Distinguished Warfare Medal outranks Bronze Star with V and a Purple Heart

[Greybriar]

A new medal has been approved by the U.S. Secretary of Defense. It is called the Distinguished Warfare Medal and it outranks Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars.

"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."

I'm bit miffed by this. I don't feel that anyone who was not susceptible to hostile fire should receive an award that ranks higher than a Bronze Star with V and a Purple Heart.

[bayonetbrant]

the Duffel Blog's proposal

[bayonetbrant]

for the record, I think it's a load of horseshit that this ranks higher than a Purple Heart or a Bronze Star.  Anyone kicking grenades out of HMMWVs to save people's lives rates more than a cyberjoystickjockey playing Ender's Game from Las Vegas and commuting home to the wife and kids at the end of the day.

[Longdan]

They could get a nice commendation that they were a very good drone pilot
and had performed a great service.  I am not kidding they should receive recognition.
If they did not kill too many goats.  And if they get a repetitive stress injury they
could get a purple heart.  In the Commonwealth during WW2 they had the George Cross
for non combat acts of bravery.  They should get something but Distinguished Drone doesn't sound good.

[mirth]

"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."

I'm bit miffed by this. I don't feel that anyone who was not susceptible to hostile fire should receive an award that ranks higher than a Bronze Star with V and a Purple Heart.

+1 Hard to believe they're doing it that way. I hope they come to their senses and change it.

[Longdan]

I think of those comic opera style uniforms emblazoned with a bazillion medals and the increasing
glitter of modern uniforms also the awarding of attendance awards and "particpant" ribbons.
There has to be a line drawn between recognising a good job and an extraordinary performance.

[Martok]

You've gotta be f***ing kidding me.  Until brant posted, I was sure this was a story from the Duffel Blog.  I can't believe this is a real thing.  >:( 

[jejo68]

nice way to tell people that put themselves in real danger to go..............  >:(

[Longdan]

You sometimes wonder if you are right to place any confidence in the military.
This bespeaks stupid decision making at a very high level.  If a dumb decision is made
high up everybody down to the bottom is affected by it and more importantly
cannot stop it.  There is something unfathomable about the peacetime military mind.
Yes I know there is war going on but not a big enough war to prevent this kind of stuff.
Drone drivers perform an important task but they aren't in danger of anything more
than a sprained thumb and emotional trauma or a car accident on the way to work.
Maybe this is some lame effort to make the zoomies stop sh*tiing on them.

[bayonetbrant]

[TheCommandTent]

for the record, I think it's a load of horseshit that this ranks higher than a Purple Heart or a Bronze Star.  Anyone kicking grenades out of HMMWVs to save people's lives rates more than a cyberjoystickjockey playing Ender's Game from Las Vegas and commuting home to the wife and kids at the end of the day.

+1 well said.

[LongBlade]

for the record, I think it's a load of horseshit that this ranks higher than a Purple Heart or a Bronze Star.  Anyone kicking grenades out of HMMWVs to save people's lives rates more than a cyberjoystickjockey playing Ender's Game from Las Vegas and commuting home to the wife and kids at the end of the day.

I'm not so sure. Having suffered the civilian version of carpel tunnel I can tell you it's damn serious. Can't believe we don't recognize the sacrifice of IT guys who code all day and game all night in the civilian world. We should get a Congressional Freedom of Movement Award or something.

[Longdan]

They should get recognition just not a higher one than somebody who gets their ass shot at.

[LongBlade]

Amid the controversy surrounding U.S. drone practices, toy maker Maisto International's model Predator drones have sold out on Amazon.com as reviewers joke about how the toys can help children hone their killing skills.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/18/toy-drone-sells-out-on-amazon-amid-jokes-from-reviewers/

Found three for sale through Amazon. Check out the comments :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LGFHHI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001LGFHHI&linkCode=as2&tag=grogheads-20

[Toonces]

LOL.  That Amazon link was worth clicking on.

I saw a good one for a Swiss Army knife once.  It has about 100 comments and most of them were very, very clever.