The Distinguished Warfare Medal - comming to a drone hooch near you

You know when your kid registers to join a team sport, ya know like soccer or whatever else non-contact touchy feely sport and they give trophies at the end of the year even though the team sucked and didn’t win a freaking game? Vomit. “We want everyone to feel like winners” a coach told me when I asked why they were getting trophies. I just stood there and looked at him with my cigar in my mouth and thought to myself, “you got beat up a lot as a kid didn’t you”.  

I had a chat (story time) with some kids there as they gorged themselves on pizza and crap. The tittle of Maj Pain’s story to those little booger eaters was called was “Loosing sucks”.  That’s right kids, life isn’t fair. You’re not always going to win and get a trophy. Your boss may not even like you when you grow up, if you even get a job. Your soccer team may not even win a game but if you try hard, show up to practice, make it a priority to be a positive and contributing member of the team and then you still lose, at least you can say, you did your best.  But still, loosing sucks and if you dont like the feeling, do somthing to fix it, crybaby.

 

This is how I feel about the medal just released. Panetta Announces Distinguished Warfare Medal

 

The Distinguished Warfare Medal recognizes the changing face of warfare. In the past, few, if any, service members not actually in a combat zone directly affected combat operations.

These new capabilities have given American service members the ability to engage the enemy and change the course of battle, even from afar, Panetta said at a Pentagon news conference today.

 

Ohhhhmy goooosh! So here it is in grunt terms. The medal would be between the Flying Cross and above (higher) than the Bronze Star.  Hmmmm. The new medal will rank just below the Distinguished Flying Cross. It will have precedence over — and be worn on a uniform above — the Bronze Star with Valor device, a medal awarded to troops for specific heroic acts performed under fire in combat. 

I don’t have a Bronze Star why? Because I didn’t earn one that’s why and I’m ok with that. During my yearlong kick ass tour in 2004-2005 (yes a year) which is not usual for Marines, I spent daily patrols getting hit with IEDs in Ramadi. It was called doing my freaking job. I was a Capt at the time and what did many Marines notice, some units (MEF & Div) levels were giving Bronze Star medals as an end of tour award (without distinguishing device) That means no fancy doodad on the ribbon, just a Bronze Star ribbon.

I knew Majors who never, ever left the FOB along, nor ever got shot at or stormed a compound with insurgents in it with high ranking enlisted as well that departed with the BS medal. This of course made many junior Marines pissed off especially when they were doing the “hard” work outside the wire. That’s why to even today (especially at Marine Corps Balls) I have occasionally been known to  tell junior Marines to ask that Major over there that has a Bronze Star (without a doodad) what he got the award for. Usually, the young Marine comes back and says that the Major asked in reply to him asking “who put you up to asking me that question” in turn I buy the young warrior another drink.

 

 

You may be thinking “the Major isn’t happy about this new medal – (no kidding Capt obvious)  (note: the last person I will blame about any ribbon they receive is the warrior, I blame their command for poor judgment)

 But I digress,  now I hear that they are going to give people in Florida, Arizona etc sitting in air conditioned buildings driving drones a medal that out ranks a Bronze Star that dignifies flat out heroism, I have to throw the bullshit flag sports fans.  

Some out there (soccer parents) are saying wait Major, you have inhaled too much cigar smoke and are way off the mark here. . First, that’s totally impossible because I bleed red American blood and sweat cigar smoke and listen to Ted Nugent cranked in my MRAP, and second, if you think they haven’t been giving Combat Action, Bronze Star, Silver Star and Flying Cross medals to drone pilots in the past, you’re naive.

Is flying a drone important? Yes (as long as it is in Afg and not shooting at Americans in the US) but again (throwing bullshit flag) there is no way it compares to the acts your young warriors are doing outside the wire, not even close. Did that drone pilot leave their family for seven months or more? No. Did they operate in an air conditioned room? Yes. Were they wearing body armor defeating IEDs as they walked among the local tribes that wanted to kill them? No. Were they at risk of being killed in combat? Ummmm No.  Why, ask why would they in zeuseious maximus rate a medal that supersedes the Bronze Star? How is by any means representing a greater act than that awarded by a Bronze Star with a distinquishing device?

“This new medal recognizes the changing character of warfare and those who make extraordinary contributions to it,” So does this mean all of those great Americans that send us care packages are eligible for the award? I feel they make “extraordinary contributions” to the war effort. Head to your local base folks and pick up your medal if you have ever sent a care package. Tell them I sent you :) I could just see it now. “hello, Im here to get my that a boy medal for sending care packages. Ma’am you don’t rate this because you haven’t contributed to the war effort” please video your visits for me, they will be a hoot!

