Not arguing your points, except that lack of leadership and other Personnel problems’ do not justify the soldiers’ behavior. Had it been a male 1st Sgt I don’t think this thread would even have been posted.
Had this medal ceremony been at the WH, I would agree with you 100%. But I view the medal as a slap in the face to the Puppet’s policies (which are a FAIL for military structure, discipline, morale and command).
When there is no leadership at the helm of our military and a woman has more balls than the President to address discipline (let alone those soldiers’ own ‘leaders’), then we truly have an endemic problem that will require a REAL leader to change.
IOW, it ain’t gonna change for a LONG time comin’...
By her own admission she never contacted the offending soldiers chain of command. She emailed the soldiers directly and CC’d the Army’s SHARP coordinator at the Pentagon.
Because of her actions the Corps command got broadsided without warning, the Division command got broadsided without warning, the Brigade command got broadsided without warning, the Battalion command got broadsided without warning, and finally the Company command got broadsided without warning.
IF it was a male 1SG who went straight to DA instead of proper channels he would have been busted back to E7 and be given an Article 15.