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Another Slap in the Face to the Military by Libs
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- Jan 12, 2012
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Don't say that too loud. You may give them ideas.
Making a new medal for those who do not have boots on the ground, and placing it on order of precedence above the Bronze Star just cheapens the BSM even more. I was recommended a BSM with "V" device and had it downgraded to ARCOM with "V", because my Company Commander and 1st Sgt were both getting Bronze Star Service Medals, just for being in the zone. This was rampant before I finally retired, and really cheapend the award, IMO.
Why did the Pentagon not just award an Achievement Medal with a device new device? That would be no different than the Army and Marine Corp awarding the Arrowhead device for Airborne, Air Assault, or Seaborne assaults (IIRC, the Marine Corp. awards the same device as the Army) on the campaign ribbon.
Making a new medal for those who do not have boots on the ground, and placing it on order of precedence above the Bronze Star just cheapens the BSM even more. I was recommended a BSM with "V" device and had it downgraded to ARCOM with "V", because my Company Commander and 1st Sgt were both getting Bronze Star Service Medals, just for being in the zone. This was rampant before I finally retired, and really cheapend the award, IMO.
Why did the Pentagon not just award an Achievement Medal with a device new device? That would be no different than the Army and Marine Corp awarding the Arrowhead device for Airborne, Air Assault, or Seaborne assaults (IIRC, the Marine Corp. awards the same device as the Army) on the campaign ribbon.
The "V" denotes valor, right? So what did the guys awarded BSMs without the "V" do to get their medals?
carpal tunnel? Nintendo thumb?
in all seriousness and with respect to drone operators, and speaking as a civilian, I don't think it should out rank a medal earned that did put the recipient in danger.
Really?! A drone pilot has his aircraft blown out of the sky and he goes home, cries in his beer, and gets pity sex from his girlfriend. The next day he goes back to his airconditioned office to try again.
If a real aircraft pilot has a bad day, and if he survives the ejection, he hopes and prays the good guys find him first so he doesn't wind up getting his genitals hooked up to a car battey every day for the next half decade or so.
I'm not so sure that both of them should be qualifying for the same awards and decorations.
JeremiahJohnson
Master
You do realize drone pilots are not actually IN the plane, right?
Im starting to like the idea of this medal. The interesting thing about this new medal, is that it appears to have been created to "protect" the honor of other awards, most obviously, the Distinguished Flying Cross.
The "Cross" is awarded under the criteria of, "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." Drone pilots, are indeed "pilots," so the "participation in an aerial flight," component is satisfied. If a drone pilot eliminates a high value target, or kills a bunch of bad guys, the "extraordinary achievement" is satisfied as well. If would be very difficult to disqualify a drone pilot if he met such criteria, hence the creation of this new medal. Unless of course, you guys are ok with handing them out DSCs?
Their Bronze Stars were service medals, which can even be awarded in peace time for extremely exceptional service. Our leadership was just there, not even doing their jobs as Infantry, more like support roles. That hastened the end of my career. In fact, I did not even know I received the "V" device until six months ago at a VA appointment
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I'm certain there is a degree of stress these guys face. However, they still walk away from EVERY mission, even if it ends up with their plane as nothing more than a "smoking hole in the ground."
Or in an Iranian hanger!
Oh no doubt, but I was reading up in this, and learned some things I hadn't thought of. Unlike guys with boots on the ground, who are placed in theater and have constant war zone stress, drone pilots are literally killing dozens of people one hour, and the next having dinner with the wife. That has got to mess with your mind. Or think about when they get things wrong, and smoke a non-combatant family, or fail to "deliver the goods" to the right location, and one of our guys ends up injured or killed.
Soldiers in the field, don't have to "turn it off," until they get back stateside, but a drone pilot has to do it every time he steps away from the console.
These guys see heat images on a screen that resemble human form, or a vehicle. What they don't do is engage the enemy within small arms range, when you can see the rounds penetrate, and the aftermath. These guys don't have to worry about running over an IED when they get to go home to their families each night. More than likely they will never know if they cause collateral damage, since that can only be ascertained by a battle damage assessment, which is boots on the ground. We had to do BDA's on Iraqi armor and mechanized units in the invasion for the Air Force and our own helicopter gunships, which is something that I will never get over. I think this medal is just a little over the top for what it is awarded for.
