Harrier Dude
Living the dream
God help us.
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Are individual awards getting watered down (ie a NAM for a Det)?
- Thread starter Alpha_Echo_606
- Start date
Yet you felt compelled to write a whiny, self-entitled, woe is me post about not getting your due. Please STFU.
Is 'putting in' for your own awards a common thing these days? I'm not knockin' it, just curious. The only time I ever heard of that being done, was LT John Kerry & his multi-PHs, but I've been retired for a looong time and things change.
BzB
BZB,
I'm sure you have seen that good units do the 'routine' well and bad units screw up the 'routine'. I would say that awards are the same. I've been in squadrons where I had no idea who actually wrote up the award and others where I've had to provide input.
In some larger staffs, I've actually had to provide a list of bullets to my boss since I worked multiple projects and my boss didn't have full-SA on what everyone was doing.
I've also been asked to write up my own award because I was the OIC of the det and the higher HQ didn't have a clue what we were actually doing.
So to answer you question, in a squadron it would be uncommon for an officer to 'write' his/her own award. They may be asked to provide input since a JO tour is around 36 months and the DH who may be writing the award may not have been on board as long.
As for actually "submitting" yourself for an award, I have only seen it happen once, but the officer who received his award actually had his wife (who worked on the Admiral's staff for the Region) submit an award for him. So he didn't submit himself for an award at his command, his wife submitted his award to her boss, who then sent it to my CO to award to this officer.
Writing/giving input for your award is different (to me) than putting yourself in for one. Personally, I'd rather not get an (personal) award if I have to write it, but I'll give my bullet points. If a DH/OIC/CO/etc can't be bothered, so be it. I've been lucky to not have that be the case except once.
Obviously stuff like unit/theater awards are different since someone has to do the leg work to make the paperwork happen.
Obviously stuff like unit/theater awards are different since someone has to do the leg work to make the paperwork happen.
For every BS award you get there was something you did that you should have gotten an award for. Hopefully it all comes out in the wash.
Exactly, people are confusing having to compose their own cititaions and/or narratives when instructed to do so by their boss(es), typical for EOT, and not out of the question. "Putting yourself in for" an award means you think you should receive some decoration and put together the awards package and submitted it on your own (or had someone do it for you), which is kind of weird, and viewed as such by most.
The more awards Es get, the more points they get on their exams. That's the difference:It doesnt matter one fucking bit what we as Os get. If I get a top three EP and a kick in the ass out the door then I'll be happy. We don't get shit for this mission. No NUCs MUCs, campaign awards, air medals... Nothin. It hurts the Es because our AW ratings have to compete against P-3 guys with multiple air medals etc... If you are an O it doesn't fucking matter.
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
This is standard in the Navy, but greatly frowned upon in the Marine Corps.
Aside from having to write my boss's award when I was XO (directed by his boss, not him personally) I have always seen officers write the awards (unsolicited) for their subordinates when warranted.
The occasional lazy douche will try to pass it down to their SNCO, but that's the exception.
Our system is still broken beyond hope, but at least we haven't (generally) gone to a self serve award system yet.
I've seen it with air medals/DFCs etc, but those were generally the douches that would seek high praise that you'd expect regardless of service or circumstance.
To be clear: I'm not trying to bust on the Navy. It's just the way it is now. Having had many sailors work for me, it was a shock to have them just present awards to their chain of command for processing.
I can't remember if I said this earlier in the thread, but I had to write an end of cruise (NC) for my OIC when I was a JO on my second deployment. It was directed by the ship's XO and was warranted, but no self-respecting JO should be happy about writing an award for an O-4.
So I wrote two versions, one of which described every discipline problem, lost mission, and general shenannigan that happened on det and therefore, the OIC was responsible for (and sometimes part of). It was met with enthusiastic approval. That was probably the best ship XO I've worked with.
Old post I know, but not all Bronze Stars were recognition of "been there, done that with guns." My grandfather was awarded one for calling in artillery strikes on a German tank division (group? gaggle?) over the course of 12 hours when he was all but surrounded by German forces in the Vosges. Presented to him in 1944/45 by the one-star commander of the 100th infantry division when he was an O-3. Granted, doing his job, but impressive nonetheless. It's a shame to see that the award has been subsequently watered down.
Well, ever since I got mine...both of which were RICHLY deserved, as I recollect...the system seems to have gone downhill.When did the NAM become such an easy medal? I hear sailors talking about getting one just for going on det.
And that is why all the ones awarded for 'meritorious service' in a 'combat' zone diminish those awarded for acts like that even if they are accompanied by a V.
And my grandfather's (which, along with the citation, photo, and other medals, is framed in my bedroom) doesn't even have the combat V.
It didn't get subsequently watered down. It was watered down from its very inception. The BS is a weird award. It gets awarded both for legit acts of bravery and as a t-shirt medal.