Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
Posted on Jul 26, 2025
Do you believe our politicians should be pushing for upgrades to awards?
6.29K
167
81
20
20
0
Sen. Charles E. Schumer, a Democratic Senator from New York, is renewing his push in suggesting U.S. Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a Staten Island hero, receive the Medal of Honor.
Do you feel it appropriate for politicians to get involved in military awards? Seems like it puts the awards system into one involving politicians rather than merit... His initial award has already been reviewed and upgraded (in 2019) to the Distinguished Service Cross.
Do you feel it appropriate for politicians to get involved in military awards? Seems like it puts the awards system into one involving politicians rather than merit... His initial award has already been reviewed and upgraded (in 2019) to the Distinguished Service Cross.
Posted in these groups: 
Awards
Medal of Honor
Awards Medal of Honor
Edited 5 mo ago
Posted 5 mo ago
Responses: 13
14
14
0
I don't have a problem with it, but my asking for a review of an award better be held with just as much weight.
(14)
(0)
SPC James Neidig
1SG(P) Dean Mcbride (MPER) (SPHR)
I Didn’t Think You Could Be An E-3 At 8 Years Of Service?
I Knew A Few E-3s Who Were Made Not Eligible For Reenlistment At 3 1/2 Years Unless They Got Promoted.
In The PA Guard I Knew E-4a That Had 10 Years Of Service And Were Not Discharged Because There Were No E-5 Slots Available.
I Made E-5 In The Guard And Held It For Less Than A Year And Decided To Back To Active Duty And Was Reduced To E-4 And Was Told I Had 4 Years To Get E-5 Back.
I Made The List After 12 Months On Active Duty But Got Injured In The Line Of Duty And Was Medically Discharged.
I Didn’t Think You Could Be An E-3 At 8 Years Of Service?
I Knew A Few E-3s Who Were Made Not Eligible For Reenlistment At 3 1/2 Years Unless They Got Promoted.
In The PA Guard I Knew E-4a That Had 10 Years Of Service And Were Not Discharged Because There Were No E-5 Slots Available.
I Made E-5 In The Guard And Held It For Less Than A Year And Decided To Back To Active Duty And Was Reduced To E-4 And Was Told I Had 4 Years To Get E-5 Back.
I Made The List After 12 Months On Active Duty But Got Injured In The Line Of Duty And Was Medically Discharged.
(1)
(0)
LTC Trent Klug
SPC James Neidig In 1985, I met a 3rd Class Petty Officer (E4) who was retiring with 20 years of service. No broken time and never busted. It was weird, but he was an odd duck.
(1)
(0)
1SG(P) Dean Mcbride (MPER) (SPHR)
SPC James Neidig LTC Trent Klug - My response was regarding the assertions by SFC Robert Walton, that to be a Representative, you must have never had an annual income over $35,000 and you had to have served at least ten years in the US Military. The two criteria do not equate...
A lot of us have experienced the lame duck in the promotion process. Mine was a PFC in Panama with 20 years service. He was a total screw-up and was demoted on multiple occasions and never got to the E-4 rank. That was in the "Old Army", 66 years ago! Today's military regulations will not allow for his type of behavior...
A lot of us have experienced the lame duck in the promotion process. Mine was a PFC in Panama with 20 years service. He was a total screw-up and was demoted on multiple occasions and never got to the E-4 rank. That was in the "Old Army", 66 years ago! Today's military regulations will not allow for his type of behavior...
(0)
(0)
LTC Trent Klug
1SG(P) Dean Mcbride (MPER) (SPHR) OH, I totally understand where you are coming from. The PO3 I knew had never been in trouble or busted down any rank.
(0)
(0)
9
9
0
SGT Mark Stone
1SG(P) Dean Mcbride (MPER) (SPHR) - Uhh...helping your constituents' for whatever reasonable request they make is what any elected representative is *supposed* to do. (Note that I said constituents, not voters. An elected official at any level is supposed to serve everyone in his or her constituency, not just the ones who voted for him or her.)
(2)
(0)
SGT Mark Stone
1SG(P) Dean Mcbride (MPER) (SPHR) - " I doubt that Sen, Schunmer would be fighting to get an award upgrade for a cowboy in Montana!"
1) I don't know anything about the person in question. Is Schumer really fighting for the upgrade--ie, really putting the weight of his office behind it, or is he just asking them to take another look? And if he is putting the weight of his office behind it, is there some argument that the award was unreasonably denied?
2) I'm sure he wouldn't be fighting for someone in another state, except in an extraordinary situation where a whole bunch of Senators thought the award was unreasonably denied. His job description is to serve as a representative of the people in his state, not the people from other states.
1) I don't know anything about the person in question. Is Schumer really fighting for the upgrade--ie, really putting the weight of his office behind it, or is he just asking them to take another look? And if he is putting the weight of his office behind it, is there some argument that the award was unreasonably denied?
2) I'm sure he wouldn't be fighting for someone in another state, except in an extraordinary situation where a whole bunch of Senators thought the award was unreasonably denied. His job description is to serve as a representative of the people in his state, not the people from other states.
(1)
(0)
SFC Robert Walton
Maj Kim Patterson I agree but with exceptions. No politician (with The exception) Of the President of the United States, (COC) Should have influences On Military awards and Benefit's.
(3)
(0)
5
5
0
Politicians Have Been Pushing For Awards For Their Constituents, Since The Founding Of The Military.
Some Were Justified Some Not, During The Civil War There Were So Many Medals Of Honor That Were Awarded For Political Reasons , That Year’s Later A lot Of Them Were Down Graded Or Taken Away .
