Funny military memes, B.S., and shotgun club!

Achievement medals are approved by the base commander, not terribly complicated to write or submit (from a Chair Force perspective). Sounds to me like someone just did their job, a bit unusual for someone so high to get involved, though.

 

Base Commander is the Approval Authority for a Navy Achievement Medal?

 

Usually an O-6 command can approve up to Commendation Medal.

 

Right.

Achievement are typically 05, Commendation 06, and Meritorious Service at the Post Command level. Same order of precedence as the Army, no way that is Post Command level. Now with the high level of media attention, the Post Commander could’ve decided to issue them. It’s an award level we give to a driver for a good job at a training exercise. Or a joe winning the Soldier of the Month Board. That said, they probably did the work to earn them, the guy got acquitted, doesn’t take away from the work they had to do. They didn’t go after the guy. They were simply ordered to follow the evidence as the sworn statements and interviews shown. Kind of bullshit if you ask me.

But then again a guy goes awol down range and gets off, another gives away secret info to a foreign run website and gets a pardon. What the hell do I know.

 

The last couple years I've learned to just keep my opinion to myself. Some people get groomed for awards, some put the time and effort into earning recognition and some people just suck. I got mine from a deployment and I literally just did my job at a higher pace.

 

The best one I had was straight out of Phase (PMS-2) a CW2 Maintenance Pilot that wrote up under a 'Red X': 'White Main Rotor Blade BIM Indicator showing Red' (UH-60 has Red, Yellow, Black, & Blue Blades). After I serviced the blade I took the log book to a E-6 TI to be signed off, MTP was gone home. E-6 TI says I would have signed that shit off as: UH-60A not configured from factory with 5 blade rotor system see entry below.....
Circle Red X: White Rotor Blade installed on head, Aircraft restricted from 5 blade rotor systems operations.
Corrective Action:
Following Aircraft Historical Records research and brief on Aircraft search no 5th 'White' Rotor Blade found.
Red/: Red indicator stripe on Main Rotor Blade and PC Rod sun faded, repaint at next 100 hour Inspection.

 

That’s all it really should take, but shit leadership, maverick programs, and non-hackers shoved into S1 positions screw the rest over.

 

I see both sides: hard workers and people out to make rank ASAP. Yeah there are a couple bad apples that ruin it but they aren't the majority. Just like the majority of people don't go out an ask for military discounts or go out in uniform just to get attention. I've got about 5-10 people, hard workers and stuck through the BS exercises I'll never forget when I started 10 years ago and we'll remind each other of the dumb shit we did. The other couple hundred can go hug a root for all I care.

 

I always made a point to look for or set the conditions for basic awards for my guys. As a e6, I would have a SGT lead a mission or two during field problems. Gave them the opportunity to learn/ develop AND allowed me to feel they did something to earn the award. As an e7 and as an e8, I rode my subordinate to submit awards. There is no reason someone should be in a unit for two years and only get a PCS award. The only exception is a shit bag.

 

Piss off your boss, you might get your PCS award rescinded.

Those are at the discretion of the command(tm) anyway. And the command goes ... all the way to the top.

 

Awards in the Army are just about meaningless anyway. Most people will retire with one or two awards for something great they actually did, the rest are just for showing up and doing the job you get paid to do. When they started handing them out like candy for deployments and basing them on rank, not duty position or actual job performed, is when they really lost all value.

 

That’s why you have to make a point to give for real reasons. Otherwise they do become worthless.

For me, it was my first PCS award back in 98. One of the statements was an NTC rotation I hadn’t even attended because I was in a company that didn’t go that year. I always made a point anytime I submitted awards to actually relate them to real accomplishments from the actual soldier receiving the award.

It’s really up to the CoC and NCO’s to ensure things are done in manner that adds value. Same thing goes for monthly counseling and NCOERs.

 

thats how it was when I retired...they want me to write all these awards, for every day crap. The guys didnt want the medals and half didnt deserve them. Just like every quarter they wanted a submission for "airman" of the quarter, if they didnt have anything you had to make it up anyhow.

 

They only medals that meant shit to me were earned on deployments, and for getting honor grad at air assault school.

 

Eyes out...

 

100% accurate. WAR reports had to be updated fridays by COB to pull bullets for these BS packages. If someone didnt do anything you had to push the kids to go out and volunteer for a squadron event.

With the new EPR system and stratified NCO'S means only a certain percent get 4/5's. Our flight supervision straight up said "commander will not assign a 4/5 EPR without a squadron level award and squadron involvement volunteer". So you could be 1 of 12 people setting up tables for the MPOY and be better than someone who raises money for a veterans nursing home or habitat for humanity (you know, people that actually need help...).

Off my soap box

 

I’m glad I retired the year they started pushing the whole percentage thing. You would be better off being mediocre in a unit of shit bags then a squared away unit with competitive promotions.

 

While most were 3 or 4 at best we had to write them all 5's unless it was some big issues.i tried to make it fair like it was supposed to be but i got overridden a lot. One of many contributors to me bailing/retiring.

 

That's a joke. You shouldn't have to justify not giving them a 5. I made my bullets match the rating, white space, not filling the block, appropriately verbed (without spearheaded), etc. More often than not, it came down to documentation of negative actions. If they didnt have any you had to present them with a good EPR, even if they didnt meet expectations because they could go to legal and fight it.