What is the point in this thing? Why are there so many "filler"

To make grunts feel good about themselves and to saturate officers' uniforms with more medals.

>>31887085
>implying grunts get awards


My last command didn't believe in awards. Didn't even get one for PCSing. I look like a fucking LT, all schooled out but no ribbons.

>>31887085
If anything, the absurd number of "showing up" awards seems to make many officer uniforms look tacky.

>>31887069
what fucking medal is that?

>>31887128
Don't feel bad. I'm an E5 who's never deployed. I've got like 4 rows of ribbons and none of them mean anything.

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>>31887069
Makes people look impressive for reasons that take time to understand if they're legit or not.

>>31887156
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_Readiness_Medal

"The current Combat Readiness Medal is awarded to any member of U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, or Air Force Reserve, who have accomplished sustained individual combat mission readiness in an Air Force weapon system or who have undertaken the preparedness for direct weapon-system employment. A service member must have completed 24 cumulative months of sustained duty performance for the medal to be received."

>>31887192
I kept getting "Good Combat Medal" every time I tried to reverse search it.

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I'm more curious about the peacetime valor awards such as the Soldier's and Airman's Medals.

"The distinguishing criterion for awarding the Soldier's Medal, per Army Regulation 600-8-22, para 3-13, is "The performance must have involved personal hazard or danger and the voluntary risk of life under conditions not involving conflict with an armed enemy. Awards will not be made solely on the basis of having saved a life."[3] It is the highest honor a soldier can receive for an act of valor in a non-combat situation, held to be equal to or greater than the level which would have justified an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross had the act occurred in combat."

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>>31887257
The criteria for earning it is right in the description.

>Awards will not be made solely on the basis of having saved a life

You can only earn it by basically saving someone's life. And not just anybodies life any time any which way. You have to do it in such a way that it gets good press for the Army, strokes the ego of someone high up in the chain of command and you are already set up for success by your individual circumstances.

You cant just be PV2 Joe Snuffy the local barracks idiot, you have to be SGT Teal Falcone the high speed decorated soldier athlete, beloved son of the post CSM. And even then the stars have to align, someone had to record it and it garnered 10,000,000 youtube views and your state Senator has been in trouble for those dead hookers in his car trunk and needs a photo op post-haste and this will do nicely.


I admit there are way too many gimme medals out there now. NDSM, GWOT, ASM, AGCM, OSR, NCOPD are worthless. MOVSM if your command gave it to everyone for participating in that blood drive once. AAMs are given out like candy in some units, like volunteering 100 hours at the post USO playing video games.

>>31887665
That's basically just the thing though, I can't see many "peacetime" or "non-combat" situations where saving someone's life is in truth that valorous when compared to the sorts of things that earn equivalent combat awards.

You confirm my presumption that it is often a bit political, like most other awards.

>>31887732
>that valorous when compared to the sorts of things that earn equivalent combat awards.

Combat awards aren't that much better. You've got situations like: soldier singlehandedly evacuated his unconscious comrades from a rollover vehicle after hitting an IED, performed CLS under fire, returned fire and obtained 3 confirmed kills. CSM: "ARCOM with a V? For fucking what? The guy was just doing his job, he gets fucking paid doesnt he? He aint getting shit."

Then you have SSG LaSheqquanda, Food Service Specialist extraordinaire bravely continued to microwave the pineapple pork while under enemy fire(mortar landed within 300 yards of the FOB). CSM: "Hey legal, can I give this bitch an MSM AND the CAB at the same time for this? No? Do it anyway."

>>31887866
It isn't actually that bad, is it?

>>31887665
Do actual MOH holders always wear it in uniform?

>>31888102
Oh it is. If racism still exists in america it's in the military against the straight white man.

>>31887069
>I wonder who's behind this pattern on the medal.

>>31888888
Nice digits, amig. You deserve a medal.

>>31888888
Dunno, but it is pretty unappetizing as far as decorations go.

The same reason you got a participation ribbon in 5th grade even though you couldn't finish the full 50m sprint

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Pic related

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Does he matter, /k/? Is he the real deal, or another politicized gimme.