[Ronin]

Everyone wants to be a hero.

Even actual active duty service members are not immune to the temptation of adding some extra ribbons to their fruit salad.

The most common one I remember was the same thing that Adm. Boorda got called on, and which apparently prompted his suicide — adding Combat “V” devices to regular brownie point medals.

During my last hitch in the Navy a CPO got busted for that. It was his bad luck that he ran into a guy who remembered him from Nam and knew he was never any closer to the action than the local bars.

Chicken feed compared to what this story’s scumbag is doing, but still pretty lame.

[naturalman1975]

In many ways I’m torn when somebody who is or was in the service does it.

On the one hand - at least they served.

On the other - assuming their service was honourable, why do they feel the need to enhance it?

I can understand why it’s tempting, I think - I’ve got one decoration I don’t really believe I deserved (I’m not enough of an idealist to say no, but it was basically for doing my job efficiently and effectively and that’s what I was supposed to do) - and it must be galling to some people when that happens.

[Traveler59]

Regrettably, sometimes the 'blanket' awards have unintended consequences. During Panama, the host air wing at the base I was stationed at was issued the USAF Outstanding Unit Award w/ Valor for actions during combat. However somehow it was coded to all members assigned to the base. I was assigned to a tenant unit (different command) and had nothing to do with the host air wings mission. I only found this out when I did a review of my records, and the people at the awards/decorations office thought I'd lost my marbles when I told then I did want it because I didn't earn it.

- Traveler