Posted on 02/18/2006 4:37:50 PM PST by SandRat
2/17/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force Uniform Board announced Feb. 6 that the Good Conduct Medal will no longer be awarded.
The Air Force director of Airman development and sustainment recently explained the reasons behind this decision.
"The quality of our enlisted personnel today is so high, we expect good conduct from our Airmen," said Brig. Gen Robert R. Allardice. "It begged the question, ‘Why do we have a Good Conduct Medal?’"
"Having a medal for good conduct is almost to say we don't expect Airmen to do well, but if they're good we will give them a medal,” he said. “It's kind of insulting in our Air Force today."
One must look at the history of why the medal was created in the 1960s. The military was using the draft and involved in the Vietnam War. The Air Force didn't have any other method to recognize Airmen. Today, the Air Force Achievement Medal recognizes outstanding Airmanship.
“When we looked at that history it was clear that the Good Conduct Medal has outlived its usefulness," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray. "Today’s all-volunteer force is committed to serving honorably, and good conduct is what we expect from every Airman -- officer and enlisted.”
“We live by our core values,” Chief Murray said. “When members of our service stray from those values, they do themselves and all Airmen a disservice. When that happens, commanders have the tools they need to evaluate the situation and the individual's worthiness for continued service.
"If a commander deems their conduct does not warrant discharge, then they remain a valuable Airman to our Air Force, and we expect them to continue to serve honorably,” he said.
General Allardice said that it is the uniform, not the Good Conduct Medal, that represents what Airmen are all about.
“In today’s Air Force, our Airmen understand that the uniform they wear represents good conduct,” he said.
Airmen who have previously earned the Good Conduct Medal are still authorized to wear it.
I was at FE Warren too, for 3 1/2 years. No airplanes, just nuke missles.
I have been out of the AF for 20 years now.
Cool. I like Wyoming. :-)
BTW, Left the AF to go work for NASA.
When I was a lieutenant at Wright Field in 1955, one of my fellow butterbars always insisted that the Air Force was run by a board of 3 idiots, who decided everything by minority vote.
If anyone wanted to collect ribbons, badges, and medals, the Air Force is the place.
I had a guy working for me where he was detailed to do presidential support. After Clintoon flew in and out, he got miffed when he did not get a letter of appreciation. So he wrote a whine letter to our embassy at Bonn, Germany.
The embassy wrote him back, but he PCS'd. I suppose it was his thank you letter...I forward it to him. A memento for his I love me wall.
Regs last about as long as the commander at the level they're issued at wants them to.
Yeah, you've been gone for awhile, the .38 cal gave it away.
As I recall, the standard sidearm before the AF adopted the 38 was the trusty 45.
LoL!
The .38 was the standard sidearm for the AF in 1975 when I went in (Jan. 29).
Oh, you kid! I got out in '67.
What's so hard about that in the Navy? "If it moves, salute it, if it doesn't, paint it."
Mark
One must look at the history of why the medal was created in the 1960s. The military was using the draft and involved in the Vietnam War. The Air Force didn't have any other method to recognize Airmen. Today, the Air Force Achievement Medal recognizes outstanding Airmanship.
What a crock. I enlisted in the USAF fifty years ago this month and served twelve years on active duty, much of it as an NCO. In spite of knowing thousands of Air Force Personnel, I can attest to the fact that our standards were exceptional, and few men I knew were discharged for bad behavior. We were not drafted, rather we were all volunteer decades before it became the standard in the military.
This just appears to be denigration or former service members by pipsqueaks who try to elevate themselves by lowering others.
LOL! Yup. We had one of our junior officers shoot a console while practicing his quick-draw. LOL! (Serious CLM)
As I recall, the standard sidearm before the AF adopted the 38 was the trusty 45.
Way before my time. :-)
Whew! Was starting to feel old for a sec there. :-)
To qualify with small arms the USAF sent me over to the NCBC at Gulfport and I spent a day with a Marine and a couple of Seebees and got my marksmanship ribbon honestly. I could shoot well but a day with a Marine made me a helluva lot better. Ironically, I used a .45 to qualify with the pistol so that I could carry a .38.
As far as PT, I was in great physical shape while on AD; I worked out almost every day to breakup the boredom.
An old-timer told me the switch to the .38 happened in or around 1963...along with turning his M2 automatic rifles for M16s.
I am getting concerned by the lax standard of which medals are awarded. Far too many medals are being awarded for nothing more then showing up for work. I fear they are beltting their meaning and value of those who actually earned it. I've seen Bronze Stars awarded to people who did the same job I performed in Bosnia. It looses it's meaning after a while...
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