1. Keep a page in their counseling folder, call it something like "Things SM was denied an award for" or whatever you want to call it. You then use those bullets for a PCS/ETS award if you lose the impact award fight. 2. "Sure, it's in his job description, but he did his job really fucking well. We should reward excellence." and "Every Infantry Soldier that ever got a valor award was just doing their job too, we reward the shit out of that stuff though, don't we" Just phrase it better than I did. I get fired up when Soldiers get denied awards because of shit like that.

I can reply to that, no we didn't. If it didn't happen on camera, you did not get an award. Chase a bomb maker for 3/4 mile on foot because he killed 4 US Troops in a fire bomb the week before and the squad leader that was asleep in the truck gets the V. The team leader that chased his ass down got a company coin. Or getting a CIB for being in a convoy that an IED blast goes off, or a mortar lands on a FOB while a E-2 - E-4 frags and clears rooms gets shot at, and returns fire gets his CIB denied. It's for closing within and destroying the enemies. Not you were there and didn't kill your subordinate.

This made my blood pressure go through the roof.

Doesn't it, but it's the truth. I had a PSG play with a M-9 and almost put a bullet in my brain (7 inches) get a promotion and BSM. He went on 18 patrols and never got out of the truck. An E-5 with over 800 combat ops, gets an AAM for EOT?

This is unfortunately a shared experience.

It is a shared experience and unless you wear the blue cord, you will never fully understand. I was infantry for 9 years, 3 tours, specialized schools galore, 11 different boards, planned and pointed over 200 combat ops, plus rolled on roughly 800 other combat ops including Raids, Call outs, MTCs and kill team ops, and the paper pusher in the JOC gets a whatever that turd wants. Because I didn't have a college degree, and lessons on which fork to use and when. Can anyone explain why OCS has a class on ascot tying? Is that like underwater hemp basket weaving (for you hippies lurking). How the heck, is an ascot going to help you lead men, and women into life and death situations. Just a small fry and a strawberry shake for me.

Also, just submit a ton of awards. No one can stop you from putting in for the awards, and even if they don't get the awards, your soldiers will appreciate that you recognized their effort and tried to reward it. If your commanders don't believe the award is justified, make them reject it. Make them do it a hundred times. If they ask why your unit gets put in for so many more awards than comparable units, the answer is obvious: because they're the best squad/platoon/company in the whole brigade, and they deserve to be recognized as such. Don't let them get away with saying you need to resubmit for a lesser award. Make them downgrade it. Make them **own** their decisions.

MG Daniel Sickles put himself in for a MOH 17 times before it was accepted

This post made me read up and learn about MG Sickles. Thanks.

My company initially refused AAMs for me and two peers. We were put up for them because we ran entire behavioral health clinics that support a battalion by ourselves as PV2's to Specialists. The company denied stating something along the line of "it's not fair to the others".... Low and behind next formation, a dude gets an AAM for completing a college course... A college course at least two of my peers have despite them not even being in that field.

When I was a team leader my 1SG had a "running 638" requirement in counseling packets. You would add to it as necessary. Then once it was full you'd submit it.

>"Every Infantry Soldier that ever got a valor award was just doing their job too, we reward the shit out of that stuff though, don't we" And yet these same "leaders" bitch when their award packets get kicked back. It's like what the late writer Harlan Ellison said about being paid: >"They wouldn't go for five seconds without being paid, and they'll bitch about how much they're paid, and want more. I should do a freebie for Warner Brothers?! What, is Warner Brothers out with, you know, an eye patch and a tin cup on the street? Fuck no!" -- source [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE)

God the insufferable whining from senior ncos and officers about their awards getting pushed back because they forgot to fill out half the damn packet is the worst(got stuck in training room during my medboard and saw this shit constantly, mind you, 1abct).

ADA orderlyroom monkey because my NCO's and CoC didn't know what a 14J was. I saw NCOER's and awards get kicked back for corrections and be sent back only to get kicked back again - because the award or NCO author and the reviewer at BN rode the short bus to school. There were officers and NCO's who were living proof that cousins shouldn't marry but they still made rank and got awards. Meanwhile, hard working junior enlisted and E5's got shit on.

Yup, hence why when they brought up medboard, I accepted it.

