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Pentagon recommends Medal of Honor for a living soldier
Washingtonpost.com ^ | July 1, 2010 | By Greg Jaffe and Craig Whitlock

Posted on 06/30/2010 9:42:44 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar

The Pentagon has recommended that the White House consider awarding the Medal of Honor to a living soldier for the first time since the Vietnam War, according to U.S. officials.

The soldier, whose nomination must be reviewed by the White House, ran through a wall of enemy fire in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley in fall 2007 in an attempt to push back Taliban fighters who were close to overrunning his squad. U.S. military officials said his actions saved the lives of about half a dozen men.

It is possible that the White House could honor the soldier's heroism with a decoration other than the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor. Nominations for the Medal of Honor typically include detailed accounts from witnesses and can run hundreds, if not thousands, of pages. The review has been conducted so discreetly that the soldier's family does not know that it has reached the White House, according to U.S. officials who discussed the nomination on the condition of anonymity because a final decision is pending.

Pentagon officials requested that The Washington Post not name the soldier to avoid influencing the White House review. Administration officials declined to comment on the nomination.

The nomination comes after several years of complaints from lawmakers, military officers and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that the Pentagon had become so cautious that only troops whose bravery resulted in death were being considered for the Medal of Honor. Gates "finds it impossible to believe that there is no one who has performed a valorous act deserving of the Medal of Honor who has lived to tell about it,"

George W. Bush similarly lamented during the latter days of his second term as president that he had never had an opportunity to present the award to a living recipient.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: cmoh; medalofhonor
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1 posted on 06/30/2010 9:42:46 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
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To: Jet Jaguar

2 posted on 06/30/2010 9:47:30 PM PDT by iowamark
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To: Jet Jaguar
This is the area covered by Junger's new book "War", a good read.

Pieces originally published in Vanity Fair.

3 posted on 06/30/2010 9:51:47 PM PDT by 1066AD
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To: iowamark

and as usual, this pResident will be out golfing instead of presenting the MOH.


4 posted on 06/30/2010 9:55:24 PM PDT by max americana
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To: Jet Jaguar
""It is a very, very challenging fight," said one military official. "It is sustained lengthy ground combat." "

Might not be nearly so lengthy if we gave our guys decent thousand-yard rifles.

5 posted on 06/30/2010 9:56:30 PM PDT by matthew fuller (2012: Bachman, Bolton, Brewer, Liz Cheney, Coburn, DeMint, Inhofe, Jindal, Palin and Pence.)
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To: 1066AD

Thanks for the link.


6 posted on 06/30/2010 9:56:43 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (*)
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To: Jet Jaguar

About time.

Britain and the Commonwealth have awarded three Victoria Crosses and four George Crosses to living recipients during the current war. When seven men have been eligible for the Commonwealths highest awards for valour and gallantry, it is absurd to believe that no American has carried out acts worthy of the Medal of Honor and survived, given the much larger number of Americans involved in combat.

There does seem to be a bias against bestowing the Medal of Honor on living heroes.


7 posted on 06/30/2010 9:59:58 PM PDT by naturalman1975 ("America was under attack. Australia was immediately there to help." - John Winston Howard)
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To: naturalman1975

Agreed.


8 posted on 06/30/2010 10:00:51 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (*)
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To: max americana

And that would be a bad thing?If it were me I would want it defered till 2013.


9 posted on 06/30/2010 10:04:56 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life is tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: Jet Jaguar

Darn. If only this soldier ran the other direction, he’d be awarded the “courageous restraint” medal. Oh well.


10 posted on 06/30/2010 10:06:02 PM PDT by historyrepeatz
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To: imahawk

Assuming we HAVE an election in 2012.


11 posted on 06/30/2010 10:08:27 PM PDT by historyrepeatz
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To: Jet Jaguar

The Duncan Hunters have been pushing this for some time.


12 posted on 06/30/2010 10:10:10 PM PDT by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: Jet Jaguar

I don’t think this White House will agree unless its for “extraordinary restraint from violence above and beyond the call of duty” ....


13 posted on 06/30/2010 10:12:01 PM PDT by sailor4321
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To: Jet Jaguar

How can a civilian government that dishonors itself, the Country, and the Constitution on a daily basis even think itself worthy of bestowing this award on anyone in uniform?


14 posted on 06/30/2010 10:20:37 PM PDT by DTogo (High time to bring back the Sons of Liberty !!)
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To: Jet Jaguar
No doubt he earned it, JJ, but does congress have the honor to bestow it?


15 posted on 06/30/2010 10:37:02 PM PDT by BIGLOOK (Keelhaul Congress!)
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To: BIGLOOK

Well put.


16 posted on 06/30/2010 10:38:14 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (*)
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To: Jet Jaguar

The POSPOTUS would not even grace the MOH Ball with his presence upon his inaugration, why would we expect him to present an MOH?


17 posted on 06/30/2010 10:41:09 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (Even Hitler had Government run health care, but at least he got the Olympics for Germany)
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To: historyrepeatz

Good point.Never underestimate ones enemy.


18 posted on 06/30/2010 10:43:44 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life is tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: Jet Jaguar
Pentagon officials requested that The Washington Post not name the soldier to avoid influencing the White House review.

First name is Mohammed - wanna bet?

19 posted on 06/30/2010 10:56:28 PM PDT by BAW (Arizona.got it right.)
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To: Jet Jaguar

Since the action toke place in 2007 I wonder if he can request George W Bush award the metal? I would not want the stinking lying commie Muslim traitor anywhere near me.


20 posted on 06/30/2010 11:06:34 PM PDT by Nateman
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