With the Air Force leading the way. As am aside, a good friend of mine has hours to live. Vietnam era Naval Aviator, flew F/RF-8s in Vietnam and holder of the Silver Star and four Distinguished Flying Crosses, so I'll just leave this here"

link

Post script" At least one of our members here, holds that decoration, not me. If I did, I'd give it back. How I despise democrats

It has been a long time since most military medals have meant anything. Hell, I have seen admin types with 8 rows of ribbons and operators with a long track record of bravery, heroism and hard work with 3. Anymore when anyone 0-4 and above transfers they are gifted a damn MSM.

Not in my Navy. The MSM was known as a "Post Command" award. or at least for an 0=5 Department head on a carrier. Don't confuse "been there done that" ribbons with awards/decorations. The AF has been noxious for giving out ribbons....

Handing out medals like it's candy these days, it's fuqing embarrassing.

That situation was such a CF they are desperately trying to put some good spin on it.

Sorry for your friend.

Participation trophy. I'm shocked.

You’re not wrong. It’s common for BN staff in theater to receive bronze stars. I’m not impressed unless there is a V device. When I got in, the BSM was very impressive. Others are similarly watered down. Like others here I’ve known those who earned what they wear, and those who wear more than they’ve truly earned. I’m aware of someone who served in Afghanistan who pressured a subordinate into a Silver Star recommendation to facilitate his future political career. Fortunately, none of the sworn statements supported it, and it wasn’t awarded. Downgraded to a CAB IIRC. One troop in that same firefight was recommended for, and awarded an ARCOMV. Reading the statements, it should have been a BSMV. I took all mine off the uniform when I retired, and won’t put them back on. My last trip before the O6 board, my COS asked if I thought another MSM would help, and said he’d put me in for one if I thought it would help. I told him no. Most of my awards lost all value at that moment.

Old70

Damn. 🤬

Surprised the mother wasn't a natural born male, giving birth to a turd
baby.
Implanted the night before by his/her husband/wife.




No part of that is intended to slight our honorable service folks.


In Bidens's military, it is unfortunately possible.

If a man can be a woman, and a woman can be a husband,
a turd could be a baby.

Sad, sick, depraved world we live in.

This from the article:

"Typically, Air Mobility Command service members assist combat operations indirectly and do not often see the kind of action that makes them eligible for the award. "


Well that's kind of the point, isn't it? I've never served in the military but I thought combat medals were given to those who were in combat?
...and what about all those midwives around the world who help deliver babies everyday in worse conditions than on that C-17 flight. Should they all get medals too?

Air Force gives basic grads a ribbon--WTF

Does that baby get U.S. citizenship now?

Lindsey Graham was wondering ...........

How many Bronze stars do you have? Nugget

BS writ large.

Snatched a downed crew in the A Shau Valley one day and we all survived...well, except for the chopper. Highly perforated it was. Didn't even get a free drink at the club that night.

That didn't keep me from getting puke drunk though.

Just imagine the heroism of that pilot in landing that plane so smoothly knowing that there were now 271 souls on board instead of 270. Amazing.

Get used to regular "new lows" for the military, the police, and other government agents.

At a minimum it is a misuse of the DFC - although the act occurred on an aircraft, it's not aviation related, if anything it's more about humanitarian recognition. In my opinion, it certainly is a "devaluating" gesture to the to those who've been awarded the DFC for all the right reasons.

Distinguished Flying Cross recipients have received this prestigious medal for their heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Armed Forces.



I just sent the DFC society the link and asked them if they were aware of this FARCE.

It depends on what puss-nut feels like writing the fuggin decoration.

Many “operators” end up with humanitarian medals with umpteen devices because thats what non sanctioned operations end up being under the guise of.

DFC for delivering a baby?

Give me a break!

I Delivered 4 of 'em in the ambulance when I was a paramedic. The mommy does most of the work. I guess I should get the Distinguished Driving Cross.

Remember as Jag says, “the Military is the ONLY way”.

Sorry to hear about your friend, Jorge.

Babies were "delivered" in the fields and ditches of the world for hundreds of years before we had specific hospital wards for it. I mean basically everything pre-1900 when hospital births became common.

