Marinerhodes
Active member
Original Post HereIn Australia we never got any gongs for doing our JOB right.
That is one thing ill never understand about yanks, you get a medal for anything and everything "PTE XXX, YOU ARE HEREBY AWARDED THE SNAPPY SALUTE MEDAL, WELL DONE SON"
Dont take this personally, but what a load of wank
And dont get me wrong, Campaign/service medals are not what i am talking about. of course these have merit.
As do Decorations (not like the christmas tree type)
Since I have been in the Marine Corps I have held at a minimum a billet of the next highest rank. i.e. LCpl/PFC holding an NCO billet, now a Sgt holding a SNCO billet. Have yet to get an award for it. It all depends on your command. I know of people getting CertComs for taking a picture for an inspection for gear setup so the entire company can get locked on right so we can get half a day off. (It was presented to me as a Cpl at a Company formation. Man you shoulda heard the snide jokes I got, "just for taking a picture". But it provided guidance for the entire company and even the SNCOs/Officers didn't take the time or initiative to do it).
Point being it is the command and what they feel deserves a personal award. In just about any command I have heard of, a person has gotten a Navy Achievement Medal for doing for one year what I have been doing for the past 4 years:
The past 4 years I have managed as a PFC to Sgt over $30million in government assets and have yet to to date to have a single physical discrepancy over $2500.00 (i.e. physical loss or gain of government property with no supporting documentation). Not even an "good job" piece of paper for that. Sure it is my job. But I know of many SNCOs and Officers that would not have been able to do the same.
I had to get it off my chest to some folks that might understand what that little bit of colored ribbon can sometimes mean to other folks as well as your own sense of self worth to the units you deidcate yourself to.
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