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The pentagon has jumped the shark. This isn't made up, it's real. They're introducing a new medal for drone pilots, which ranks just below a distinguished flying cross. It will outrank a Bronze Star with combat device. So now, some nerd in a trailer in Nevada, who flies a remote controlled drone and launches a missile may get a ribbon which takes precedence over a guy who took out an enemy bunker from 10 yards away while getting shot at. What the hell kind of pussification is happening here?

The Pentagon is creating a new high-level military medal that will recognize drone pilots and, in a controversial twist, giving it added clout by placing it above some traditional combat valor medals in the military’s “order of precedence.”

The Distinguished Warfare Medal will be awarded to pilots of unmanned aircraft, offensive cyber war experts or others who are directly involved in combat operations but who are not physically in theater and facing the physical risks that warfare historically entails.

The new medal will rank just below the Distinguished Flying Cross. It will have precedence over — and be worn on a uniform above — the Bronze Star with Valor device, a medal awarded to troops for specific heroic acts performed under fire in combat.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2013/02/mct-new-medal-for-drone-pilots-outranks-bronze-star-021313/

Anymore, true courage and perseverenc while under fire, are frowned upon. Have to give a medal to the nerds also, everyone gets a trophy

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We are fucked.

I don't know shit about nothing, but thats insane.

Can you imagine the conversation that lead to this? How does a group of rational human beings arrive at that conclusion? Its almost funny.

jarbo03 wrote: everyone gets a trophy

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Bingo. This stems from junior soccer where everyone gets a medal for participation.

bill herian wrote:I don't know shit about nothing, but thats insane.

Can you imagine the conversation that lead to this? How does a group of rational human beings arrive at that conclusion? Its almost funny.

no shit huh. The fact that these nerds get to play the coolest video game of all time is reward enough to them

It is truly a slap in the face to all combat veterans that have been decorated.
Do they give these armchair pilots Purple Hearts for paper cuts?
What if they get burned because they spilled hot coffee on themselves during a top secret mission?
Do they get combat pay?

The next generation of drones are even more automatic. At what point are we awarding the maintenance crew with combat decorations?

Look for the draft to be reinstated because no-one in their right mind would volunteer. Look at how we treat our heros. Like chit.

One if my customers kids was a drone pilot, his missions were extremely long and his ole man til me he has had issues dealing with the demons that arise from taking a life, not the same as being in hand to hand combat for sure but not so far off Taft they don't deserve some appreciation for a job well done

Oh, I agree. But something more along the lines of an Army Achievement Medal, or an Army Commendation Medal. Most certainly not above the status of someone who had bullets flying around their head, and risked actual, physical death. Not only at the time of the mission, but also for all the time leading up to it and the time after it, most likely for months on end. The drone driver doesn't have to risk having an IED blow him up, or an ambush kill him, while he's on the way to fly a plane on TV. It's ludicrous.

assateague wrote:Oh, I agree. But something more along the lines of an Army Achievement Medal, or an Army Commendation Medal. Most certainly not above the status of someone who had bullets flying around their head, and risked actual, physical death. Not only at the time of the mission, but also for all the time leading up to it and the time after it, most likely for months on end. The drone driver doesn't have to risk having an IED blow him up, or an ambush kill him, while he's on the way to fly a plane on TV. It's ludicrous.

The guys who jump out of aircraft are the real heros! Flying one remotely is so safe and comfortable. Air conditioned trailer. MAN that must be rough on a guy.

assateague wrote:The pentagon has jumped the shark. This isn't made up, it's real. They're introducing a new medal for drone pilots, which ranks just below a distinguished flying cross. It will outrank a Bronze Star with combat device. So now, some nerd in a trailer in Nevada, who flies a remote controlled drone and launches a missile may get a ribbon which takes precedence over a guy who took out an enemy bunker from 10 yards away while getting shot at. What the hell kind of pussification is happening here?

