Posted on Jan 11, 2016
Spencer Stone among veterans to be honored at State of the Union
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RP Members Air Force Veteran being recognized at the State of the Union - awesome!
Staff Sgt. Spencer Stone — who thwarted a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train, earning him a Purple Heart, Airman's Medal and a two-rank bump in promotion — will be one of six veterans to attend President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
The event will bring Stone, a medical technician at the 60th Medical Operations Squadron at Travis Air Force Base in California, to Washington for a third official visit since the August incident.
Stone became an international hero when he and two friends — Army Spc. Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Saddler — acted to subdue a gunman aboard the train. The three men were honored at the White House and the Pentagon in September; On Dec. 17, Stone gave a speech about counterterrorism at the French Embassy.
Staff Sgt. Spencer Stone — who thwarted a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train, earning him a Purple Heart, Airman's Medal and a two-rank bump in promotion — will be one of six veterans to attend President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
The event will bring Stone, a medical technician at the 60th Medical Operations Squadron at Travis Air Force Base in California, to Washington for a third official visit since the August incident.
Stone became an international hero when he and two friends — Army Spc. Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Saddler — acted to subdue a gunman aboard the train. The three men were honored at the White House and the Pentagon in September; On Dec. 17, Stone gave a speech about counterterrorism at the French Embassy.
Spencer Stone among veterans to be honored at State of the Union
Posted from airforcetimes.com
Office of the President (POTUS)
Air Force
Honor
Government
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 7
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
I hope he will be provided security! Remember he was attacked again a few months back?
Also, he was not actually step promoted twice, just once. He was set to be regularly promoted to SrA a month or so afterwards, so the CSAF step promoted him to Staff a month after he was promoted to SrA.
I hope he will be provided security! Remember he was attacked again a few months back?
Also, he was not actually step promoted twice, just once. He was set to be regularly promoted to SrA a month or so afterwards, so the CSAF step promoted him to Staff a month after he was promoted to SrA.
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Capt Lance Gallardo
Yeah how do you invite, Stone, but not his two buddies as well, including the ANG Soldier Skarlatos. It was a team effort that defeated the terrorist on that train that day in France. Also I still don't get how S/Sgt. Stone does not get at least the Silver Star or Air Force Cross. We keep telling Service members they are subject to the UCMJ 24 hours a day, and they are always accountable for their behavior . . . shouldn't they also be eligible for combat awards even in a Leave Status, or inactive duty status, such as Skarlatos? France gave even the civilian among them its Highest Award, the Legion of Honor. We look pretty cheap in comparison, with our formal bravery awards. So Stone qualifies for the Purple Heart, but not combat valor awards, such as the Silver Star or Air Force Cross? Bullshit!
We all know that combat valor awards have been freely given out in Vietnam, and other war zones since, to recipients who did a lot less to earn them. Do you remember how John Kerry's three purple hearts qualified him for an early out to his Vietnam Combat tour? According to the Los Angeles Times:
"Navy rules during the Vietnam War governing Purple Hearts did not take into account a wound's severity—and specified only that injuries had to be suffered 'in action against an enemy.'"
"A Times review of Navy injury reports and awards from that period in Kerry's Swift boat unit shows that many other Swift boat personnel received Purple Hearts for slight wounds of uncertain origin."
I think in the Asymmetrical Global War on terror we are in and have been in since 9/11 we have to expand our limited view of what qualifies as combat:
From AF Times article
"Last month, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said Stone was not eligible for other valor awards such as the Bronze Star with "V" or the Silver Star because his bravery was not during combat. But Welsh left open the possibility of awarding him the Purple Heart, if the attack was determined to be a terrorist attack. Welsh said that at the time the precedent set by awarding the Purple Heart victims of the 2009 Fort Hood attack could allow Stone to receive the same award.
Purple Hearts are typically awarded only for combat actions. But the 2015 Defense Authorization Act extended eligibility for the Purple Heart to service members killed or wounded in attacks by foreign terrorist organizations.
Doug Sterner, curator of the Military Times Hall of Valor, said last month that awarding Stone the Purple Heart — because it is almost always considered a combat medal — could open the door to higher valor awards."http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/09/14/hero-airman-spencer-stone--receive-purple-heart/72255752/
We all know that combat valor awards have been freely given out in Vietnam, and other war zones since, to recipients who did a lot less to earn them. Do you remember how John Kerry's three purple hearts qualified him for an early out to his Vietnam Combat tour? According to the Los Angeles Times:
"Navy rules during the Vietnam War governing Purple Hearts did not take into account a wound's severity—and specified only that injuries had to be suffered 'in action against an enemy.'"
"A Times review of Navy injury reports and awards from that period in Kerry's Swift boat unit shows that many other Swift boat personnel received Purple Hearts for slight wounds of uncertain origin."