The Marine Corps is very stringent on medals they award. Why, because we have this crazy concept called you have to earn them! That’s why you don’t see Marines with medals on their chest for graduating boot camp (yes, the US army gives their soldiers a medal for finishing boot camp, and many other tough demanding achievements (no offense there army joes, just getting the facts out there). Look at any soldier and they will have a rack on their chest. Ask them to tell you about each one (many are mightybad ass mother scratchers & Im proud as hell to stand next to them) Then, ask a Marine what he got his for. I think you will see my point. Sorry, Im not going to even go into the mighty blue airforce and their ribbons, badges and dodads.  This isn’t about steely eyed airforce drone pilots getting more medals than Marines, it’s about lowering the value of a medal awarded. Like that back in Ramadi, the Bronze Star was given out at the cyclic rate (without dodads) and many that were there would agree, the medal was degraded.

There were many times I had senior officers say “let’s give the Marine the next level medal than what was originaly submitted because he already has that medal”. I routinely argued that, the Marine should get the medal that fit the action, not an automatic upgrade because he already had one I had put him in for. Many times I argued that the Marine desrved the next higher medal as well. Trust me, I didn’t pay for the medals, the command did so its not a monetary issue, I loved giving medals to Americas heroes. It’s one of the greatest experiences.

I guess, the military doesn’t want people to feel left out, so next, I’m expecting all of my combat hardened Marines to receive soccer  trophies after their seven months in Helmond Province. We don’t want them to feel bad or anything. (que Louis Armstrong & “it’s a wonderful world) Maybe they can play that song when they award these medals.I prefer Ted Nugent played at my Marines award ceremony.

 

Time for a C-Gar

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New medal for 'Drone Pilots' outranks 'Bronze Star'

Comments

[Cynical Navy Guy]

I think I'm going to be sick...

You think drone "pilots" getting these is bad, wait 'til your local Intel weenie starts weeping about his/her morning PowerPoint brief saving the battle with supremely critical information.

[Bob]

This medal is a bit odd. I am retired AF. I was in the first gulf war. It was a bit of a shite hole and every once in awhile someone would lob something over the fence and tried to blow up our equipment. Granted this is not John Wayne stuff. When I got back I got an AF Commendation Medal.

Making the new medal is an ok idea. However placing it above the Bronze Star is just silly.

[Bruce]

Here is a video about drones, with many sides to the story, some pro some
con. It's for you to make up your minds on how you feel about them. The
video is a little long but over all a good video about drones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdQvF5xmKL4&feature=player_embedded

[Tim]

It shouldnt be above the Bronze Star. Incredible............

[Jenny]

Why does this even surprise us? They gave obama the Nobel peace prize http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Nobel_Peace_Prize

[Chuck]

I too am retired USAF, 26 years active, 23 since retirement. I served one year in Viet Nam and one year in Thailand. I have no combat medals because I don't deserve one. I didn't say I wasn't in a "combat zone" or "in harm's way". I said I wasn't in combat, Monumental difference, no pun intended. I fixed airplanes and did photo recconaissance support, back on the "safe" base on those tours. As you stated, I don't blame the troops, nor their officers, but the folks who allowed Panetta to even consider this action.

[Bruce]

Now the VFW does not think this medal should out rank the Purple Heart.

[Sammy D]

I love it when you get mad, Maj.

[MReynolds]

You go Major! I can always count on you to keep us up on the IMPORTANT news! Keep fighting the good faith!

[John Evans]

I have a petition to have this medal lowered in order of precedence. We need 100,000 signatures before March 16th. Please Sign and Share the petition with others so that we can hit that threshold. Here is the link: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/lower-precedence-new-distinguished-warfare-medal/5KdnkBBN

[quickjack]

This is nothing but the truth. My CO got a BS medal because our Destroyer launched 26 tomahawks at Iraq... All he did really was keep the ship on course and authorize the assignment of weapons to targets AS ORDERED by higher authority. As a former Navy Intel weenie they gave me a NAM for that cruse and I asked: why, all I did was my job? I think I would like one of the soccer trophies instead.

Great post, we share a similar view on valor and rewards for it.

[Someone who doesn't feel sorry for you]

This is nauseating. It's just some ground pounding Marine with a stick up his ass complaining that the people who keep his sorry ass alive are getting some thanks for it.

I'm sorry you made the choice to be a human shield. Now give credit to the people who actually direct wars and keep you from getting stuck in an ambush.

[Cindi]

Dear "Someone who doesn't feel sorry for you" your a pussy. No pretty boy uav flyer keeps Marines alive. Right there you show your pathetic intelligence of what is going on over there. I will give the credit to that Marine on my right and left. Now go back to your moms basement, she has made a sandwich for you.