I'm with Dtop and Rndrsafe on this one. She was captured while executing a mission for the USArmy, in the face of an opposing force. It doesn't say "without making any mistakes whatsoever while under fire"!
I've never been in combat, but I HAVE been second guessed by armchair types who'd never tried to do my job. Any of you guys who talk about her convoy getting lost... ever TRIED convoying in the DESERT? It's easy enough to get lost. Oh, and what you guys seem to forget, is somebody on the ground, RIGHT THERE WITH HER, had to put her in for that medal. They apparently felt she deserved it.

From my own post "distinguishes himself... by heroic or meritorious achievement or service... under any of the following circumstances:"

Meaning one must distinguish himself by heroic or meritorious achievment while he serves under the following conditions, not just serve under them.

I am not saying anything denouncing the fact she colunteered to serve her country. Of course she did, and of course she should be recognized for it, just like everyone else in the US military. My argument is about her being awarded the bronze star.

FutureRanger, you don't know when to leave well enough alone. You will not make it in the Ranger Regiment with that know-it-all attitude. It would be healthy for you to learn when to leave well enough alone and stop trying to be right, especially when you have proved you have no clue as to what in the hell you are talking about. When you've become half the soldier Miss Lynch is, get back to me on this.

Have a very good day.

Merit just means "you did good." Someone who went through what she did Deserves to hear that. Alternate scenario: "I've just been released from the clutches of the enemy! It was horrible, and my friends are dead!"
"Yeah, whatever, get back to work!" That's no way to treat a soldier, who is asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. Jessica Lynch VERY nearly made that sacrifice, and a pat on the back isn't too much to ask.

Heck a NOoO!!!

Thanks RnderSafe, for the explanation about the bronze star with and without the "V".
That changes the case a bit.
I didn't know that there were two different versions of it, the media made it look like there was only one, and that you had to fulfill all the "V" requirements to get it..

by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, under any of the following circumstances:

(1) While engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.

She was enagged (in some way) in action against an enemy.
Heroic, no...
Meritorious, maybe..

I'm not so sure about my "no" vote anymore, but it's still more No than Yes...

There's two other factors that I would like an answer to before I eventually change my mind:
Did everyone else in Lynch's convoy get the medal? (PFC Miller did?)
How many soldiers has been awarded the bronze star during and after the Iraqi war?

What makes me sick about this case is the media.
It's really hard to find out what's true or not true.
And with all that attention she just had to be rewarded something....
But making movies and books about this is taking it waaay to long, IMO.
I'm convinced that if she was a guy she wouldn't get all that attention (or the medal?)
PFC Miller, as I believe is the real hero here, didn't get any attention at all.
But this is not her fault, and people going after her personally, demanding that she returns her medal makes me even sicker...

I think she deserves a medal of some kind for the media circus and all the unjust criticism....

I believe that PFC Miller received the Silver Star for his actions.

The point is, no one here is fit to comment on if she deserved her award or not. As far as I know, none of you were there .. none of you have been a POW, in other words - no one is qualified to make a judgement.

Bronze stars are often handed out like candy during war-time, are we going to start questioning everyone's medals? Would you like me to list mine and why they were given so you can tell me if I deserved them or not? Or how about we pick a former MOH winner, and discuss if he deserved his MOH or not.

The Army saw fit to award her the bronze star for her service. She deserved it. Period.

Originally Posted by RnderSafe

The point is, no one here is fit to comment on if she deserved her award or not. As far as I know, none of you were there .. none of you have been a POW, in other words - no one is qualified to make a judgement.

I do partially disagree with you there RnderSafe...
Everyone is allowed to make a judgement based on what they know.
I did not serve in WW1 or 2, but I still have some strong oppinions about several of the battles, leaders and soldiers...

I wasn't there when Lynch's convoy got ambushed, but based on what I have heard in forums and in the news, my own military experience, my experiences from conflict zones abroad, I can make my own judgement whether she deserved the medal or not..
BUT when I get additional information, like your info about the plain bronze star and the "V", I can be willing to change my mind.

This is what forums like this are for, exchanging information and learning from others.

I know that medals can be handed out "like candy" sometimes.
But that does not justify that Lynch got hers..
My company was involved in a lot of different situations abroad that, compared to Lynch's case, should have led to a LOT of bronze stars being handed out, but it did not happen.
And that's a good thing, because I personally believe that medals like that should be handed out very carefully, because medals like that should really mean something.
Not just that you happened to be at the wrong place to the wrong time...

I know people here in Norway that has similiar medals as the bronze star, that does NOT deserve it! (I was there in some of the cases...)
And I do know others that does not have the medal, but really deserves it. (I was also there..)

Based on what I have heard and know a this point I still do not belive that she deserved the Bronze Star.
This whole Lynch thing is a big media circus, with the heroic "rescue" with blanks, the "Saving Private Lynch" movie and all, and I'm not so sure if she would have got the medal if she was a he, and didn't get all the media coverage...

I feel real sorry for Lynch because of all the negative attention this case has brought to her, and the facts that she was injured and captured.
And the reason why this case upsets me is again the way the media has handled it!

You're mixing the publicity with the event. It is annoying, from the movie, to the book .. to all of the money exchanging hands. But that isn't real, that isn't what happened THEN .. that is what happened after.

There are a lot of BS stories out there about her and her rescue. More assumptions than fact.

I've been in combat, I've served in conventional and non-conventional units during combat. My experiences still do NOT put me there during the event of her capture. I've been a student and instructor at SERE, I've learned, as well as taught lads, how to survive situations just like hers. but it STILL doesn't put me in her place. And if not being there isn't good enough, then remember the information out about the event is mostly incorrect. Let us not follow in the media's footsteps.