leadership will say the soldier was just doing their job. I have known several soldiers that far exceeded the standard that have never been rewarded. One word laziness on the part of the leadership to write the bullets for the award. I’ll get off my soapbox now.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 31 at 2019 8:13 PM

2019-07-31T20:13:02-04:00

You don't have to be lazy or bad to not get an award.
Average will get you a PCS or ETS award, normally, but no interim awards.
Consider these questions and adjust, if necessary:
What, or how well, are those getting awards doing different than you?
How is your PT score compared to others, especially those getting awards?
Have you competed for any SOM boards?
How's your uniform and appearance, compared to those getting awards?
How's your attitude and military bearing compared to those getting awards?
What have you done to stand out?
Ask your peers these same questions.
Ask your supervisor the same questions.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 31 at 2019 8:48 PM

2019-07-31T20:48:05-04:00

I didn't read all of the replies, but in my experience there may be several things that trigger some automatic recognition that you might try. By your own opinion, you may already be deserving so I wouldn't beat myself up if I volunteered or tried any of these things.
Boards (especially battalion or brigade annual or higher)
Extra duties that fall within command inspections (your commander earns his award and you can show your contribution and perhaps be recognized if you excell in your area)
Ask for a project from a senior. NCOs love someone who asks to distinguish themselves and leave a mark to improve the unit.
After any or all of this, at least you can say you earned every penny of your PCS award or the handful of COAs you might earn. I am certainly not the highest decorated voice here, but I have seen many awards (and earned a few myself) through work in these areas, and regardless of how big your ribbon rack is this should help with any future plans for promotion. Good luck!

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Aug 1 at 2019 2:07 AM

2019-08-01T02:07:05-04:00

A point frequently missed is awards better be a part of an overall people progression scheme. Awards are not participation trophies. The CoC should be looking at everyone and deciding who is in the upper, middle, and lower third. Uppers get the best paper and higher percentage of awards. Middles are the group you don't want to harm but also don't have as many silver bullets left to spread around. Lowers are what help the uppers get promoted with the grading spread on evals. Uppers get the plum opportunities. Lowers get the same thing every day. Ineffective or toxic leadership can't distinguish things very well and tend to meander around the award world which in turn gets the Whiskey Tango types of perceptions.

Whatever the numbers game a Skipper can play, the Skipper should stay focused on the prize; pushing the best forward. I'm likely dated on quantity, but I had a certain % of body count with some splits between officer, enlisted, designator, etc. that I could do Achievements. The % was much lower on Commendations. Higher stuff had to go to the Flag or one above that. I had the XO and SEL really know what's going on in each of the shops. They better agree on what's going on. So we collectively made sure people have the opportunity to excel, even at the backwater jobs. Best way to move up is to move out into something else by demonstrating we're wasting your talents otherwise. The Lowers tended not to work on breaking out. BTW, good CoCs already know who's likely to get this stuff down the road because they see how well people skate the short and long programs. Your job is to prove them right or wrong.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 1 at 2019 2:20 AM

2019-08-01T02:20:10-04:00

Depends if your active or reserve, if you're the latter there won't be many opportunities during drill weekends or AT to merit recognition. During my active time I received more coins and certificates than awards. Personally, I feel its more about your peers and chain of command ability rather than your own inability. I know its not the answer you want to hear, but this kind of stuff can eat you up inside.

Response by A1C Lexas Granger made Aug 1 at 2019 3:56 AM

2019-08-01T03:56:16-04:00

Going and working hard is only half the battle when seeking any recognition with the military. Going above and beyond the call of duty is where you’ll see your recognition. Now, understand that even if you don’t receive an award for something you think would earn you merit for doesn’t matter. Proving that you deserve it is more rewarding than expecting anything. Also, take on responsibility when you can. You being a Specialist doesn’t exactly help you take on any responsibilities, but showing that you can may help.

Best of luck.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 1 at 2019 5:48 AM

2019-08-01T05:48:32-04:00

There are a few things that will almost always get award nominations:
1. Being the honor graduate or on the commandant's list at a school
2. Winning a board-type event (Solider of the Year, etc.)
3. Doing well in competition (Best Warrior, Best Ranger, US Army Small Arms Championship, etc.)
4. Volunteering to plan and run events at a the company+ level (Christmas parties, training events, APFT plan, marksmanship training schedule, etc.)
5. Deployment

If that isn't working, you can always get creative. The MOVSM is awarded for civilian volunteerism. Look around and see what other awards you might qualify for.

Response by SSG Brian G. made Aug 1 at 2019 11:33 AM

2019-08-01T11:33:11-04:00

Look at the possible awards that are out there. Look at what it takes to qualify for said award and speak with your CoC. Then work towards it.

Also, what you consider 'hard work' might not rise to the level of what is noticeable. No offense. You need to work harder than the others, set yourself apart from the rest while still being a team player. Your perception is not their perception.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 1 at 2019 3:54 PM

2019-08-01T15:54:48-04:00

Some Commands hand out awards like candy... others you have to bust your tail for years to get an award. That being said, you'll have to be recognized as doing something above & beyond to get an impact award. The Army award system, It's kind of subjective... even though it shouldn't be.

Get selected as the Soldier of the month/Quarter, make the Commandant's List at BLC, volunteer for the tough jobs no one else wants to do. And keep track of your accomplishments, you should at least be put in for a PCS Award if you've performed well in your unit when you PCS. When I was prior service (Enlisted), in Germany my supervisor put me in for an ARCOM, but it was downgraded to an AAM by the BDE CDR since I didn't have any prior awards.

Just keep on chopping wood, you'll get some awards if you keep up a good effort/attitude for your unit, I'm sure.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Aug 1 at 2019 7:56 PM

2019-08-01T19:56:37-04:00

Look, often awards are few and far between, or you have to exceed the standard to the point of making a new record. Some units have a history of expecting so much that when they do awards, they are often lower in stature than other units.My ex-son in law, retired E7, has 3 MSM's, 2 from normal OCONUS tours. All my career was 82nd, Rgr and G3 XVIII ABC- different mindset- I have 2 MSM's. 82nd often downgraded awards at least 1 level, Rangers- "Well If you had killed a couple of tango's when retrieving that trooper, you might have gotten a BSM, but here is an ARCOM with a V. Much of awards is 1-who see's it, 2- their perception of what you did. 3- do they want to spend the time shuttling it back and forth between Command and the PAC rats.

Response by LT Ed Skiba made Aug 11 at 2019 12:51 PM

2019-08-11T12:51:47-04:00

Have you ever said. "that ain't my job!" That would be the killer for me to recommend someone for an award.

Response by PO1 Darren Martin made Jul 9 at 2021 9:22 PM

2021-07-09T21:22:42-04:00

It’s a though call but sometimes it’s command driven. Most the marines and FMF sailors I deployed with to OIF got their CAR, campion ribbon and sea service that was it. Nobody got anything period with a few exceptions.

When I did an IA to OEF I got an award for an event, a mid tour and end of tour. They were much more relaxed and I was asked what I wanted for my mid and end of tour.

I would say go above and beyond and someone will notice.