I fear they are belittling their meaning and value of those who actually earned them
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.
When I was in, it was known as "three years of not getting caught".
I want a medal for eating C-rats. And a purple heart for cold ham and lima beans.
I fear they are belittling their meaning and value of those who actually earned them
Cool. Thanks. :-)
Hmmm...I think I qualify for the Captain for Life ribbon, with 2 devices!
Yes you deserve a medal...
I love to shoot. See my homepage.
The only shooting the AF let me do was in basic. 80 rounds out of the AR15.
But I had the keys to the indoor range at FE Warren and used to shoot there about three times a week. It wasn't an SP range but the base gun club range.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1580894/posts#10
hehe
Nice try
I would have had 3 devices before I made major...
Think I am demented huh? LOL!
(You are not alone) ROFL!!
In addition to suggesting the Air Force was subject to the draft, it also said the good conduct medal was created back in the sixties, during the Vietnam war. To refresh my memory, which is pretty clear, I reviewed some old service records a few minutes ago. I received my first GCM on February 21, 1959, three years to the day from my enlistment. One became eligible for the GCM every three years of active duty. It is pretty clear that the author of this article doesn't know port from starboard.
Explain yourself.
We called it, the medal for four years of undetected crime.
You can go to the following website, fill out a couple of forms and request replacement medals for any you were awarded. It may take them 6 or 8 months to get them to you but you can get replacements.
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/replacement-medals.html
The replacement for the GCD become the AF Achivement Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. Now They have no meaning either, except as points for promotion testing.
Now that I am retired I am telling what I have seen to everyone.
In the early 90’s the AF came up with Cycle Ergometry for the annual physical fitness test. You’d start with a cardiac monitor placed around your chest, a 2-minute warm-up, then the test began with someone monitoring your heart rate and increasing resistance on the pedals. It was the biggest joke. You could fail the first time, and ace it a week later.
I once padlocked the bike after I was through testing, and had to beg my Commander’s forgiveness for what I called Constructive Vandalism. He invited me golfing that weekend.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.