+ST0RM 145 Posted March 31, 2012 First off, what the f***? I heard about this yesterday during the morning ops meeting. Needless to say, I'm sickened by this. Some female sitting in an A/C'd office was given this for "Gamez distinguished herself by meritorious achievement as the NCO in charge during a 365-day deployment, January 2011 to January 2012. While in Afghanistan, she accurately executed operational funds across eight remote bases, providing commanders with flexibility in support of counterinsurgency efforts. Gamez trained 68 operational fund teams, reviewed 34 projects and funded 280 joint acquisition board packages enabling critical base sustainment." This has gone viral over several military forums, with mostly the same reaction as I had. The AF has pulled the story from their official news site. I'm sure the negative press was the issue. I've got a guy I worked with up at McConnell, who in his previous job as a cop, got blown up in his Hum-Vee during at IED attack. Even though he suffered physical injuries, his Purple Heart was denied, as was his Combat Action Medal. This whole thing was summed up best on one of the replies: "It's all about who you know. Sucks but it works like this in the military and outside the military. Better get some knee pads. I got mine" 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+daddyairplanes 10,243 Posted March 31, 2012 its all in how you phrase things. i got my soldier in iraq an award for throwing piss on an iraqi. (back story, we were convoying and a mercedes was trying to pass the whole convoy. when my guy was denied permission to shoot the engine or tires, he took his 1 1/2 liter water bottle he "refilled" threw it at the car and it splattered all over the driver making him crash into a median) instead of saying he threw piss at the guy i said " he used non-lethal means to deter a local national vehicle from breahing convoy security." i know thats what got him an ARCOM cause when the COL gave him his award, he asked if he wanted to know what those "non lethal means" were! so yes, the military award system is a joke. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fallenphoenix1986 603 Posted March 31, 2012 WTF I take it she didn't have the decency to refuse the award then? Regarding the Humvee IED incident, I don't really know much about US awards however I was under the impression that if you are wounded as a direct result of enemy acton that a purple heart is an automatic entitlement? Craig Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+daddyairplanes 10,243 Posted March 31, 2012 key word you're missing fallenphoenix is supposed to be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GASCAN39 7 Posted March 31, 2012 The Municipal Fire Dept I used to work for would send us to an Occ-Health clinic every year for our annual physical. The Doc had his bronze star citation on display in the waiting room for the world to see.....seems he kept his unit from getting the flu during desert storm. WOW. Age old story I guess...one of my favorite novels "My Secret War" saw an A-1 pilot serving as his unit awards officer. Staff Officers getting their flying hours in would insist that he put them in for an award..."But sir, we dropped our ordnance on the jungle....no joy on any hostiles" he was told to shut up and color......crazy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hellfish6 5 Posted March 31, 2012 (edited) Issues with the Army/USAF's broken award system aside (I don't think the Navy and Marines have that problem - you can't get a BSM in the Navy without being involved in direct combat)... An E-6 getting a Bronze Star is highly unusual - I would argue that she was probably exceptional and deserved it. Much moreso than the O-3s, O-4s, and O-5s sitting around the HQ who get one because they are O-3s, O-4s, and O-5s. You do not have to be in direct combat to get a BSM in the Army and AF, but I only pay attention to people with BSMs that also have the V device. Edited March 31, 2012 by Hellfish6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CavtankerKyle 1 Posted March 31, 2012 Let's face the facts, my friends. With force management (i.e. layoffs) being implemented, one should take the awards and kudos one can get. The force management board (i.e. the guys that decide upon the layoffs) might have to choose between an E-6 that does have a BSM, and an E-6 that doesn't. With a situation like this, take a guess as to who will get to stay around, and who will be handed the outprocessing checklist? With the way things are now, a decision will come down to 'how high is' your physical fitness test score, or how good/not good do you look in your official photo.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+JonathanRL 974 Posted March 31, 2012 (edited) I am not against vital support staff getting awards; but I am against them getting combat awards unless they have been in actual combat. Edited March 31, 2012 by JonathanRL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Dave 2,322 Posted March 31, 2012 She must of given great head too. Its a combat award period.