Worst Feeling? Explaining to a Soldier why the COC felt the need to deny their award.

As a 1SG I have written many awards some made through some did not Most of the ones that were approved were during deployment when all 31 awards submitted were approved the lowest were ARCOM’s most of the ones lost were stateside and were retirement awards many for over 25 years of service including my own for 34 years of service its really disappointing to writ awards for good NCO who have selflessly given so much to be disrespected when they retire

Having been in that position and didn't, I have to ask did you try to get members of COC to intervene?
I my situation, there was a school award for performance that was supposed to based on points accumulated from a combination of PT, evals, range qualifications and academics. Not trying to ring my own bell, but I was at the top of that list in my platoon, but was passed over because I was Army National Guard and the Active guys "needed it on their record more". I should have taken that to the Commander in spite of how many it pissed off and I regret it to this day that I didn't.
I never let bullshit like that slide again for me or any of my soldiers.

That does kind of destroy morale for not receiving an award for not being the rank even though you've met the other 99% of the requirements. The best way is not to tell him he's been recommended until it gets approved.

A few years ago i was put in for a MSM. It went all the way to the Brigade Commander who said hw would endorse it but told me the one star would most likely down grade it to a ARCOM and he wanted to know if i would be satisfied with a lessor award. I told him no, send it forward as is. The award was down graded as i expected. Staff Sergeants dont merit MSMs i guess in some leaders minds. I was presented an ARCOM, but in my record is the recommendation for the MSM with the approving comments from my battalion and brigade commanders. Side note, two years later the same GO approved me for a MSM.

Being a movie watching, cornhole playin, whiskey drinking, gym rat got my last PS a bronze star

A common tactic of many commands, esp. award submitters, is to put the Soldier in for an award that is higher than what they want that Soldier to get, because they know the command will simply downgrade it every time. That's NOT the right way to do things. If you submit an award, the command should come to you if they have any questions, and ask you to make sure it is actually what you intended the Soldier to receive, and then they should approve. In rare circumstance though, I have seen awards actually upgraded due to the nature of the award. Commands should have to justify, in somewhat more detail than "Not qualified for award" or "Actions do not qualify for this award"... i.e.: Provide substance as to why the award is not deserved.

In Iraq, there was a policy that any award that was higher than an AAM, had to be submitted a minimum of six months in advance prior to redeployment back to the states. This was a ridiculous and assinine requirement since my org. did six month rotations there, and with two weeks for turn over on each end, you couldn't really put anyone in for anything other than an AAM, let alone determine if their performance deserved any particular award!!

That kind of BS needs to be eliminated completely from the awards system.

I like SSG Robert Burns's suggestion, of having a central review board, but that board should only be required to review awards above a certain level.

Let's remember that awards are for actions above and beyond the normal scope of duties. As Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines we are awarded every month for the successful accomplishments of our duties, and that award is called a paycheck. We have become a society of entitlement and that is evident in the military services today. Some leader wants to give his Soldiers an ARCOM for returning to work from lunch in time and then he gets upset when it is denied or even worse, it was downgraded by the commander. And let us get this right, the commander CAN recommend to the approving authority to deny or downgrade any award request that passes over his desk. As a 1SG, I would see all award request prior to ensure that the "spirit of the regulation" was followed and if it was determined that it was not followed, the request would be sent back to the recommender for action. If the request is valid, then of course I would give my recommendation to the commander. So, as leaders, we should train, teach and mentor those under our charge and expect a certain level of performance without recognition by awarding those who made it to PT formation 4 out of 5 times this week. Being a leader is an awesome resposability that in itself is an award and should be revered as such. It is not a popularity contest.

No withstanding to my other reply on this thread... It is my view that no soldier should expect anything. An award is nice, but entitlement is not in the soldiers creed. Tact. Duty. Sleflessness. Leadership.
Remember those?
How would you feel as a soldier if you got hit with a landmine and the medic said i refuse to treat this soldier unless i get a medal?
The reason we join the military is to serve others and make life better. An award doesnt make a soldier, and if i was in a command situation, i would not spoil troops nor allow self entitlement. Its not a team element.
Accept awards when given. Dont demand them. Do your duty, and remember who you serve.

And im only a disabled E2. Come on soldiers. Man up.

As an E-4 about to leave Active Army service my supervisor submitted me for an MSM because I already had 3 ARCOMs and 4 AAMs through 9 years AD. It got downgraded to an ARCOM because that commander would not give an E-4 an MSM.

I'd almost borderline send a reply back of "LOL" at the "insufficient rank" excuse.

Last time I checked, AR 600-8-22 doesn't say a word about what ranks are entitled to each award, just what ranks are required to approve different awards.

Resubmit and if it keeps coming back due to rank, escalate the situation as high as you need to in order to have this bias crap addressed. You don't just "get" higher awards because you have been alive long enough to wear senior NCO or officer rank.

I saw multiple situations in Iraq where Soldiers under the rank of SGT were denied things like Silver Stars or Bronze Stars for actions under fire... while a TOC full of Battle Captains who never left the FOB were all given blanket Bronze Star medals. Unacceptable.

As for explaining stuff to my Soldiers?

I don't make excuses for shitty leadership.