Air Medal Society is formed

[Steve Wilkins]

In the EP-3 the Nav had to load all of the friggin crypto on all of the damn radios. And if memory serves me correctly that was seven radios, some of them needed their own crypto and some needed two. Once you got it down it took about 15 minutes (you had to key each radio on three different channels for each crypto loaded...........:icon_rage), but the first few times it took 45-50 minutes. And this is before the automatic keying machines, it was an individual strips one by one in each friggin/damn/cursed radio.......and you had to do it all over again in flight when a new Zulu day turned over in PACOM............It was a real pain in the ass........

By the way, all of this was carried in a very heavy double-locked orange metal breifcase that weighed about 150 pounds.......okay, about 40......it was still a pain in the ass to haul around.

And we used all three nets all of the time, especially the highest one.

I think I'll take that as a no to my question

 

[hscs]

Just curious, but why don't the ATs load the crypto pre-launch. Seems that it would save a crewmember time that could be used for mission prep. I can understand a crewmember having to reload in flight if the radios can't hold multiple sets of codes.

 

[Pugs]

Just curious, but why don't the ATs load the crypto pre-launch. Seems that it would save a crewmember time that could be used for mission prep. I can understand a crewmember having to reload in flight if the radios can't hold multiple sets of codes.

The AT's in a Prowler squadron (even the custiodans) didn't have the clearance to handle some of the keying materials. Two nets I can think of also required two person integrity.

 

[Oh-58Ddriver]

So does this mean no one is joining the Air Medal Society?

 

[Flash]

Just curious, but why don't the ATs load the crypto pre-launch. Seems that it would save a crewmember time that could be used for mission prep. I can understand a crewmember having to reload in flight if the radios can't hold multiple sets of codes.

We had to be completely self-sufficient in the EP-3, the same with the P-3 as well. There were several times that we deployed to a remote site with little to no support, and the P-3's did that a lot more often than us. Also, it was more convenient for the aircrew to keep track of it, since we used the spaces where it had to be stored while the maintainers did not. And finally, the less people who handled it the better. To switch the crypto, there was only one set, back and forth between different people was a recipe for disaster.

I saw more guys kill their careers in EP-3's by screwing up crypto than for any other one reason, it ain't fun and I was glad to be rid of it.

 

[KC130FE]

So does this mean no one is joining the Air Medal Society?

Good on ya to steer the thread back.

 

[A4sForever]

So does this mean no one is joining the Air Medal Society?

"IF" .... and I mean ... "if" .... the Medal is such a bullshit medal today (as that's what I'm getting from most of you -- is it???) ... the only question is:

Why would anyone want to join "The Society" ??? ....

Outta' here ... I'm going to the Pu-Pu Bar ...

 

[Huggy Bear]

"IF" .... and I mean ... "if" .... the Medal is such a bullshit medal today (as that's what I'm getting from most of you -- is it???) ... the only question is:

Why would anyone want to join "The Society" ??? ....

Outta' here ... I'm going to the Pu-Pu Bar ...

I don't think it is completely BS. I certainly would never compare anything I did to what pilots in Vietnam or Korea faced, but every point me and my squadronmates earned was for delivering ordnance in Afghanistan and Iraq. I feel like those were well earned points. It was purely luck and timing on our parts, we just happened to be the first on the scene in both of those conflicts.

 

[Oh-58Ddriver]

Heres my thoughts on the Air Medal. Keep in mind I am as bitter and jaded as it gets when it comes to awards. I just started my 12th month in sunny Iraq and have gotten 3 Air Medals in the process. What I have seen are field grade officers taking care of each other and getting more/higher awards than people on the same flights. I have seen an O5 get an Air Medal with V for an engagement that his aircraft never came closer than 5km to and his was the only aircraft without bullet holes in it. Oh, and he is the only one whose award has been processed yet, the other guys are still waiting. I have seen an O4 get the medal for getting shot in the tailboom while flying over a town - and oh by the way he didnt even know he was shot until the maintainers found the hole the next day. I have seen CW2s and CPTs passed over for DFCs because higher headquarters screwed up and didnt send them air support when they asked for it and left them unarmed/by themselves for 3.5 hours until aircraft from another area heard their calls for help - in an effort to cover it all up, no awards were given despite the aircrew preventing a large scale ambush and killing 9 insurgents, most with small arms fire out of the cockpit (at night under NVGs).

SO like I said, I am jaded, but here goes. A few weeks ago a general from MNC-I came to visit and discussed awards. He started by saying "people dont know what valor is anymore." I figured he was going to talk about people getting awards that didnt earn them, but he went the opposite way. He said "its not normal for a kid to join the military, fly an outdated aircraft straight into a hostile environment, take and return fire, and put their ass on the line. Thats valor. Even if everyone around you is doing the same thing, in the scheme of things, not many people would, and not many people do."

Something to think about I guess...

 

[snake020]

slight threadjack - This trend with the Air Medal from what I'm observing in this thread seems to be as bad with the Bronze Star (at least on the AF side). Most people I've seen getting Bronze Stars not only weren't anywhere near where bullets and mortars were flying, they weren't turning wrenches on combat aircraft or doing anything more than sitting in an office studying for War College or defining the internets as a "weapon system" (I swear I am not making this up) in the AOR.

So we invent all these campaign medals, liberalize the awarding of mid level combat medals, have guys walking around with 8 rows of ribbons who might have deployed twice and never saw combat, yet we're afraid to award the MOH to guys saving lives and diving on grenades.

Does anyone else see the awards process being massively f*ed up?

 

[MasterBates]

Yeah, the MOH is being TOO infrequently awarded. Also, it seems that it is only considered posthumously, whereas in previous wars it was often awarded to men who did something that risked their life above and beyond the call of duty, but lived.

 

[HercDriver]

Medals are funny things...most that really deserved them did not get them. They are one of those things like religion or politics that will get folks' dander up.

To those that have rightfully earned the DFC and Air Medal, I have the utmost respect. That being said, whenever I see folks with license plates that say they received a Silver or Bronze Star I probably think less of them. You should be proud of your accomplishments, but advertising them lessens them (just my opinion).

A few of us who hold the Air Medal have formed the Air Medal Society , dedeicated to improving the recognition of the medal and those airmen who hold it.

Same with receiving an award and dedicating yourself to improving the recognition of said award. Seems self-serving...which is kind of the opposite of what you would expect of an awardee (I will say the CMOH society gets a pass on my criticism...they are a super special case).

My 2 cents.

 

[cosmania]

I don't think it is completely BS. I certainly would never compare anything I did to what pilots in Vietnam or Korea faced, but every point me and my squadronmates earned was for delivering ordnance in Afghanistan and Iraq. I feel like those were well earned points. It was purely luck and timing on our parts, we just happened to be the first on the scene in both of those conflicts.

See, that's the problem. I'm sure you did earn them, as did many others. However, there's no indicator on the medal that says "real" or "notional" although I suppose the real fix would be the Notional Air Medal. . . of course, that would confuse the hell out of those who were looking for the other N.A.M.:icon_smil

 

[picklesuit]

I've never really understood the need to define one's self by the awards you've received. The license plates with OIF/OEF holders, Purple Heart stickers, special plates denoting what you've earned.
I always thought you should be satisfied with the knowledge and not need a society to prove it.
Note: I'm a hypocrite if you count wings in my previous statement (I think NA/NAC wings are different, denotes a level of superiority everyone else should recognize.)
Pickle

 

[The Chief]

I've never really understood the need to define one's self ... Pickle

What part of narcissism do you not understand?