Posted on Oct 4, 2015
Are awards rank specific, such as the Meritorious Service Medal?
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Why is it awards certain awards are given to certain rank? I was an E5 working to pay grades above and held an E7 MTOE during a deployment in the motor pool. Come time for award recognition standing next to other E7 receiving a MSM, I was awarded an ARCOM. Someone please justify this. Nowhere in the regs. It states you have to be a certain rank.
Awards
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Medals
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 32
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I saw one response on here that is forcing me to respond to this post...let me be clear, BN and BDE staff have NO say in what award is approved. It is a COMMAND decision. We (staff) do not even have the right to recommend approval or disapproval. We only process the award. Having said that, it appears most people are unaware that a MSM is approved by the the fist General Officer in the chain of command. If you have a SGT (cuz E5 is a pay grade, not a rank) that did the work of a more senior person, than make sure you write the award properly. Stop writing about how the SGT is a great NCO and an awesome Soldier. Give quantifiable bullets, tell the story of how the SGT impacted not only the success of the unit's mission but the success of the the higher HQ's mission or how the SGT impacted the success of other units. Write the award so that the commander WANTS to give the award to the SGT. Here is another free tip: USE SPELL-CHECK! Ok, I'm coming down from my soap box now....
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1SG (Join to see)
SFC (P) Palmer U. most General Officers require awards to be routed from the G-1 to the SGS. Most G-1s only need a week or two to process an award but the SGS can really slow down the process and then you have to see if the GO is even in to sign the award. You have to take all that into consideration, GOs don’t sit around waiting to sign stuff and usually have HUGE amounts of paperwork that requires their signature. Some of those items require time which causes awards to fall to the back of the pile (when compared against taking time to review casualty reports and incident reports).
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MAJ (Join to see)
1SG (Join to see) - End of Tour Awards was one of the first things we were told to do when we arrived in Theater 2008, yeah it was that stupid.... Of course not in a policy, or SOP just a stated fact that we wouldn't get anything above an ARCOM if it wasn't submitted 6 months in advance. Sure enough only ARCOM's were handed out, the BSM's came a few months after redeployment.
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LTC Charles T Dalbec
Very well written and a very accurate response SFC Benavidez and you are right on target. I’d have you on my team anytime. Hooah!!
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SSG Mark Lledo
Awards are discriminatory. You can't change my mind. 7 units. Multiple deployments...I have seen E6> receive awards that are "commensurate of their rank" or "level of responsibility "
So u mean to tell me if a PFC in division G2 will receive an MSM since the PFC works in a shop with division level responsibility?
I must be on crack. What's next, a PFC at J2 or Corps? Need I got up?
I wanna see a PFC with and LOM!
But i will never. It's all lip service and beating around the bush.
Want a good award? Make friends with higher ups, become part of the good old boy, and backstab lotsa people.
So u mean to tell me if a PFC in division G2 will receive an MSM since the PFC works in a shop with division level responsibility?
I must be on crack. What's next, a PFC at J2 or Corps? Need I got up?
I wanna see a PFC with and LOM!
But i will never. It's all lip service and beating around the bush.
Want a good award? Make friends with higher ups, become part of the good old boy, and backstab lotsa people.
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HAHAHA!!! This topic always cracks me up. Military branches are so different when it comes to awards. I know E-7s and E-8s in the Marines Corps with no MSM even after retirement with multiple deployments. Being Guard side now, I know multiple E-6s and E-7s with MSM and BS and it is a common thing. When I pull into the parking lot I see like 12 licence plates with Bronze Star decals, you would think the company was in D-Day. Be happy you got an award, some people have lost the ability to walk, see, or hug their loved ones and never got shit but a Purple Heart.
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LTC Kent Moorhouse
I agree 100%. The problem lies in the softening underbelly of our country. When WW II Americans fought, we were about God, family, and country 100% more than we are today. Everyone here needs to stop talking about the fruit salad and focus on what we might effect change on. We would be better off studying who our congressman, senators and local politicians are and make sure we vote accordingly. Our country is falling fast, we need to get our best form of government known to man back on course now, or we will lose her. We can't even identify our enemy anymore due to PC, the bombings (like today) won't stop until we do. If we don't I.D. our enemy soon, we like Europe are destined to fail. Europe might be through already. What will ribbons on a uniform in the closet of one of your grandchildren do for them then.
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Rank does have some impact on an award, but not in a direct "E-4's will only get AAMs" kind of way. Awards are based on the level responsibility and on contribution and impact that the individual has on the unit. So, reality is that the higher rank you have, the more responsibilities you have and the greater impact you will potentially have. An E-3 is responsible for himself and his equipment. An E-8 is responsible for 100 E-3s and ALL of their equipment.
That being said, if a lower rank provides the same type of impact that is expected of a higher rank, then yes, they should be considered for the higher award too. I would have no issue awarding an E-5 an MSM if he had the same impact and contribution to the unit as the PSG or 1SG....but the reality is, that is highly unlikely.
That being said, if a lower rank provides the same type of impact that is expected of a higher rank, then yes, they should be considered for the higher award too. I would have no issue awarding an E-5 an MSM if he had the same impact and contribution to the unit as the PSG or 1SG....but the reality is, that is highly unlikely.
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CW2 Michael Bodnar
I've seen 1LT's and CPT's get Bronze Stars for a 12 month mobilization in Iraq and all they accomplished was maintaining a daily briefing for some high ranking officer. The person who did all the research, built the slides, wrote the assessment received an AAM (he was a SGT). So, for some unknown reason, rank does play into what award goes to whom. I will add that I think it's BS because I have SGT's and SSG's that will run circles around junior O grade officers and tell them how to do their jobs.
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SSG Mark Lledo
even in these comments rank still play a role.
i still say good ol boy, nepotism and hind lick maneuvers are in play.
i have seen many less than mediocre officers and senior ncos receive awards for the full efforts exerted and performed by their subordinates and somehow....these oxygen thieves receive and award for sitting around looking at microsoft office apps they could barely manage to operate...dont get me started on being a total soldier concept endorsing and operating leader.... psssssh lip service.
i still say good ol boy, nepotism and hind lick maneuvers are in play.
i have seen many less than mediocre officers and senior ncos receive awards for the full efforts exerted and performed by their subordinates and somehow....these oxygen thieves receive and award for sitting around looking at microsoft office apps they could barely manage to operate...dont get me started on being a total soldier concept endorsing and operating leader.... psssssh lip service.
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