This is a really tough issue. Some people are just plain better at controlling remote assets than others.
How do we retain and incentivize these people?
If a man kills 10,000 enemy from thousands of miles away how much has he contributed to the war effort? How many purple hearts has he prevented? How many combat deaths did we just avoid?
How many World Trade Center attacks have we prevented?
John Kerry got a Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts while being a coward from his head to his toes and doing nothing very worthy of mention. One of his wounds was so bad he needed a whole band-aid.
And, if you think our drone control centers are not considered high-value targets by our enemies, just wait until one of them blows up.
See post 7.
You give paper awards, awards in their file, achievement awards for the wall, but not medals for the uniform, besides, what is super achievement. heroism, in a room of people looking at computer screens all day?
Kerry saw combat and killing, these guys sit at an air-conditioned desk, they do a valuable important job, but so do all people in the military, or in support.
This is just weird.
Purple Heart medals for joystick blisters on one’s thumb.
“This is a really tough issue”
Yeh it will be tough to figure out how many american citizens a drone operator has to kill before getting the medal.
You need to reflect Dude.
No it is NOT. You and others seem to forget just what these medals represent or entail - personal RISK of life and SACRIFICE in the face of real live combat. Now please tell me just what risk and sacrifice what an armchair drone operator might face?! Getting a hangnail maybe?!
These people want a medal then give them a rifle, a helmet and put them out in the field and do something that is actually deserving of any medal for valor. This issue leaves me livid, too many of my friends came back home in body bags or minus some limbs or minus their minds and here we have a bunch of armchair weenies wanting to lay claim to something they don't earn nor deserve. Give them a plaque they can hang on their wall but no medals.
As a recipient of the Purple Heart this makes me mad but also saddens me at the same time that we have someone wanting to cheapen the merits of the medal I received in combat for my wounds received (I was actually eligible for 2 more additional PH's but I refused them for personal reasons each time). This proposed medal is crazy.