The Subject Of Awards Has Been Beaten To Death On This Forum So Many Times.
Anyone Who Deserves An Award For An Outstanding Achievement Or An Act Of Valor Should Be Awarded The Highest Award Possible
If A Politician Choses To Advocate For A Constituent To Be Awarded Any Medal , They Have To Do An Investigation Into The Actions Of The Individual During The Incident.
Some Were Justified Some Not, During The Civil War There Were So Many Medals Of Honor That Were Awarded For Political Reasons , That Year’s Later A lot Of Them Were Down Graded Or Taken Away .
The Subject Of Awards Has Been Beaten To Death On This Forum So Many Times.
Anyone Who Deserves An Award For An Outstanding Achievement Or An Act Of Valor Should Be Awarded The Highest Award Possible
If A Politician Choses To Advocate For A Constituent To Be Awarded Any Medal , They Have To Do An Investigation Into The Actions Of The Individual During The Incident.
(5)
(0)
SPC James Neidig
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
Sometimes I KNOW I Am Nuts !!
We Believe That If You Give To The Land.
The Land Will Provide What You Need To Survive.
I Worked My Entire Life In The Military, Corrections And The Government .
We Bought This Farm Ten Years Ago After Selling A Very Large House That Was Way Too Big For The Three Of Us In My Family
We Had A Good Amount Of Equity So We Purchased The Farm And Invested In A Friend’s Restaurant.
Now ! Most Of My Days Are Here On The Farm With My Family And A Few Hours A Day At The Restaurant .
Not Long Days In The Military, No Sixty Hours A Week Locked In A Prison And Most Of All , No Months At Sea Onboard USNS Ships !
You Should Try Taking Care Of Some Livestock ? It Will Make You Think About What It’s Like To Take Care Of Something Else Before You Take Care Of Yourself.
PS Its So Quiet Around Here ! You Can Actually Think And Not Be Distracted By The Noise Of Cars And Police Sirens.
Sometimes I KNOW I Am Nuts !!
We Believe That If You Give To The Land.
The Land Will Provide What You Need To Survive.
I Worked My Entire Life In The Military, Corrections And The Government .
We Bought This Farm Ten Years Ago After Selling A Very Large House That Was Way Too Big For The Three Of Us In My Family
We Had A Good Amount Of Equity So We Purchased The Farm And Invested In A Friend’s Restaurant.
Now ! Most Of My Days Are Here On The Farm With My Family And A Few Hours A Day At The Restaurant .
Not Long Days In The Military, No Sixty Hours A Week Locked In A Prison And Most Of All , No Months At Sea Onboard USNS Ships !
You Should Try Taking Care Of Some Livestock ? It Will Make You Think About What It’s Like To Take Care Of Something Else Before You Take Care Of Yourself.
PS Its So Quiet Around Here ! You Can Actually Think And Not Be Distracted By The Noise Of Cars And Police Sirens.
(2)
(0)
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
Those Are Brass Ones. I Love Your Phylosophy About Life And The Way You've Been Living It. You DO What Many Others Have Only Talked Or Thought About; I Was More Than Just Fortunate As Life Just Happened To Me While I Was Wondering "What Will Happen Next"? And For The Most Part It's Been Filled With Good Things, And "The Bumps In The Road Were "Leaning Lessons" . How's This For Quiet? -- "It Was So Quiet We Could Hear A Mouse Piss On A Cotton Pad From 50 Yards Away"? --LMBO --
Speaking Of "Police Sirens' - About 1 Or 2 Years Ago I'd Mentioned About Our Having Lived In Detroit & The Area Of The City We'd Lived In.-- Another Vet Mentioned He Was A Retired Detroit Cop And He'd Patrolled The Area We'd Previously Lived In, "Green Field Village", Then Added "There Were Always 3 Things We Could Count On In Green Field Village"-- "LMBO" -- "Hookers, Drugs And Gunfire." -- "Good Ole Home Sweet Home" LOL. (;--)>
Speaking Of "Police Sirens' - About 1 Or 2 Years Ago I'd Mentioned About Our Having Lived In Detroit & The Area Of The City We'd Lived In.-- Another Vet Mentioned He Was A Retired Detroit Cop And He'd Patrolled The Area We'd Previously Lived In, "Green Field Village", Then Added "There Were Always 3 Things We Could Count On In Green Field Village"-- "LMBO" -- "Hookers, Drugs And Gunfire." -- "Good Ole Home Sweet Home" LOL. (;--)>
(2)
(0)
SPC James Neidig
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
I Have Not Been In A City For About Twenty Years And Have NO Plans Of EVER Going To Another. Too Many People And Too Much Traffic !
There Is Nothing In Any City That I Can’t Get Here !
If You Are Thinking Food From Restaurants
I Can Cook Anything Any Restaurant Has At Home From Any Cuisine, After All I Am A Trained Chef !
I Have Not Been In A City For About Twenty Years And Have NO Plans Of EVER Going To Another. Too Many People And Too Much Traffic !
There Is Nothing In Any City That I Can’t Get Here !
If You Are Thinking Food From Restaurants
I Can Cook Anything Any Restaurant Has At Home From Any Cuisine, After All I Am A Trained Chef !
(1)
(0)
SPC James Neidig
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
I Am A Member Of The Church Of The Brethren, Our Beliefs Are Closely Related To The Amish And Mennonites, Except We Accept Modern Technology, We Have A Close Relationship With The Amish And Mennonites In Our Community.
I Am A Member Of The Church Of The Brethren, Our Beliefs Are Closely Related To The Amish And Mennonites, Except We Accept Modern Technology, We Have A Close Relationship With The Amish And Mennonites In Our Community.
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google