New Medal for Drone Pilots
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I guess the problem is that the conversation you suggest was not taking place. The Administration and Defense Secretary were letting it slide.
Bob C
Bob C
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Being Vegas I was pondering over the award
You could have different variations
DCW with bar bar bar
DCW with bar bar cherry
DCW with lemon bell orange
Sorry, glad to see sense has prevailed.
You could have different variations
DCW with bar bar bar
DCW with bar bar cherry
DCW with lemon bell orange
Sorry, glad to see sense has prevailed.
Formally binned by SecDef on Tuesday, perhaps not forever, but can't see it coming in much above the 'Flying over Northern Ireland' medal...
EDITORIAL: Good riddance to a medal - Washington Times
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin E. Dempsey was told he has 30 days to re-evaluate every aspect of the bad idea — from the name of the medal to its order of precedence — and report back with a recommendation. The medal was torpedoed before anyone could be nominated to receive one.
Canceled
WASHINGTON — In the face of withering criticism, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has canceled the creation of a new military medal for drone and cyber warriors, instead ordering military leaders to develop a special pin or device that would be attached to already existing medals or ribbons.
Hagel's predecessor, Leon Panetta, created the Distinguished Warfare Medal to be awarded to troops such as drone operators and cyber warriors who have a major effect on a military operation but never actually set foot in the combat zone. That decision triggered broad complaints from veterans and lawmakers who said it should not be ranked higher than traditional combat medals such as the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
On Monday Hagel said that while the department should recognize the extraordinary achievements of those troops, the award should not be a stand-alone medal.
When Panetta announced the medal would be created in mid-February, defense officials said it would be considered a bit higher in ranking than the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, but lower than the Silver Star. But the Veterans of Foreign Wars and other groups sent a letter to President Barack Obama in March, asking him to keep the medal ranked below the Purple Heart, which is awarded for combat injuries. Critics said the ranking was an injustice to those troops who risked their lives in battle.
Last month, under orders from Hagel, the military stopped production of the medal and top defense and military leaders began a new review. Hagel asked Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to report back to him in 30 days.
Hagel – who was twice awarded the Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam – said that the review concluded that "misconceptions regarding the precedence of the award were distracting from its original purpose."
Senior military leaders who conducted the study recommended the creation of a device, similar to the "V" for valor that can be attached to the Bronze Star and other medals to reward an act of heroism. They have 90 days to finalize details and criteria for the award.
Panetta, in creating the new medal, said it reflected battlefield contributions in a world of changing warfare. He said that remotely piloted aircraft and cyber systems have changed the way that wars are fought and can change the course of a conflict from afar.
In a statement on Monday, Hagel agreed with the idea behind the initial recognition.
"The servicemen and women who operate and support our remotely piloted aircraft, operate in cyber and others are critical to our military's mission of safeguarding the nation," he said.
The American Legion's national commander, James E. Koutz, said Hagel's decision keeps the evolving roles of military combat in proper perspective.
"Cyber and drone warfare have become part of the equation for 21st-century combat, and those who fight such battles with distinction certainly deserve to be recognized," Koutz said in a statement. "But the American Legion still believes there's a fundamental difference between those who fight remotely, or via computer, and those fighting against an enemy who is trying to kill them."
As originally conceived, the blue, red and white-ribboned medal was to be awarded to individuals for "extraordinary achievement" related to a military operation that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001. But it does not require the recipient to risk his or her life to get it.
Over the last decade of war, remotely piloted Predator and Reaper drones have become a critical weapon to gather intelligence and conduct airstrikes against terrorists or insurgents around the world. They have been used extensively on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and northern Africa.
Over the same time, cyberattacks have become a growing national security threat, with Panetta and others warning that the next Pearl Harbor could well be a computer-based assault.
The Bronze Star is the fourth-highest combat decoration and rewards meritorious service in battle, while the Silver Star is the third-highest combat award given for bravery. The Purple Heart is ranked just below the Bronze Star.
Several other awards, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, are also ranked higher than the Silver Star, but are not awarded for combat.
In addition to veterans' concerns, there is a practical side to the rankings for currently serving troops. There are grades of medals – commendation, merit, distinguished – that affect promotions for those still in uniform. Each grade gives troops a certain number of points needed for promotions.
___
Associated Press writer Donna Cassata contributed to this report.
Hagel's predecessor, Leon Panetta, created the Distinguished Warfare Medal to be awarded to troops such as drone operators and cyber warriors who have a major effect on a military operation but never actually set foot in the combat zone. That decision triggered broad complaints from veterans and lawmakers who said it should not be ranked higher than traditional combat medals such as the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
On Monday Hagel said that while the department should recognize the extraordinary achievements of those troops, the award should not be a stand-alone medal.
When Panetta announced the medal would be created in mid-February, defense officials said it would be considered a bit higher in ranking than the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, but lower than the Silver Star. But the Veterans of Foreign Wars and other groups sent a letter to President Barack Obama in March, asking him to keep the medal ranked below the Purple Heart, which is awarded for combat injuries. Critics said the ranking was an injustice to those troops who risked their lives in battle.
Last month, under orders from Hagel, the military stopped production of the medal and top defense and military leaders began a new review. Hagel asked Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to report back to him in 30 days.
Hagel – who was twice awarded the Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam – said that the review concluded that "misconceptions regarding the precedence of the award were distracting from its original purpose."
Senior military leaders who conducted the study recommended the creation of a device, similar to the "V" for valor that can be attached to the Bronze Star and other medals to reward an act of heroism. They have 90 days to finalize details and criteria for the award.