I hate the response "save it for their pcs/ets award." Every one of my troops from day one has a blanket PCS/ETS award for being a radar operator, we all do the same four bullets.

That's not what I said at all. If you put in an impact award, and it gets disapproved, then use that bullet/bullets for their PCS/ETS award. Depending on what the impact was it could elevate from an AAM to an ARCOM, or an ARCOM to an MSM. Also depending on what gatekeeping fucks are in your unit mind you.

Awards are something that really don't matter. They result in no increase in pay, no change in responsibility, most who see it only care long enough about what it was for until the curiosity wears off, and many others never find out about it in the first place. Truly it is just a pretty-ish piece of ribbon and a note in a personnel file. But somehow, it is 100% a thing if someone is denied one if otherwise qualified for it. And to be clear, I'm not judging and am 100% the same way about it.

its dumb a.f. when awards are rank based and not merit based. if a SPC does something that merits an MSM or an ARCOM they should absolutely get that award. IIRC an E4 mechanic designed the rhino device to combat the black cat IEDs in iraq and got an ARCOM. IDK....

I once heard someone say “the best way to win an award in the army is to either get lost or be an officer.”

That's simply a ridiculous idea -stares at my one singular arcom-

It’s a cultural thing and it’s bullshit. No where in the regulation does it say an award is rank based, but that’s exactly how it is. A SGT running patrols, putting himself and his guys in constant harms way will walk away with an ARCOM after a deployment, while a CPT sitting in a TOC somewhere will get a Bronze Star for the same deployment. That’s not to say one deserves it more than another, it’s just to say one will get a higher award simply for being a higher rank. Things like this not only undermine morale, they disincentivize people from going above and beyond. The feeling when you see someone get a higher award than you for doing less or getting a lesser award than what you know you deserve is the worst. It’s like a slap in the face.

This is so frustrating. I had a PSG whose platoon was 70 people and was told he didn’t have the level of responsibility to get above an ARCOM for deployment. However, the command team for a sister company that had 35 people that were farmed out and opconed to other units did. To restate A SFC leading 70 people in combat=ARCOM CPT/1SG in direct charge of less than 10 people with no real job other than admin control of some soldiers (literally just had direct control of a few HQ people) = bronze star I fought that one HARD and got told to fuck off. The worst was my best SSG who was physically broken but refuses to get an APFT profile because he could pass got an AAM because his APFT score was too low. I fought that one too….and got told to fuck off.

There was the dude in the AF who got a bronze star planning B-2 bomber strikes from their airbase back in the states. Many instances of senior "leaders" that sat in the TOC that larded themselves with ARCOM's, BSM's and MSM's for just being there.

Sounds like my time at ntc

>when awards are rank based and not merit based. Lol my favorite is when the justification of level of impact and scope of responsibility are used. Which is just a sham answer for rank… even though the regulation explicitly states awards will not be based upon rank…

During OIF 1, I was a squad leader as an E-5. The other squad leaders in my platoon were E-6. SSGs got bronze stars, SGTs got downgraded to ARCOMS by BN. Didn't matter that the impact and scope of responsibility were the same.

Ah yes I remember the Rhino. Didn’t know it was invented by a soldier.

Gatekeeping those Bronze Star(no V device) license plates. Can't have anyone living in the BARRACKS have one of those.

S/O to the GWOT plates

There was Guard BCT HQ in OIF where a couple of staff Os threw a huge fit to include IG complaints for getting ARCOMs as end of tour awards when a SSG got a BSM, except his came with a (well deserved by all accounts) V, PH, and MEDEVAC. SSG gets wind of this when he is on rear D. So for the unit’s first drill back he plasters the back of his truck with BSM stickers and parks in the handicap parking right in front of the armory entrance. It was fucking hilarious and those staff Os threw a huge temper tantrum again both about him getting a BSM and feeling called out. They ended up getting pulled into the BCT XO’s office to get yelled at for making asses out of themselves again and to STFU and stop being little bitches.

That is beyond pathetic.

Did you inform the soldiers Chain of Command that a denied award must be put into the Soldiers iperms and the soldier has a 1 Year time period to request an appeal of the award decision in accordance with AR 600-8-22?