Thank you. FYI for all, this gent earned the Silver Star flying an RF-8 Crusader doing a Bomb Damage Assessment (BDA) run on the Paul Doumer bridge in Hanoi after we finally dropped it. He flew "alone and unafraid" (bullshit, I bet he didn't crap for a week after the run ) and as you can imagine, the NVA were pretty pissed and they put up one HELL of a AAA show for him. Super guy.

My uncle Roy fodamshure EARNED his Silver Star in the Pacific, had the bullet holes to go with it. And my Dad earned his DFC and two Air Medals, his Bird Dog had the bullet holes.

But I guess now there's a new meaning for "fruit salad."

Hope your buddy's final flight is a smooth one, Jorge.

Lotsa truth in that statement.

A DFC for delivering a baby? That is absolutely ridiculous...I will bet a LOT of disgusted conversations took place behind closed doors when this was getting pushed through.

The USAF I served in is long gone. Sickening. Both demonrats and republicrats have served to diminish a great fighting force.

My father's first cousin got a DFC for doing 27 missions over France and Germany in a B-17. They even survived a midair collision with another B-17. The 9 men in the other B-17 did not survive. My cousin also got one for doing 25 Dust Off missions in Viet Nam. He did more than 25 missions but if you survived 25 you got the DFC. He was the crew medic.

Yea, delivering a baby somehow doesn't quite measure up.

kwg

Give them a Nobel peace prize. It’s already totally corrupted. Save the military awards for real heroism.

Laughable..............my son got out because he couldn't take the BS any longer.

MM

My uncle received the DFC for fighter flights over Europe in WW11 among other commendations.
My oldest son comes out of the AF next year an E9, wasn’t the original plan at this time but he’s had it as well.

Hats off to you who’ve served regardless of awards.

Osky

Look at who the Chief is….along with Milley.

Let's those of us that care hold the honors to those that deserve, not what is being put fourth

I’m a former C-17 loadmaster. This decoration is disgusting.

My bros in my old unit participated in the evac from Kabul and it was crazy. They deserve an air medal for their actions. The DFC is the aerial equivalent of a BSM. Definitely not called for here.

I got 5 Air Medals over the course of many years of my missions in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan, but those were for quantity, not quality. I never thought I deserved a medal for any of it. (Yeah we got shot at, many bullet holes found in post-mission inspections, but I never felt individually vulnerable).

Before that I was a crew chief and subsequently a pilot for the Army guard flying rescue… I had WAY more close calls and “hero” moments doing that than when I was in the AF, but there aren’t (many) medals when you’re a guard guy doing the job day in and day out.

jfc

I don't understand why anyone would consider military service inner current environment

The difference's in criteria the various services, and even units, use for awards has always been a subject of ridicule and scorn. I saw it in the Navy in the various wings, other services and the conflicts I served in and IMO you really need to just be able to look at your own ribbon rack and be able to say to yourself "yea, I deserve that". I retired with 6 rows of ribbons but the one's that were really important to me were the couple with "V"s on them. The rest were just "I was there" and "nice job" stuff.

But as an aviator the misuse of the DFC hits particularly hard. The fact they were airborne is irrelevant as they were not crew performing a job required for the mission. The could have done the same mission in a bus.

Criteria: The Distinguished Flying Cross Medal (DFC) is an award that is bestowed upon any officer of enlisted personnel of the United States Armed Forces who distinguishes themselves in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight."

A bronze star, while still an overreach, would be far more appropriate.

Criteria: The Bronze Star Medal (BSM or BSV) is an award presented to United States Armed Forces personnel for bravery, acts of merit or meritorious service. When awarded for combat heroism it is awarded with a V device for Valor. It is the fourth highest combat award of the Armed Forces.

But then I retired 16 years ago and even then the Navy was getting unrecognizable from the one I was commissioned with 1987. I know all generations say that but the policy and cultural changes (not mission, not capability)the last 20 years in the Navy dwarf any other period I can think of in their proud history.

When there is no war the military has to make up stuff to justify importance.

The irony is when real dirt eating combat is in the works genuine award deserving heroism is so common it often goes unnoticed. Simple small unit esprit de corp drives heroism.

Heroism is not heroism if a persons life is not seriously and extraordinarily endangered by their heroic action.

I don't even bother suggesting the military as an option to young people anymore.

Don’t you people get mad at the recipients, get mad at the people that don’t take the time to write for the deserving!