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ezlead 42 Posted March 31, 2012 WTF! What's next,a Legion of Merit for keeping the chow line moving. Oh,that's right. That's only for O-5's and above. I'm with Dave: She must have been servicing more than paychecks. What a crock! That means that the minimum combat award should be a Silver Star. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Brain32 265 Posted March 31, 2012 Same sh*t all over the world... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+CrazyhorseB34 937 Posted March 31, 2012 I had to be the PSG of the platoon that seized the first objective in the First Battle of Falluja to get mine. There is a differance in the way the Navy and the Army treat the BSM. First off the Army has it broke down for "Service" and "Valor". For "Service", you can be recognized for what you did during a specific period of time in the face of the enemy. For "Valor" which includes a V devise, it is for a specific act in the face of the enemy. The Navy/Marines are different. They call the v devise the "Combat V" or something to that effect. To denote it is awarded for action in the face of the enemy. They do not award the BSM without the "V" as far as I know. It is alot harder to get a BSM with V in the Army than it is in the Marines. If I where a Marine my award would include the "V" even though my action was during a Marine controlled operation, the Army was the approving authority for my award..... so because it was not for one specific act of valor but for a period of service in the face of the enemy I got no "V"....... Back to the main point if she did anal she would have gotten a DSC! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capitaine Vengeur 263 Posted March 31, 2012 Triple V device for Vamping Vicious Vixen? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Major Lee 18 Posted March 31, 2012 Bronze Star for finance work? The old Led Zep song "Dazed and Confused" comes to mind... Maybe a a DFC for IFR flying a Link Trainer... I guess stupid never goes out of style... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MAKO69 186 Posted March 31, 2012 Don't get me wrong, but what she did sounds like logistical nightmare. Someone had to do it though. A commendation Medal but a Bronze Star. Here are the criteria for both. The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. Even under these criteria a stretch for both. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+CrazyhorseB34 937 Posted March 31, 2012 We can all read the Wikipedia entry for BSM........ But the facts are that each service hangs a different criteria for the award which cheapens the reason the award was instituted in the first place. Unless you see bloody and dead friendly and enemy soldiers with your own eyes and smell the stench and hear the cries of the wounded or are in some sort of direct action against your foe,then you have no business receiving awards intended for warriors. Some services like the USAF ( really not trying too piss people of here) work in a more sterile an cerebral manner. But they long for the same recognition as grenade chuckers. The truth is of all the people in the USAF only a very tiny minority could be considered warriors in the realistic sense of the term. Each of us makes a choice when we go to the recruiter. It takes a huge team of people with different skills and talents, with that said, leave the rewards for the people at the sharp end to them. Should bomb hangers get BSM's? Should SP's guarding the gate of the airbase get BSM's? Should someone working deep in the bowels of the engine room of a ship get a BSM? Should someone working on the deck of a carrier 500 miles away from where there planes are going get a BSM? Should the rescue swimmer who saves a downed pilot get a BSM? Should the F/A-18 pilot whoes bombs save a surrounded platoon on the ground get a BSM? Should the SAW gunner in an infantry fireteam who eliminates an enemy machine gun position with direct fire get a BSM? Should the navigator on a cargo plane making a milk run get a BSM? I would say no unless there is an instance which invovles them in direct combat. Like the pilot and SAW gunner.She should of gotten an MSM at the most for her work. Pushing logistical packages from an office is not the sharp end, I do not care how many time your FOB gets mortared. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
