[markomalley]

There’s something broke with the entire system over medals.

Agreed...particularly for medals given for "meritorious service" (MSM, Commendation Medals, Bronze Stars (without "V"), etc.)

It is a byproduct of the hyper-inflated performance evaluation system that has always existed in the services.

[USNBandit]

I have a friend who is a former SEAL. He took over for a FAC team that got hit in Fallujah for a period of 36 hours. By taking over, I mean he killed all the guys that hit the FAC team, took over their duties and remained on station calling air support, while simultaneously killing all the bad guys trying to retake the building he was on top of. He was also wounded during the action, but kept fighting. He also suffers from a TBI that he received during that battle

I have another friend who was an engineering company commander who loaded his troops on aircraft in Germany and got them off the aircraft in Saudi Arabia, 48 hours after the shooting stopped in the first Gulf War.

They both received a bronze star for their actions. Yeah something is messed up.

There is a simple reason this MOH recommendation was lost. This captain had to display his heroism because some staff weenies back at the fire base wouldn't provide air or artillery. When his nomination went up the Army was still in the process of firing people and sweeping this incident under the rug.

[pabianice]

At the end of World War II, it was typical to see a sailor who had served for three years in the Pacific and been in countless battles to have a total of three ribbons. In Vietnam we had to fly 300 hours of combat support to earn one air medal. Today, look at Bradley Manning. A PFC with row upon row of ribbons. Of course, my favorites are the 100-year-old North Korean generals with so many medals that they have to be sewn onto the legs of their trousers.

[donmeaker]

Part of the problem is that each medal requires slightly different paperwork, so when turned down, a new set of paperwork must be created.

Better would be a single uniform document “citation” of an event, with the level of the medal being decided upon by a review board using the uniform citation.

[Jim Noble]

It is the product of a system of inflated awards which has always existed in the military

Always?