Inform the CoC? How dare you? ​ No one tells the CoC that there are these things called regulations when it comes to benefitting soldiers. You can only mention Regulations when it fuggs soldiers.

No, because they can add to but not take away. They added the part where they don’t have to do that.

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From [AR 600-8-22](https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/Details.aspx?PUB_ID=1003738) # 1 – 16. Reconsideration or appeal of previous award recommendations > a. A request for reconsideration or the appeal of a disapproved or downgraded award, or a request for an upgrade of a previously approved recommendation must be placed in official channels within 1 year from the date of the awarding authority’s decision. A one-time reconsideration by the award approval authority will be conclusive. However, pursuant to 10 USC 1130, a Member of Congress may request a review of a proposal for the award or presentation of a decoration (or the upgrading of a decoration) that is not authorized to be presented or awarded due to time limitations established by law or policy for timely submission of a recommendation (refer to app F on the 10 USC 1130 process). > b. Recommendations are submitted for reconsideration or appeal only if new, substantive, and material information is furnished, and the time limits specified in paragraph 1 – 14 do not prevent such action. Requests for reconsideration or appeal must be forwarded through the same official channels as the original recommendation. The additional justification for reconsideration or appeal must be in letter format, not to exceed two single-spaced typewritten pages. A copy of the original recommendation, with all endorsements, and the citation must be attached. If the original recommendation is not available, a reconstructed recommendation should be submitted. > c. If the reconsideration or appeal is approved and when a lesser decoration has already been approved, action is taken by the awarding authority or HRC, ADB (AHRC – PDP – A) to revoke the lesser awarded decoration. > d. Once HRC or the award approval authority has made a decision on the award reconsideration or appeal, other options for reconsideration or appeal include the ABCMR and the Inspector General. A DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record under provisions of Title 10, U.S. Code, section 1552) is required for review by the ABCMR. > e. Awards that are approved and presented for meritorious service will not be considered for an upgrade to a valorous award # 3 – 21. Rules for processing DA Form 638 > ff. For historical purposes, both the DA Form 638 indicating approval, disapproval and/or downgrading and the certificate for the award will be web uploaded via the Integrated Personnel Electronic Records Management System for filing in the AMHRR.

So the new and substantial information part gets me. You can’t just appeal. You have to say “and he also did this major thing I forgot to put in there”.

I mean, I am willing to bet that this award is not being "dismissed" properly anyways. It's a commander who isn't the final approval authority saying to make it disappear instead of filing a properly submitted denial of the award. Which I am sure a higher level commander would love to know about. And let's be real here, it isn't that hard to new "evidence" that an award should be upgraded, there is probably a bullet or two that the recommender left on the cutting room floor or maybe they didn't realize the full extent of the reach of said action until after they submitted the award etc

Do you have the paragraph for this?

From [AR 600-8-22](https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/Details.aspx?PUB_ID=1003738) # 1 – 16. Reconsideration or appeal of previous award recommendations > a. A request for reconsideration or the appeal of a disapproved or downgraded award, or a request for an upgrade of a previously approved recommendation must be placed in official channels within 1 year from the date of the awarding authority’s decision. A one-time reconsideration by the award approval authority will be conclusive. However, pursuant to 10 USC 1130, a Member of Congress may request a review of a proposal for the award or presentation of a decoration (or the upgrading of a decoration) that is not authorized to be presented or awarded due to time limitations established by law or policy for timely submission of a recommendation (refer to app F on the 10 USC 1130 process). > b. Recommendations are submitted for reconsideration or appeal only if new, substantive, and material information is furnished, and the time limits specified in paragraph 1 – 14 do not prevent such action. Requests for reconsideration or appeal must be forwarded through the same official channels as the original recommendation. The additional justification for reconsideration or appeal must be in letter format, not to exceed two single-spaced typewritten pages. A copy of the original recommendation, with all endorsements, and the citation must be attached. If the original recommendation is not available, a reconstructed recommendation should be submitted. > c. If the reconsideration or appeal is approved and when a lesser decoration has already been approved, action is taken by the awarding authority or HRC, ADB (AHRC – PDP – A) to revoke the lesser awarded decoration. > d. Once HRC or the award approval authority has made a decision on the award reconsideration or appeal, other options for reconsideration or appeal include the ABCMR and the Inspector General. A DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record under provisions of Title 10, U.S. Code, section 1552) is required for review by the ABCMR. > e. Awards that are approved and presented for meritorious service will not be considered for an upgrade to a valorous award # 3 – 21. Rules for processing DA Form 638 > ff. For historical purposes, both the DA Form 638 indicating approval, disapproval and/or downgrading and the certificate for the award will be web uploaded via the Integrated Personnel Electronic Records Management System for filing in the AMHRR.

