Actually, though, there a saying for officer promotions at least in the Marines. The three things that DON'T matter: "medals, masters', and muscles."
If that were true, I'd be a 37-star general by now!
Actually, though, there a saying for officer promotions at least in the Marines. The three things that DON'T matter: "medals, masters', and muscles."
Depends. Was your "unit" a school?
I think part of the problem with NAMs is that, IIRC, each CO is authorized so many to award on his own. It would seem to me that different skippers are going to have different criteria for when to give those out.
Back in the 1990's a squadron CO was authorized to award two "CO's NAMs" every year. They generally went to the Sailor of the Year and another deserving member of the enlisted side of the house.I think part of the problem with NAMs is that, IIRC, each CO is authorized so many to award on his own. It would seem to me that different skippers are going to have different criteria for when to give those out.
Here's the thing--once "everyone" gives out EOT awards as standard, then the one CO who holds the line is suddenly the jerk who's screwing his people.
I've also gravitated to where I like working environment where no rank is displayed either so it's all about your street cred, not your patches, or insignia or chest salad, which can be so distracting and cause the very spirals this thread is evoking.
.... I've not been at it 40 years but ... .
IMO the move to make bags neither uniform nor working and requiring formalized rank and nametags was another one of the incremental moves destroying the esprit de corps of our specialty.
I overheard a comment to the effect of "someone must have established a Bronze Star Medal minting factory in Iraq because of the number of non-Valor BSM's being awarded."
Back in the 1990's a squadron CO was authorized to award two "CO's NAMs" every year. They generally went to the Sailor of the Year and another deserving member of the enlisted side of the house.
That got changed because the CAGs and Commodores were sick of haivng to do all the paperword for all the "Cruise NAMs" and EOT NAMs, so Big Navy gave Commander Commands unlimited NAM authority; this open the proverbial flood gates. Now you have commands who have a 'medals for all my friends' mentality for the Awards Board since they are now 'free' in the eyes of the command. You do not need to justify giving an award to anyone outside of the command so more awards are given.
I've sat on Awards board for 5 different units and NAMs are now given for performances that used to be given a LOC since there is no limit to the number of NAMs given away. Right or wrong a NAM is now a parting gift for doing an adequate job as an E-5 and above in a squadron.
I've seen it go the other way, HS-10 used to give a NCM for completing a tour there as an IP, but when I just left HS-10 it was NAMs for IPs out the door.
During my Joint Tour we had a USMC 1-star take command and he started freaking out when he saw that folks were going a DMSM for 'doing thier jobs'. He commented that an MSM is what a Battalion Commander would get for a successful command tour and joint commands hand them out like Pez. The Air Force Officers started to get scared because if they left a joint tour without a DMSM it would be the kiss of death for their careers.
But I have to say the worst award I've ever seen was a NCM given to the volenteer 3rd base coach for the All-Navy baseball team. The best part of this whole thing was that the LT was put in for the award by the Region Staff. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that his wife worked in the PAO office for that same Region staff...
Everyone gets NAMs at an O-5 command because they're easier to give then FLOCs (and worth more points). NAMs can be signed by the CO the day you want to give the award. At my fleet squadron it took almost 180 days of lead time to ensure that a Sailor was given a FLOC before they left. Not to mention that in that 180 days they had to go through the Wing and their chop process as well, with COs answering questions for why a sailor deserved a FLOC. .
Our wing had very strict NCM rules for non O-4s. To get one as a 1st tour LT you had to move mountains and have a CO who was willing to go argue his case and why the COMMO should break his awards policy for this one individual. I'd imagine that the same process would have to happen to get RAG IPs NCMs.
I realize that what used to constitute a Bronze Star in WWII and what constitutes one today is incredibly different, but that is due to the standard for achievement of this award being lowered compared to 60 years ago.