Whopee! Medals for all!
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In my experience 1987-2009, an Integrity Medal would be a rare sight amongst many a chisseler aiming at the next rank, with no thought for the wake left behind. LS&GCM for officers? Who comes up with this cr@p?
I recall Maj Bob Pomeroy the USAF member of the War Studies Team at the Towers, who had about 3 or 4 rows of medal ribbons, being teased at a dining-in night by the UK Military member (the then) Maj David Thorne, on the basis one medal was for chasing girls and another for catching them
Avoid imitations
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Where would you wear it anyway? I don't wear medals on my civilian clothes or uniform (although I have worked with some who did).
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I always thought a good conduct stripe was a better idea, add them for being a good boy / girl and remove one when you are not.
When the 'Specialist Aircrew' scheme was first mooted, apparently consideration was given to some form of distinguishing insignia - so those about to be able to opt for Spec Aircrew terms were consulted.
Once the discussion dropped to the level of 'secret handshakes', the sponsor sneaked back into his hole in the Air Box and nothing became of it all.
Perhaps there should also be a 'brown nose' medal for those chiselling thrusters amongst aircrew with 5 or more years in staff appointments shuffling paper rather than flying?
Once the discussion dropped to the level of 'secret handshakes', the sponsor sneaked back into his hole in the Air Box and nothing became of it all.
Perhaps there should also be a 'brown nose' medal for those chiselling thrusters amongst aircrew with 5 or more years in staff appointments shuffling paper rather than flying?
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Staff appointments interspesed with operational ones are an essential ingredient to career progression. If all you want to do is fly, go Spec Aircrew and forget about high rank 
Now, what do I get for c. 16 years in Staff appointments? The Ignoble Order of the Shiny Trouser?
Now, what do I get for c. 16 years in Staff appointments? The Ignoble Order of the Shiny Trouser?
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The Oberon
Its worse than I thought!
I've just dug out my Certificate of Service. My 'Previous Service' is listed as my time as a Boy Entrant.
Being one of the youngest Boys, I joined at 15 years and 66 days, I passed out still under 17½. There are 11 months from when I passed out of Boy's service to when my engagement started on my 18th birthday that are simply not recorded in my Certificate of Service.
In that period I was promoted twice from B/E to LAC to SAC!
How could that happen when I wasn't in the Service?
Ian, I think it was the other way round. LS&GCM from 17.5 and pension from 18. Still confusing though.
I've just dug out my Certificate of Service. My 'Previous Service' is listed as my time as a Boy Entrant.
Being one of the youngest Boys, I joined at 15 years and 66 days, I passed out still under 17½. There are 11 months from when I passed out of Boy's service to when my engagement started on my 18th birthday that are simply not recorded in my Certificate of Service.
In that period I was promoted twice from B/E to LAC to SAC!
How could that happen when I wasn't in the Service?
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And it wouldn't show or count towards your pension, if any, even though you were contributing.
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Pension?
Had to do 22 to get a pension in them days.
I did have one pleasant surprise, the day I was demobbed I received £50 that I wasn't expecting.
This was apparently a 'gratuity' for completing 10 years service. When I actually did almost 13.
Had to do 22 to get a pension in them days.
I did have one pleasant surprise, the day I was demobbed I received £50 that I wasn't expecting.
This was apparently a 'gratuity' for completing 10 years service. When I actually did almost 13.
Sorry Beagle, not available to those who left before 29 Jul 14. - RLE
So not exactly "Whopee! Medals for all!" then.
Incidentally, does "Whopee" mean that there will be a whip-round to pay for them....
Jack
So not exactly "Whopee! Medals for all!" then.
Incidentally, does "Whopee" mean that there will be a whip-round to pay for them....
Jack
What a bunch of bloody misery guts we have on here. Quelle surprise.
The government wants to give people who have devoted a fair portion of their life to public service a visible token of their appreciation and all some folks can do is whine about it.
We all know it's not a medal for being a hero and for some of us it might be all we have to show for a few years in the mob.
From what was discussed on this forum a few months back it'll be a long service medal without the good conduct portion being associated with it.
Regardless of that this should be embraced as a good news story. Until someone can categorically prove to me that squaddies are going without body armour or the VSOs have had to resort to Tesco value sausages for their lunch.
Lighten up, for the love of God.
BV
The government wants to give people who have devoted a fair portion of their life to public service a visible token of their appreciation and all some folks can do is whine about it.
We all know it's not a medal for being a hero and for some of us it might be all we have to show for a few years in the mob.
From what was discussed on this forum a few months back it'll be a long service medal without the good conduct portion being associated with it.
Regardless of that this should be embraced as a good news story. Until someone can categorically prove to me that squaddies are going without body armour or the VSOs have had to resort to Tesco value sausages for their lunch.
Lighten up, for the love of God.
BV
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I cant see the point of degrading a perfectly legitimate award for airman service to assuage "bare chest" officer sensibilities. Since 2002 any serving officer will accrue one gizzit gong for service every ten years of Her Maj's Glorious Reign with the next one due in 2022. Then happy non combatant officers can sport a row of three like any police/fire/ambulanceman.
For me it's not about assuaging anyone's sensibilities. It's about a little bit of credit where it's due. In our country we are so hard over on avoiding the US style bling that we turn our noses up at anything short of a gallantry award.
I can't say it's going to change my life to have one and if it wasn't awarded I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep but I don't see it as a bad thing.
I guess we shall have to just agree to disagree.
BV
I can't say it's going to change my life to have one and if it wasn't awarded I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep but I don't see it as a bad thing.
I guess we shall have to just agree to disagree.
BV
Having heard a bit about the drivers for this, the fact that regular officers are alone in not getting a long service medal among regular other ranks, and reservists at all ranks, was seen as an anonaly that rightly needed correcting. The driver for this was military and not civil servants, as some here seem to think.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Actually there are far more occasions than heretofore. The jubilee and South Atlantic medals were the only common medals after the Korean War besides the GSM and LSGC Then came the Bosnian, Gulf etc etc and now 10 or so is not uncommon.
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“The object of giving medals, stars and ribbons is to give pride and pleasure to those who have deserved them. At the same time a distinction is something which everybody does not possess. If all have it, it is of less value. There must, therefore, be heart-burnings and disappointments on the borderline. A medal glitters, but it also casts a shadow. The task of drawing up regulations for such awards is one which does not admit of a perfect solution. It is not possible to satisfy everybody without running the risk of satisfying nobody. All that is possible is to give the greatest satisfaction to the greatest number and to hurt the feelings of the fewest.”
Winston Churchill – 22nd March 1944
Winston Churchill – 22nd March 1944
