New Distinguished Warfare Drone Medal has higher rank than Purple Heart

[Soul Crusher]

Distinguished Warfare Medal Honoring Drone Pilots Faces Bipartisan Backlash


Posted: 03/11/2013 11:37 am EDT  |  Updated: 03/11/2013 1:08 pm EDT










 
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Video, Chuck Hagel, Purple Heart, American Legion, Bronze Star, Chuck Hagel Drones, Distinguished Warfare Medal, Drone Medal, Drone Pilot Medal, Leon Panetta, Leon Panetta Drones, Veterans Of Foreign Wars, Vfw, Politics News
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 Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) is part of a bipartisan group of senators urging the combat awards to take precedence over the Distinguished Warfare Medal. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)


WASHINGTON -- A new medal that would honor drone pilots and cyber warriors and outrank battlefield combat medals such as the Purple Heart and Bronze Star is facing backlash from veterans organizations and members of Congress, with a bipartisan group of 22 senators pressing the Pentagon to change the designation.

The newly created Distinguished Warfare Medal, approved last month by then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, will honor members of the military for achievements beyond the battlefield since Sept. 11, 2001.

The backlash to the medal centers around the fact that it will take precedence over traditional several combat awards, which require that the recipient risk his or her life in order to receive them.

On Friday, 22 senators wrote to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and expressed their concerns.

"We believe that medals earned in combat, or in dangerous conditions, should maintain their precedence above non-combat awards," wrote the senators. "Placing the Distinguished Warfare Medal above the Bronze Star and Purple Heart diminishes the significance of awards earned by risking one's life in direct combat or through acts of heroism. Moreover, the Distinguished Warfare Medal's placement directly above the Soldier’s Medal -- an award for bravery and voluntary risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy -- diminishes the precedence given to acts of individual gallantry in circumstances other than combat."

The senators who signed the letter are Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

Boozman, Heller, Manchin and Tester also recently introduced legislation that would prevent the Distinguished Warfare Medal from outranking direct combat awards. Republican lawmakers have a similar bill in the House of Representatives, and a bipartisan group of 48 House members have also written to Hagel.

The award has also prompted protest from veterans groups. The American Legion urged its members to complain to lawmakers, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars wrote to Hagel.

VoteVets.org Co-Founder Jon Soltz recently argued that Hagel may better understand the importance of keeping the Purple Heart and Bronze Star above the Distinguished Warfare Medal because of his experience in Vietnam.

"This isn't a knock on Leon Panetta, but unlike Chuck Hagel, Panetta was never a grunt, an enlisted man," wrote Soltz. "In Hagel, we have someone who brings that unique experience to the table. In fact, he'd be the first enlisted man ever to serve as Secretary of Defense. Of course, in addition to that, Senator Hagel was awarded two Purple Hearts, so he knows full well the kind of sacrifice it takes to be awarded that medal."

The Pentagon did not return a request for comment, but spokesman George Little told the Associated Press in late February, "The Defense Department remains committed to honoring the remotely piloted aircraft operators and the cyber warriors as appropriate. This is recognition of their significant contributions and the changing nature of warfare."

When he announced the creation of the award in February, Panetta said "remotely piloted platforms and cyber systems" have "changed the way wars are fought."

The Associated Press also noted that the new award may be handed out without the public ever knowing about it because the actions taken by the recipients may be classified.

Correction: This story originally stated that Begich was from Arkansas. We regret the error.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/11/distinguished-warfare-medal-drone-pilots_n_2852677.html

[whork]

Is Hagel the first guy who served as enlisted and is appointed Secretary of Defence

Kind of weird when you think about it. Seems their is a higher class who doesnt rely on experience but rather on connections.

[Dos Equis]

Terrible.  Whose idea is this?

[Soul Crusher]

Terrible.  Whose idea is this?

Panetta

[Dos Equis]

Panetta

Shameful.  He should know better having served. 

[Soul Crusher]

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/342655/air-force-chaplain-awarded-bronze-star-powerpoint-teaching-proper-sensitivity-quran-pa


Fucking insane. 

[Dos Equis]

Someone came to their senses.

Pentagon halts production of drone, cyberwarfare medal amid backlash
Published March 12, 2013
FoxNews.com

The military has halted production of its new medal for drone- and cyber-warfare, ordering a review in response to complaints about what some have derisively dubbed the "Nintendo" medal.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed Tuesday that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has asked Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey to lead a review and report back in 30 days in light of the controversy.

At issue is the newly created Distinguished Warfare Medal, which was to be awarded to troops who operate drones and use other technological skills to fight America's wars from afar -- most controversial was the fact that it has been ranked above medals for those who served on the front line in harm's way, such as the Purple Heart given to wounded troops.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who has introduced a bill to lower the medal's ranking, said the award is "widely viewed as an award that undermines all other valor awards and the reverence for servicemembers who face the dangers of direct combat."

"It's a fact that those who are off the battlefield do not experience the same risks. Pretending they do devalues the courageous and selfless actions of others, who, during combat, do the unthinkable or show a willingness to sacrifice their own lives," he said in a statement.

If the review agrees with that complaint about the medal, it would likely have to be renamed and new medals manufactured, a government official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

There is a practical side to the rankings. There are grades of medals -- commendation, merit, distinguished -- that affect not only the name but promotions for those still serving in uniform. Each grade gives troops a certain number of points needed for promotions.