Recruiting is dangerously low in all of the armed forces.

Update, this morning, "Wild Bill" took his last cut, an "OK three wire" at 0225hrs. At least he got credit for a night trap. RIP.

While reading "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa" it occurred to me that every Marine stretcher bearer who ever went out under fire to bring in a wounded soldier deserved to be highly decorated. Yet it was a very common occurrence and I never heard of anyone getting decorated for it, with the obvious exception of the Purple Heart. Because a high percentage of stretcher bearers got shot.

Hopefully, in the future, these will be rescinded as were the 900 Civil War Medals of Honor.

Or more recently, President Trump rescinding the Navy Achievement Medals given to the corrupt shyster military lawyers for the dishonest persecution of Navy Seal team leader, Chief Eddie Gallagher.

Sorry to hear of this Jorge! A Thank You out to your friend for his service to our nation! memtb

RIP Wild Bill. 🫡 Nickel on the grass. There’s a One Eyed Jack waiting for him down at midrats.

Not military related but on the same point.
My friend Roy was the first recipient of out departments Medal of Valor. He saved 2 handcrew members when they were overrun on a brush fire. 2 others died. A couple years later our department has a float in the Rose Parade with MOV members on it except Roy isn't on it. He had no idea it was in the works. They got some black kid on it with a year on the job and never got any closer to brush fires than what he saw on TV. When Roy asked about it he was told that the kid was some kind of expert on antique American LaFrance fire engines. Complete bullshit!! Nobody from our museum had any idea who he was. Apparently he was some kind of rising star on the department but instead is a complete turd.

I'm nearly 10 years retired but I probably could not function in today's fire service.

Sorry to hear about your Shipmate Jorge. That is tough duty. RIP Wild Bill and thank you for a job well done.

Jim

I hate for this thread to get stupid, especially with Jorge’s loss, but I’ve got to reply to this…

1. The whole crew is getting the DFC, not just the Loadmaster. 1-O-5, 2-O-3’s and 1- E-whatever.

2. The Loadmaster is a required crew member with in-flight duties. Since the C-17 deleted both the Nav and the Flight Engineer, the Loadmaster takes over several of those duties.

I ain’t gonna lie and say that “at cruise” the Load had a lot to do, but neither do the pilots.

I’m also not condoning this award of the DFC in the slightest, but your understanding of “flying” with respect to a USAF C-17 crew is lacking. 2 pilots and 1 Loadmaster is required for any C-17 flight at all times, and the crew of 3 (or 5, depending on duty day) is a flight crew in any definition.

It’s a very rare circumstance that the Loadmaster does not fulfill a required and valuable crew position in even a basic air land training sortie.

Ditto that. And to think I was happy to have been thanked by the new parents.

Still a good read at 00:24 hours, sir.

Another thing to keep in mind is that “militarytimes” is notoriously inaccurate and inflammatory (click-bait) in their reporting.

The DFC may be for something completely different than what is reported.

Exactly what I was thinking... EVERYONE gets a trophy...

For the ones that actually earned something, they have my respect and gratitude...

A Participation Trophy turns it all to dust...

and here I thought that was limited to grade schools and boy scouts.

I don't see where Pugs' comments where at odds with anything you posted. NONE of the crew whether in the cockpit or elsewhere did anything deserving of a DFC. As to your second post, the picture clearly shows a DFC hanging from her BDUs.

He said “they were not crew performing a job required for the mission ”- I get what he’s saying, but I disagree. The Loadmaster was performing important in-flight duties, and also a baby was born. The fact that there were airborne is EXACTLY why this is a DFC and not a BSM- that’s the definition of the award. WRT the second post, what I mean is that they may have been awarded the DFC for a bunch of stuff, oh , and also a baby was born… that’s the kind of reporting you get out of military times. Once again I’m reiterating that at most, this was an Air Medal mission.

Brother, I'm with you. That's not the AIR FORCE i served in, back in the 1960's !!!!!!

rip bill

dying breed of men

I’ll bet that final flight to Glory was spectacular! Blessings for his family and you.
Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm sorry, but delivering a baby is not part of the mission. As tp an air Medal. I find it equally insulting. MAYBE an Air Force Com. This award completely demeans the spirit and in my OPINION the definition of what a DFC (or Air Medal) stands for.