Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

Hey, these guys (gals) are taking out high level targets whom are surrounded by body guards and heavily protected. Wonder who will receive the first Medal of Honor !!!

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

Dale A Riley;37433 wrote: New metal for drone pilots - to rank above the Bronze Star :confused:

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

Perhaps to rank this award just below the Navy Comm w/combat "V" is more in order. Hitting the "ten ring" is an accomplishment..,not an act of heroism..,and especially.,not from a console.
Craze

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

Dumb, dumb, dumb! Just the thing for the morale of those in a real combat zone!!! Should rank this below Nat'l Defense!:mad:

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

I'm sure they work hard at their Job,but isn't that what they are suppose to DO? :confused:
I think how the NVA was given an RR if they shot down 1 of our Aircraft (AT least that was told) ! Then maybe If the D/D Drone Driver gets a Hit (KILL) then maybe They should get a 96 hour pass! :rolleyes: Just wondering//

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

If you want to protest against this stupid award, there is a petition move afloat to down grade it below the status of the
bronze star.

Try to log on to https//petitions.whitehouse.gov/user (It's the Whitehouse web site)
If no joy, just google Drone Award Petition, and you can hunt around for it.

Good luck trying to sign up for an account to gain access to theweb site. It took me a while.

This one is worth taking the time to try to get it rewritten, so that it doesn't denegrate the importance of our current
awards for heroism under actual fire, (not for operations in stressful situations, far from the battle front). Good Luck

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

mike sullivan;37458 wrote: If you want to protest against this stupid award, there is a petition move afloat to down grade it below the status of the
bronze star.

Try to log on to https//petitions.whitehouse.gov/user (It's the Whitehouse web site)
If no joy, just google Drone Award Petition, and you can hunt around for it.

Good luck trying to sign up for an account to gain access to theweb site. It took me a while.

This one is worth taking the time to try to get it rewritten, so that it doesn't denegrate the importance of our current
awards for heroism under actual fire, (not for operations in stressful situations, far from the battle front). Good Luck

I don't understand howm this could be ranked above the Air Medal which requires taking part in actual combat missions. IMO it should be rated below the Navy Achievment w combat V. Never really been a fan of the Bronze Star for nor a non combat award.

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

johnyr46;37460 wrote: I don't understand howm this could be ranked above the Air Medal which requires taking part in actual combat missions. IMO it should be rated below the Navy Achievment w combat V. Never really been a fan of the Bronze Star for nor a non combat award.

There is a point to be MADE John! Its not ALL fair in Love nor WAR. Really I did not Fly to get metals,and sure that many of you did either. God Bless those that did because there was a Need.

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

Jerome HALL;37476 wrote: There is a point to be MADE John! Its not ALL fair in Love nor WAR. Really I did not Fly to get metals,and sure that many of you did either. God Bless those that did because there was a Need.

JJ, None of us, that I knew anyway, flew for medals. This farce of an award remains an insult to those of us that did fly in actual combat. No excuse, just a typical politician response.....

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

Received the below info from a fellow HMM-263 member.

S/F Gary

Distinguished Warfare Medal cancelled
The proposed military honor will become a device and not a medal

WASHINGTON (April 15, 2013) -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced today that the proposed military decoration which honors drone pilots and cyberwarriors, the Distinguished Warfare Medal, has been cancelled and will be replaced by a distinguishing device that can be affixed to previously awarded medals.
The American Legion’s national commander, James E. Koutz, protested the Distinguished Warfare Medal’s proposed ranking, which placed it higher than the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Combat “V”. Last month, he said that placing the medal above those given for valor and courage under fire was “wholly inappropriate.”
Hagel halted production of the medal on April 5 and directed Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey to conduct a review of its ranking.
Koutz said that Hagel’s decision kept 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. 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.”
A Vietnam War veteran, Koutz served with Company C in the U.S. Army’s 169th Engineer Battalion and was honorably discharged in March 1971.
-30-

Media contacts: Marty Callaghan:202-263-5758/202-215-8644, mcallaghan@legion.org or Craig Roberts: 202-263-2982/202-406-0887, croberts@legion.org. A high resolution photo of Nat. Cmdr. Koutz is available at www.legion.org.

Re: Heroic Drone Drivers

Just goes to prove that the Squeaky wheel gets the grease. I'm glad to see that there is
still a small modicum of common sense left in the DOD. Good work from the American Legion,
the VFW and all of our vet's and families in letting Washington know that this was dumb. Enough
with all of these current PC moves that are driving out the warrior class of fine young men from
our military. We're gonna need them all when our next war errupts. semper fi