Panetta, in creating the new medal, said it reflected battlefield contributions in a world of changing warfare. He said that remotely piloted aircraft and cyber systems have changed the way that wars are fought and can change the course of a conflict from afar.
In a statement on Monday, Hagel agreed with the idea behind the initial recognition.
"The servicemen and women who operate and support our remotely piloted aircraft, operate in cyber and others are critical to our military's mission of safeguarding the nation," he said.
The American Legion's national commander, James E. Koutz, said Hagel's decision keeps the evolving roles of military combat in proper perspective.
"Cyber and drone warfare have become part of the equation for 21st-century combat, and those who fight such battles with distinction certainly deserve to be recognized," Koutz said in a statement. "But the American Legion still believes there's a fundamental difference between those who fight remotely, or via computer, and those fighting against an enemy who is trying to kill them."
As originally conceived, the blue, red and white-ribboned medal was to be awarded to individuals for "extraordinary achievement" related to a military operation that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001. But it does not require the recipient to risk his or her life to get it.
Over the last decade of war, remotely piloted Predator and Reaper drones have become a critical weapon to gather intelligence and conduct airstrikes against terrorists or insurgents around the world. They have been used extensively on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and northern Africa.
Over the same time, cyberattacks have become a growing national security threat, with Panetta and others warning that the next Pearl Harbor could well be a computer-based assault.
The Bronze Star is the fourth-highest combat decoration and rewards meritorious service in battle, while the Silver Star is the third-highest combat award given for bravery. The Purple Heart is ranked just below the Bronze Star.
Several other awards, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, are also ranked higher than the Silver Star, but are not awarded for combat.
In addition to veterans' concerns, there is a practical side to the rankings for currently serving troops. There are grades of medals – commendation, merit, distinguished – that affect promotions for those still in uniform. Each grade gives troops a certain number of points needed for promotions.
___
Associated Press writer Donna Cassata contributed to this report.
All that rarified air Panetta breathed on his weekly Tax Payer paid commute to his Nut Ranch in California must have gotten to him.
There are grades of medals – commendation, merit, distinguished – that affect promotions for those still in uniform. Each grade gives troops a certain number of points needed for promotions.
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Points mean prizes
Actually that is the reason at the heart of the US disproprtionate largesse for medals and awards. In a prmotion system whose purple prose demands that everybody walks on water it is very difficult to distinguish good from average. Points for awards looks like an empirical measure of relative merit but then it creates an "arms race" in which not having an award at a particular career point puts you at such a disadvantage that it becomes essential for commanders to award as many as they can.
That said, our Allies have a very effective culture of reward and recognition
from which we can learn much - not least on promotion. There is nothig wrong with bing proud of people's achievements; I always get the impression that as a nation we are all a bit embarrassed by this sort of things even to the brief presentatin when leaving a unit. We coud do better.
Our quota system for awards may be unfair in another way (at that probaby needs another thread), but at least it has no direct bearing on promotion.
Medals will always be divisive; on the whole somebody will always be inappropriately or arbitrarily included or excluded.
That said, our Allies have a very effective culture of reward and recognition
from which we can learn much - not least on promotion. There is nothig wrong with bing proud of people's achievements; I always get the impression that as a nation we are all a bit embarrassed by this sort of things even to the brief presentatin when leaving a unit. We coud do better.
Our quota system for awards may be unfair in another way (at that probaby needs another thread), but at least it has no direct bearing on promotion.
Medals will always be divisive; on the whole somebody will always be inappropriately or arbitrarily included or excluded.
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have a major effect on a military operation but never actually set foot in
the combat zone
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So who authorises medals??
On a slightly different tack, I witnessed a situation in Kandahar in '09 where a female US Army Capt colleague was written up for a medal by a CW3 (Chief Warrant Officer). He trotted along to the US 1*, who endorsed the recommendation and she was duly presented with that and 2 other gongs prior to heading home. A US Army Major (Reservist), who shared our office, cottoned onto this, asked to copy the recommendation and was stopped just before presenting it himself to the General. He couldn't quite grasp why we thought it might be an idea to substitute 'he' for 'she' and 'him' for 'her' in the script! Once corrected, he did trot along for endorsement and subsequently went home with no less than an extra 5 medals on his chest, not bad for flying a desk! This takes self gratifications to a whole new level, no doubt he'll be a full Colonel by now, grrrr. 
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That these guys save lives day in and day out is not the argument. That their ability to significantly impact the battlefield is not the question. I think, for most, what rubbed raw the most, was that this proposed medal would be of superior ranking than traditional battlefield medals. The stresses these guys are under are not the same, but they are also not the same as the finance officer sitting in a cubicle in Offut. They see first-hand the effects of weapons either at their disposal, directed by them, or simply monitored by them after others do the dirty work. This is a real stress and one that is difficult to quantify. In the theater of operations, you have, at least, a couple of days to decompress after a challenging situation. These guys go straight home to mom and little Johnny. That has got to present some unique psychological challenges.
All that said, if the ISR world didn't think they received enough recognition, or the current medals didn't do justice to their job, I don't have a huge beef with creating a new medal, but I think it far more reasonable to simply expound on the criteria for the various current medals to give them appropriate recognition. If a new medal was indeed warranted, its placement in the hierarchy would always be contentious...
...just like giving missleers flight jackets or Cheyenne Mountain folks flight suits.
All that said, if the ISR world didn't think they received enough recognition, or the current medals didn't do justice to their job, I don't have a huge beef with creating a new medal, but I think it far more reasonable to simply expound on the criteria for the various current medals to give them appropriate recognition. If a new medal was indeed warranted, its placement in the hierarchy would always be contentious...
...just like giving missleers flight jackets or Cheyenne Mountain folks flight suits.
