AL R
Certainly, with most things that happen in MB (sorry, Defence Head Office) there is a 'political' or presentational element to it. IIRC there was a bit in the media at the time concerning compensation payment for a typist with RSI cf soldiers missing limbs, and any announcement concerning awarding medals or devices to injured SP would have been seen as a weak subsitute to adequate compensation, even thought the two issues were unrelated and the media reporting on the levels of compensation were grossly distorted.
I'm not saying that there shouldn't be a medal or somesuch in recognition, but often the communications environment just isn't right without intense and generally unjust criticism. It's a case of 'you're damned if you do; damned if you don't'.