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Hey, I agree that the awards system is not exactly fair or impartial...I have seen officers (and some enlisted) scheming and lobbying for awards, and it is pretty disgusting. It's imperfect, but it is what we have, and the deserving and undeserving rate what Uncle puts in the SRB or OQR.

Murtha (whom I loathe) got his awards, and unless somebody with some first hand information and no ax to grind steps up to contradict those awards,(like the Swifties) I see little profit or honor in making them a political target.

As to his time in the reserves vs. active duty, as long as he isn't misrepresenting the facts, who cares? The point of the reserves is to be ready to go to war, and Murtha did, at a time when the reserves were largely left unmobilized.

I agree with abnsgt, if you start slapping Murtha around for being a reservist, you are going to annoy a lot of us weekend warriors who have recently done some time in the sandbox.

I am as anti-Murtha as you can get, and if the media is portraying him as a "war hero" (I can't remember that exact phrase being used, although I wouldn't doubt it) then the media is fair game for that exaggeration, not Murtha.

Benedict Arnold had a pretty good service record. So did Tim McViegh. There are a lot of people with zero military service who are doing a good job in the current administration in the WOT.

I wouldn't care if Murtha had a more colorful chest than Audie Murphy and had was in combat every one of his years of service, his current position and actions would still be repulsive.

I salute him for his service, and hate his guts anyway.