exhausted 55 Posted March 31, 2012 First off, what the f***? I heard about this yesterday during the morning ops meeting. Needless to say, I'm sickened by this. Some female sitting in an A/C'd office was given this for "Gamez distinguished herself by meritorious achievement as the NCO in charge during a 365-day deployment, January 2011 to January 2012. While in Afghanistan, she accurately executed operational funds across eight remote bases, providing commanders with flexibility in support of counterinsurgency efforts. Gamez trained 68 operational fund teams, reviewed 34 projects and funded 280 joint acquisition board packages enabling critical base sustainment." This has gone viral over several military forums, with mostly the same reaction as I had. The AF has pulled the story from their official news site. I'm sure the negative press was the issue. I've got a guy I worked with up at McConnell, who in his previous job as a cop, got blown up in his Hum-Vee during at IED attack. Even though he suffered physical injuries, his Purple Heart was denied, as was his Combat Action Medal. This whole thing was summed up best on one of the replies: "It's all about who you know. Sucks but it works like this in the military and outside the military. Better get some knee pads. I got mine" You know it's really not her fault she got this. It's whoever is in charge that wrote and pushed that through. Even if she herself didn't feel she deserved it she couldn't exactly just refuse it. That's a hard thing to do for many reasons. As we'd say in the Marines, "I don't blame you for your stupidity, I blame your drill instructors." Or in this case, "we blame your OIC." 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+ST0RM 145 Posted March 31, 2012 You know it's really not her fault she got this. It's whoever is in charge that wrote and pushed that through. Even if she herself didn't feel she deserved it she couldn't exactly just refuse it. That's a hard thing to do for many reasons. As we'd say in the Marines, "I don't blame you for your stupidity, I blame your drill instructors." Or in this case, "we blame your OIC." It shows a definite lack of integrity then. I'm still at a loss over this. Sadly, I really think she believes all of the BS in the Airman's Creed about being a warrior, hence her not turning it down. I can justify the MSM, but NOT a Bronze Star. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+CrazyhorseB34 937 Posted March 31, 2012 Exhausted you are correct. It is an institutional problem and the responsibility for this lies solely with the chain of command. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B52STRATO 215 Posted March 31, 2012 And what could we said about of our national highest decoration reserved to the military and civilians (in this case for heroic act), the "Legion d'Honneur" now around the neck of singers and actors ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snake36bravo 1 Posted March 31, 2012 Sort of cheapens the Bronze star on my 69 year old neighbors wall right next to his Senior Aviators wings, DFCs, and Vietnam Legion of Merit for being a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. "Earn this" comes to mind. -Out Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FastCargo 412 Posted March 31, 2012 I've always been bothered by the awards system in the USAF when I was in. EPR numbered rating system, OPRs having to fill every blank spot, awards making it sound like you defecate platinum for simply doing your job. I hated watching my bosses jump through hoops trying to make my awards (PCS metals) sound sexy. I was an average to above average pilot and instructor. I didn't want additional responsibility...I just liked to fly. I did my job and did it well. I didn't bend a jet, deliberately break a rule, or shine my ass. But I wasn't writing flight manuals during test, facing the elephant on a daily basis, or saved a bus load of nuns. I was happy enough either being the sharp end of the spear, or making sure those who were going to be got every tool they needed to make sure they were going to survive and thrive in a hostile environment and beyond. Treat those who meet the standard with respect. But truly recognize the exceptional ones...make the medals and awards and '5's on the EPRs mean something. FC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capitaine Vengeur 263 Posted April 1, 2012 And what could we said about of our national highest decoration reserved to the military and civilians (in this case for heroic act), the "Legion d'Honneur" now around the neck of singers and actors ... Agree. So pitiful so see what was nicknamed "the Cross of the Brave" at Napoleon's time, awarded to Sarkozy's taylor! True, a real feat to make the Magyar dwarf presentable, but otherwise, 64 millions face palms!... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dave63 13 Posted April 1, 2012 I will quote for you my exact response to the item in question when a friend of mine (In 'Stan until yesterday) posted it. I am glad I retired when I did. It is edited for language. "F**k a whole bunch of that and f**k whomever put her in for it. F**k whomever approved it and f**k her for accepting it..." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