The Pentagon is creating a new high-level military medal that will recognize drone pilots and, in a controversial twist, giving it added clout by placing it above some traditional combat valor medals in the military’s “order of precedence.”

The Distinguished Warfare Medal will be awarded to pilots of unmanned aircraft, offensive cyber war experts or others who are directly involved in combat operations but who are not physically in theater and facing the physical risks that warfare historically entails.

The new medal will rank just below the Distinguished Flying Cross. It will have precedence over — and be worn on a uniform above — the Bronze Star with Valor device, a medal awarded to troops for specific heroic acts performed under fire in combat.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2013/02/mct-new-medal-for-drone-pilots-outranks-bronze-star-021313/

Welcome to the new and "un"improving USA.

Didn't want to speak up on this one because I will probably put my foot in my mouth, but here it goes. Just about all MQ-9 pilots were at some point a fighter/bomber pilot. I know quite a few of them from both Minot(bomber) and here in Syracuse(previously fighter, now MQ-9) and all have stated that flying a jet is more rewarding, doing missions on the Reaper are twice as draining. This coming from a pilot who spent 29 hours straight in a b52 on many many occaisions. You are still taking lives, no matter how you look at it, whether from Creech, Syracuse, or in a bomber over the desert. Are they above the soldier who is getting shot at on the front lines? Nope, but they are just as crucial. I've never seen a general out firing on the front lines, or in any jet for that matter, yet they come out with just as many medals. While I don't think it should be a huge medal, it's gotta be above Commendation medals, they are given out like candy.

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Hate posting on a phone.

I know where I'm at, all of the F-16 pilots stationed here either had to move on, or cross train into the MQ-9. They were pretty saddened, which everyone was on the base, not just the pilots. We went from one of the highest ranked F-16 units in the world, to a toy plane. It took me a little while to realize that even though they aren't there, they still have lives on their hands. That's hard for anyone to sleep over. Saving lives over there from here, is still saving lives(or taking them if you are on the wrong side)
As I said above, I don't think they are any better than anyone out front, but just because they are in an ISO controlling an RC plane, doesn't take away from the mission.

I'm not military so what I say probably isnt worth shit but here goes. The medal for playing a video game shouldn't outrank a medal for being there in person.

Eric Haynes wrote:Didn't want to speak up on this one because I will probably put my foot in my mouth, but here it goes. Just about all MQ-9 pilots were at some point a fighter/bomber pilot. I know quite a few of them from both Minot(bomber) and here in Syracuse(previously fighter, now MQ-9) and all have stated that flying a jet is more rewarding, doing missions on the Reaper are twice as draining. This coming from a pilot who spent 29 hours straight in a b52 on many many occaisions. You are still taking lives, no matter how you look at it, whether from Creech, Syracuse, or in a bomber over the desert. Are they above the soldier who is getting shot at on the front lines? Nope, but they are just as crucial. I've never seen a general out firing on the front lines, or in any jet for that matter, yet they come out with just as many medals. While I don't think it should be a huge medal, it's gotta be above Commendation medals, they are given out like candy.

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I agree. But medals, at least the ones eligible for a combat valor device, are not given out, even to generals. They are earned, under direct enemy fire. At the risk of your own life. In no way, shape, or form is a drone pilot, no matter how qualified or proficient, ever risking his life while performing a mission. To give them an award which is of greater standing than a medal received for taking machine gun fire to save other soldiers is an insult any way you cut it.

Also, it should be noted that this medal is also given out for "offensive cyber-warfare tasks". So if a techno-guy introduces a virus which hurts the enemy, he gets one of these. Again, not saying contributions aren't valuable, or shouldn't be recognized, just that there is no way it should have higher standing than a medal given for risking your life. And not to beat a dead horse, because I do recognize your point, but a former fighter pilot flying a drone, launching a missile, and taking out an HVT is simply doing his job. How did he go "above and beyond"? Generally speaking, the "above and beyond" is the part that involves risking your life. And they don't do that. So no matter how well it is performed, it's just him doing his job. From a safe place. And now, for simply doing his job, he may be decorated at a higher level than a guy with his buddy's guts blown all over him, who crawled out of cover to blast a couple Taliban and drag another couple wounded guys back to safety.

