This is from my Air Force days: at Al Udeid, squadron commanders were routinely given Bronze Stars as EOT medals, and MSMs were given to low performing ones. My squadron commander (O-5) was tapped for an MSM and was butthurt about it, so he asked me not to include the award in his change of command which I was the action officer for (I was a lowly 1st Lt at the time)
A couple weeks out from the CoC, the group commander's EA (O-3) was reviewing the draft script and asked why the EOT medal wasn't included. I gave my squadron CO's position, and the EA stated at per the group CO's (O-6) orders, all EOTs were to be included in CoC ceremonies. I brought this up with my squadron CO, who came back to me the next day saying he'd discussed with the group CO and confirmed it was fine to leave the EOT out.
Day before the CoC, EA rings me up, aggravated that I'd seemingly ignored his direction to modify the script to include the EOT. When I explained that my squadron CO had spoken with the group CO, the EA advised no such conversation had taken place. Once again I went to my squadron CO asking for direction. In the interim, the group CO's staff had delivered the citation and medal to our admin section to have ready for the ceremony; his reply to me: "well, if we say I've already packed the citation and medal in my household goods, then I guess we won't be able to have it included."
A quick end: day of the ceremony we have a walkthrough, we get to the part where the EOT should be and it's not there, at which time the group CO interrupts the rehearsal to ask where the EOT is in the script. The squadron CO starts fumbling an excuse only to be interrupted by the O-6 who says "your EOT will be read here, we will print off another citation and lend you a medal from admin for the ceremony, end of discussion." After the rehearsal, the O-6 finds me and says "don't worry, I know you've been caught in the middle of this, you've done fine."
All because some underperforming O-5 at a CENTCOM support base thought he deserved a Bronze Star.