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the new medal last month, saying it was meant to recognize battlefield contributions in a world of changing warfare.

"I've seen firsthand how modern tools, like remotely piloted platforms and cyber systems, have changed the way wars are fought," Panetta said. "And they've given our men and women the ability to engage the enemy and change the course of battle, even from afar."

Over the last decade of war, remotely piloted Predator and Reaper drones have become a critical weapon to gather intelligence and conduct airstrikes against terrorists or insurgents around the world. They have been used extensively on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and northern Africa.

Over the same time, cyberattacks have become a growing national security threat, with Panetta and others warning that the next Pearl Harbor could well be a computer-based assault.

Officials said in announcing the medal last month that it would be the first combat-related award to be created since the Bronze Star in 1944. And they said that in recognition of the evolving 21st century warfare, the medal would be considered a bit higher in ranking than the Bronze Star, but lower than the Silver Star.

The Veterans of Foreign War and other groups say that ranking it ahead of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart is an injustice to those who served on the front-lines.

John Bircher, a spokesman for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, has said the veterans groups are not objecting to the medal -- just the ranking. He said some medals ranked ahead of the Purple Heart are achievement medals that can be earned outside of war time. What bothers many veterans is that the new Distinguished Warfare Medal appears be a war-time medal that trumps acts of valor, which he finds insulting.

The backlash to the Pentagon's announcement included an online petition to the White House signed by thousands of people. The petition called the medal "an injustice to those who served and risked their lives" and asked that it not be allowed to move forward as planned.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/12/official-hagel-orders-review-new-cyber-medal/

[Pray_4_War]

This is surreal. 

[24KT]

This is surreal. 

It does explain alot of the trolls and ratbots that abound tho... they're going for the Nintendo medal. lol.

[Irongrip400]

I have no respect for this. Wars are fought, and you should have as much to lose as the other guy, and when you take that away, you take away the honor of battle. I read a book on World War One a few months back, and to paraphrase an English General, respect for your enemy should be second to only your own comrads. America is becoming pussified.

[Dos Equis]

Good.  Hagel got this one right. 

Hagel cancels creation of new drone, cyber medal following widespread criticism
Published April 15, 2013
FoxNews.com

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday cancelled the production of a new military medal for service members involved in drone attacks and cyber warfare -- following widespread criticism that the award would rank higher than the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Hagel instead wants military leaders to develop a special pin or object that would be attached to already existing medals or ribbons.

The Distinguished Warfare Medal was created by Hagel's predecessor, Leon Panetta, and it immediately triggered complaints from veterans and lawmakers.

Hagel last month ordered the military to stop production of the medal, and top defense and military leaders began a new review.

“While the review confirmed the need to ensure such recognition, it found that misconceptions regarding the precedence of the award were distracting from its original purpose,” said Hagel, who was twice awarded the Purple Heart.

The leaders have instead recommended the creation of an alternative honor, similar to the "V" for valor that can be attached to the Bronze Star and other medals to reward an act of heroism.

Hagel asked Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to report back to him in 30 days.

When Panetta announced the medal would be created in mid-February, defense officials said it would be considered a bit higher in ranking than the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, but lower than the Silver Star.

Panetta said the new medal, for only a small number of service men and women, reflected battlefield contributions in a world of changing warfare. He said that remotely piloted aircraft and cyber systems have changed the way that wars are fought and can change the course of a conflict from afar.

But the Veterans of Foreign Wars and other groups sent a letter to President Obama in March, asking him to keep the medal ranked below the Purple Heart, which is awarded for combat injuries. Critics said the ranking was an injustice to those troops who risked their lives in battle.

“The right decision was made,” the VFW said Monday. “This decision will clearly keep medals that can only be earned in combat in their high order of precedence, while providing proper recognition to all who support our war-fighters regardless of their distance from the fight.”

The American Legion's national commander, James E. Koutz, said Hagel's decision keeps the evolving roles of military combat in proper perspective.

"Cyber and drone warfare have become part of the equation for 21st-century combat, and those who fight such battles with distinction certainly deserve to be recognized," Koutz said in a statement. "But the American Legion still believes there's a fundamental difference between those who fight remotely, or via computer, and those fighting against an enemy who is trying to kill them."

As originally conceived, the blue, red and white-ribboned medal was to be awarded to individuals for "extraordinary achievement" related to a military operation that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001. But it does not require the recipient to risk his or her life to get it.

Over the last decade of war, remotely piloted Predator and Reaper drones have become a critical weapon to gather intelligence and conduct air strikes against terrorists or insurgents around the world. They have been used extensively on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and northern Africa.

Over the same time, cyber attacks have become a growing national security threat, with Panetta and others warning that the next Pearl Harbor could well be a computer-based assault.

The Bronze Star is the fourth-highest combat decoration and rewards meritorious service in battle, while the Silver Star is the third-highest combat award given for bravery. The Purple Heart is ranked just below the Bronze Star.

Several other awards, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, are also ranked higher than the Silver Star, but are not awarded for combat.

In addition to veterans' concerns, there is a practical side to the rankings for currently serving troops. There are grades of medals -- commendation, merit, distinguished -- that affect promotions for those still in uniform. Each grade gives troops a certain number of points needed for promotions.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/15/hagel-cancels-creation-new-drone-cyber-medal/