And that just ain't right.

assateague wrote:

Eric Haynes wrote:Didn't want to speak up on this one because I will probably put my foot in my mouth, but here it goes. Just about all MQ-9 pilots were at some point a fighter/bomber pilot. I know quite a few of them from both Minot(bomber) and here in Syracuse(previously fighter, now MQ-9) and all have stated that flying a jet is more rewarding, doing missions on the Reaper are twice as draining. This coming from a pilot who spent 29 hours straight in a b52 on many many occaisions. You are still taking lives, no matter how you look at it, whether from Creech, Syracuse, or in a bomber over the desert. Are they above the soldier who is getting shot at on the front lines? Nope, but they are just as crucial. I've never seen a general out firing on the front lines, or in any jet for that matter, yet they come out with just as many medals. While I don't think it should be a huge medal, it's gotta be above Commendation medals, they are given out like candy.

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I agree. But medals, at least the ones eligible for a combat valor device, are not given out, even to generals. They are earned, under direct enemy fire. At the risk of your own life. In no way, shape, or form is a drone pilot, no matter how qualified or proficient, ever risking his life while performing a mission. To give them an award which is of greater standing than a medal received for taking machine gun fire to save other soldiers is an insult any way you cut it.

Also, it should be noted that this medal is also given out for "offensive cyber-warfare tasks". So if a techno-guy introduces a virus which hurts the enemy, he gets one of these. Again, not saying contributions aren't valuable, or shouldn't be recognized, just that there is no way it should have higher standing than a medal given for risking your life. And not to beat a dead horse, because I do recognize your point, but a former fighter pilot flying a drone, launching a missile, and taking out an HVT is simply doing his job. How did he go "above and beyond"? Generally speaking, the "above and beyond" is the part that involves risking your life. And they don't do that. So no matter how well it is performed, it's just him doing his job. From a safe place. And now, for simply doing his job, he may be decorated at a higher level than a guy with his buddy's guts blown all over him, who crawled out of cover to blast a couple Taliban and drag another couple wounded guys back to safety.

And that just ain't right.

I guess I should have read the article. I didn't realize they were giving out that type of medal, I thought it was just a medal. Told you my foot would be in my mouth. I don't think this is all services is it? I haven't heard of anything like this for the Air Force. I agree with you though, combat valor is exactly that, and unless you are in the shit, you don't get it. Question I have is, will they give this medal to a drone operator who saves a platoon, or will they give him a Bronze star, which would be a little more fitting even though there are a lot more involved than just the pilot. Shit, the pilot doesn't even control his own screen.

I think it's for all branches, but I could be wrong. It's just silly, really.

The new medal will be awarded for specific acts, such as the successful targeting of a particular individual at a critical time.

“Our military reserves its highest decorations obviously for those who display gallantry and valor in actions when their lives are on the line and we will continue to do so,” Panetta said. “But we should also have the ability to honor the extraordinary actions that make a true difference in combat operations,” Panetta said. “The contribution they make does contribute to the success of combat operations, particularly when they remove the enemy from the field of battle, even if those actions are physically removed from the fight.”

given to "pilots of unmanned aircraft, offensive cyberwar experts or others directly involved in combat operations but who are not physically in theater."

I don't know much about the V. Even deployed, I am still behind many gates within the base, more protected than the commander. We can't all be war heroes, but I don't think I should be given anything for what I do while I am there, it's the same job as here and I feel just as safe.

My uncle Earned the bronze star for valor in combat during the Korean War. My father EARNED the bronze star for valor in combat during 2 tours in Vietnam. He was shot twice and took shrapnel to the head. During my time in the Marine Corps Infantry I learned the value of air assets but there is no comparison to being up in the air vs. down in the trenches.

The thought that they would place more value on drone pilots than actual combat troops is sickening.