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Pentagon creates new medal for cyber, drone wars


SEFEGeorge
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Just what the fuck is this? An award that's higher than the Bronze Star for people that never leave the warmth, comfort, and coffee of their office. Nothing like slapping the face of the vets who actually did something in actual combat to get the award, other than sitting there playing Microsoft simulator. Whats next, those that play COD, etc?

This really pisses me off. The only way for some lame officers to get some medals?

WASHINGTON (AP) — They fight the war from computer consoles and video screens.

But the troops that launch the drone strikes and direct the cyberattacks that can kill or disable an enemy may never set foot in the combat zone. Now, defense officials say, their battlefield contributions may be recognized.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to announce Wednesday that for the first time the Pentagon is creating a medal that can be awarded to troops who have a direct impact on combat operations, but do it from afar.

The Associated Press has learned that the new blue, red and white-ribboned Distinguished Warfare Medal will be awarded to individuals for "extraordinary achievement" related to a military operation that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001. But unlike other combat medals, it does not require the recipient risk his or her life to get it.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

A recognition of the evolving 21st Century warfare, the medal will be considered a bit higher in ranking than the Bronze Star, but is lower than the Silver Star, defense officials said.

...

According to the Pentagon criteria, the medal gives the military a way to recognize a single act that directly affects a combat operation, doesn't involve an act of valor, and warrants an award higher than the Bronze Star.

http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-creat...-politics.html

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The way I see it, is that their job is just their AFSC. Just how in hell has anybody managed to come up with a medal for what they do?

I have always assumed that to deserve a medal for something, you have to had done something extra ordinary in the line of duty.

Maybe there is some degree of difficulty for each mission? that they perform. I think some explanation would be necessary before I signed on to any type of medal for them!! I know I never expected nor did I receive any medals for personally being in a combat zone where real people were shooting real bullets at me!!

I could go on for days about this but until I see a real reason for them to receive more than the National Defense or Good Conduct medal, they deserve no extra recognition!!

Just my $.02 worth,

Ken

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Exactly, chief............Of course now you even get a ribbon for completing BASIC, for Christ's sake. They just hang all kinds of fruitsalad on their shirts now.................When the 316th had their reunion at Wright-Pat two years ago, and one of the speakers as, if I remember right, a Msgt, probably no more than 3o years old, had ten rows, TEN!!!!!! You could tell by the arrangement of them that many were blanket awards or like for NCO school and stuff, but damn she looked like she had every award ever given......... And look at the badges now, you crew chief guys, back then had no badge of any kind to show what you did, shoulda though. Now everybody has one, and most, at a distance look like jump wings......All I can remember from my ancient days, for enlisted swine anyway, we had aircrew wings,( which now anyone who flies, not necessarily essential to aircraft operation , gets them, ) jump wings, CCT and PJ's mostly, some riggers had them as well, cop and firefighter, and missile guys, and that was it.......I did a little exercise a couple years ago and determined that, had I stayed in for twenty, not counting any air medals, etc, I would have had an additional nine ribbons.. to me that sorta cheapens the whole concept, and these essentially desk jockies gettin' a medal for flyin' drones???? From what I understand, it ranks above the Bronze Star, which nowadays is almost given for just about anything.........

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Seems to me that flying a desk is similar to playing video games in the safety of your own home. Granted, these guys are doing a necessary job but to equate it with actually putting their lives on the line....no way !!!! The Air Force already has the acheivment medal that ranks behind the commendation medal. If we must create a new medal for joy stick operators, rank it between the acheivement and commendation medals. I mean no disrespect to those "flying" drones, but this new warfighting deserves as much respect as the guys firing the big guns off the navy battlewagons or the triggerman behind a cruise missle.

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but this new warfighting deserves as much respect as the guys firing the big guns off the navy battlewagons

At least the guys on Battleships had Kamikazes to worry about

These drone assholes have been trying to get some goodie medals ever since they kicked the enlisted off of the joysticks, last time they were getting friggin air medals for gods sake.

Okay fine, they can have their medal and rate it at 3 points, ONLY if they crash it or get shot down we get to drag their butts out of the booth and light them on fire, hows that sound guys

Edited by Dan Wilson
Kant spel
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I think they should get their medal, war is hell. After all every day they face the life threatening hazards of their type of warfare, ie, traffic to and from base (I believe a lot of these things are actually controlled out of Nellis) ,the ever present threat of a nasal infection from spending too much time in the air conditioning. Not to mention they may on occasion have to work late and miss a home cooked meal forcing them to eat fast food witch may cause future health concerns. I hope this is recognized as light hearted sarcasm, but what these guys do is important and helps save lives (like most military jobs), but they are not any special sort of hero.

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I want my ' I survived LTC. Leake" medal with four OLC's

Giz

Giz, Was this guy the dingbat that removed all the single troops from seperate rations without considering what that would do to morale. Talk about a flawed decision making process. Am I right in thinking this guy was the CO? Scarey!!!! On the plus side consider how much money he saved theAF.:rolleyes:

I want my medal too.

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Giz, Was this guy the dingbat that removed all the single troops from seperate rations without considering what that would do to morale. Talk about a flawed decision making process. Am I right in thinking this guy was the CO? Scarey!!!! On the plus side consider how much money he saved theAF.:rolleyes:

I want my medal too.

Naw. I don't think so, Larry. but it would not surprise me. He was the 36th OpsOff, real ass. He DID say once that he didn't think first termers should be on flyin' status or something to that effect. He is also the, well let me save my comments about his canine ancestry, that gave me hell for needin' a haircut( even though it did meet regs, almost) after, and please don't take this as braggin', essentially saved an airplane and six people, basically by doin' my job. My AC at the time told him this, and he just ignored it........And truth be known, it was people like him that pretty much made my decision to be a one termer, a decision I regret today, but then.............

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One my first rote to Moldy-hole we had a LC named Livingston. Pretty decent guy. After a briefing for the next days mission, we were standing around BSing, etc., and one of the FEs, Ole Bill Shoffner, called his AC by his first name, Jim. LC overheard this and had a "chat" with them both. Bill, be the southern boy that he is, took it in stride and said, "well I could have called him asshole" and walked off.

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Could be worse, it could be I survived LTC Hanley medal:mad:

It seems every outfit had a LtCol Leake/Hanley. Proof the officer promoton system wasn't perfect. But then neither was ours. Fortunately, in reality, these guys were few and far between. And at least we didn't have requirement for a picture. That would have been the kiss of death for me.:D

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It seems every outfit had a LtCol Leake/Hanley. Proof the officer promoton system wasn't perfect. But then neither was ours. Fortunately, in reality, these guys were few and far between. And at least we didn't have requirement for a picture. That would have been the kiss of death for me.:D

You are exactly right, Larry, it seems like about a one toeight ratio. If everyone woulda been a Leake (slowleak) I doubt if I coulda survived four years, same for the NCO's. my first NCOIC was, beyond a doubt, the best man I ever worked for. My last one was a total jerk........a legend in his own damn Equadoran-born mind. He even treated our E-5's and 6's like two stripers and when I made E-5, he had nothin' to say.................

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