I think in the Asymmetrical Global War on terror we are in and have been in since 9/11 we have to expand our limited view of what qualifies as combat:
From AF Times article
"Last month, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said Stone was not eligible for other valor awards such as the Bronze Star with "V" or the Silver Star because his bravery was not during combat. But Welsh left open the possibility of awarding him the Purple Heart, if the attack was determined to be a terrorist attack. Welsh said that at the time the precedent set by awarding the Purple Heart victims of the 2009 Fort Hood attack could allow Stone to receive the same award.
Purple Hearts are typically awarded only for combat actions. But the 2015 Defense Authorization Act extended eligibility for the Purple Heart to service members killed or wounded in attacks by foreign terrorist organizations.
Doug Sterner, curator of the Military Times Hall of Valor, said last month that awarding Stone the Purple Heart — because it is almost always considered a combat medal — could open the door to higher valor awards."http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/09/14/hero-airman-spencer-stone--receive-purple-heart/72255752/
Airman Spencer Stone, hero in foiled French terror plot, to receive Purple Heart
Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, who was hailed as a hero around the world for helping stop a gunman's planned rampage on a train in France last
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How do you invite, Stone, but not his two buddies as well, including the ANG Soldier Skarlatos. It was a team effort that defeated the terrorist on that train that day in France. Also I still don't get how S/Sgt. Stone does not get at least the Silver Star or Air Force Cross. We keep telling Service members they are subject to the UCMJ 24 hours a day, and they are always accountable for their behavior . . . shouldn't they also be eligible for combat awards even in a Leave Status, or inactive duty status, such as Skarlatos? France gave even the civilian among them its Highest Award, the Legion of Honor. We look pretty cheap in comparison, with our formal bravery awards. So Stone qualifies for the Purple Heart, but not combat valor awards, such as the Silver Star or Air Force Cross? Bullshit!
We all know that combat valor awards have been freely given out in Vietnam, and other war zones since, to recipients who did a lot less to earn them. Do you remember how John Kerry's three purple hearts qualified him for an early out to his Vietnam Combat tour? According to the Los Angeles Times:
"Navy rules during the Vietnam War governing Purple Hearts did not take into account a wound's severity—and specified only that injuries had to be suffered 'in action against an enemy.'"
"A Times review of Navy injury reports and awards from that period in Kerry's Swift boat unit shows that many other Swift boat personnel received Purple Hearts for slight wounds of uncertain origin."
I think in the Asymmetrical Global War on terror we are in and have been in since 9/11 we have to expand our limited view of what qualifies as combat:
From AF Times article
"Last month, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said Stone was not eligible for other valor awards such as the Bronze Star with "V" or the Silver Star because his bravery was not during combat. But Welsh left open the possibility of awarding him the Purple Heart, if the attack was determined to be a terrorist attack. Welsh said that at the time the precedent set by awarding the Purple Heart victims of the 2009 Fort Hood attack could allow Stone to receive the same award.
Purple Hearts are typically awarded only for combat actions. But the 2015 Defense Authorization Act extended eligibility for the Purple Heart to service members killed or wounded in attacks by foreign terrorist organizations.
Doug Sterner, curator of the Military Times Hall of Valor, said last month that awarding Stone the Purple Heart — because it is almost always considered a combat medal — could open the door to higher valor awards."http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/09/14/hero-airman-spencer-stone--receive-purple-heart/72255752/
We all know that combat valor awards have been freely given out in Vietnam, and other war zones since, to recipients who did a lot less to earn them. Do you remember how John Kerry's three purple hearts qualified him for an early out to his Vietnam Combat tour? According to the Los Angeles Times:
"Navy rules during the Vietnam War governing Purple Hearts did not take into account a wound's severity—and specified only that injuries had to be suffered 'in action against an enemy.'"
"A Times review of Navy injury reports and awards from that period in Kerry's Swift boat unit shows that many other Swift boat personnel received Purple Hearts for slight wounds of uncertain origin."
I think in the Asymmetrical Global War on terror we are in and have been in since 9/11 we have to expand our limited view of what qualifies as combat:
From AF Times article
"Last month, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said Stone was not eligible for other valor awards such as the Bronze Star with "V" or the Silver Star because his bravery was not during combat. But Welsh left open the possibility of awarding him the Purple Heart, if the attack was determined to be a terrorist attack. Welsh said that at the time the precedent set by awarding the Purple Heart victims of the 2009 Fort Hood attack could allow Stone to receive the same award.
Purple Hearts are typically awarded only for combat actions. But the 2015 Defense Authorization Act extended eligibility for the Purple Heart to service members killed or wounded in attacks by foreign terrorist organizations.
Doug Sterner, curator of the Military Times Hall of Valor, said last month that awarding Stone the Purple Heart — because it is almost always considered a combat medal — could open the door to higher valor awards."http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/09/14/hero-airman-spencer-stone--receive-purple-heart/72255752/
Airman Spencer Stone, hero in foiled French terror plot, to receive Purple Heart
Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, who was hailed as a hero around the world for helping stop a gunman's planned rampage on a train in France last
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