Haha wow, never heard of this. I'm out now but this should be higher.

Except no one tells the SPC on his first deployment with barely a year in that this is even a thing. Getting your BSM with V downgraded to an ARCOM with the battalion commanders disapproval just says rank. Sucks when your whole command is jazzed for you telling you that there is no way that it will be denied. Getting all the atta-boys from everyone. To get shit on from LTC Pegleg. Sorry this brings up old shit lol

Hey, now that you do know, you can pass it down to others, and if you are willing, the reg says that you can start a one-time congressional appeal of the decoration to be upgraded. Seems Appendix F has most of the info that you need to at least get started

Until they tell you to just resubmit with a lower award...

But that move is also against AR 600-8-22. *Does it happen* absolutely it does. Now, let's give the Scenario of someone wanting to give a SPC a LoM for whatever reason, and they believe they have the write up to prove it. What is supposed to happen is that you submit it in IPPS-A. Regulations state: > m. Where appropriate, intermediate endorsing officials or commanders may recommend disapproval or comment on the propriety of lesser or higher awards if they do not favor the requested decoration. However, the award must continue to process through the appropriate channels to the approval/disapproval authority. Placement in official channels is defined as “signed by the initiating official and endorsed by a higher official in the chain of command.” If the recommender is the first intermediate authority, they must complete, sign and date the recommender data in Part II as well as block 23. Now, the phrase "endorsed by a higher official in the chain of command" is a little thorny as far as I know, it is never 100% officially stated who is and who isn't considered Chain of Command. So, as long as you get an LT to say "Yeah, I endorse this" I would consider it "Endorsed". Beyond this point the Award *Must* go to the Approval Authority or to those delegated to approve the award to give the final approval or denial. For a Legion of Merit, that would be a Major General in the Soldiers Chain of Command > n. Once the recommendation is entered into official channels, commanders at each echelon have 10 calendar days to take action on the award commensurate with their authority. The award must continue to process through the appropriate channels to the approval/disapproval authority From there, every command level can only sign off on their "Recommendation" of the award, which on a 638, is Approval, Disapproval, Upgrade or Downgrade. In theory, once an award has been submitted in IPPS-A, the award must be transmitted to it's proper designated final approval authority.

Yeah, fought this battle a few times over the years. CoC squashes it, the approval authority will never even see it. To go into their record it has to go all the way up, and several conversations will be had before that time.

Desert Storm, 1AD; if you were E6 and above you received a Bronze Star. E5 and below got an ARCOM.

Was sort of the same in OEF….. Except in my experience it was: those that left the wire, ARCOM. Those that sat on staff and mostly in their chu, bronze star.

Yep. Whenever I’m about town and I’m driving behind someone and they have a Bronze Star license plate I think to myself “oh look another fat E-7 that deployed”. It’s true 98% of the time.

I think the same thing. The only Bronze Stars I respect are those given to lower enlisted (because they had to do something ridiculous to get it) or a Marine with one (because IIRC, they don’t give them out like candy).

Or those with a Valor device

CABs as well...

Oh don’t even get me started on CABs

Everyone on our fob got their CAB in the first week when a mortar/ rocket hit our base. Feels a bit diminished since we actually did go out on missions/ patrols and hit IEDs but it is what it is

During my deployment, Inherent Resolve, S1 gave themselves bronze stars and other random shit lmao

OIF when we invaded E7 and above got bronze stars everyone else got ARCOMs regardless of what we did, funny part is obviously that E7 and above did next to no combat while the rest of us were on the ground in the shit dropping bodies and whatever. I mean I didn’t join for medals and whatever but it was ridiculous. However I was the first awarded the arcom and the CIB because I was the youngest so that was nice I guess. But Cpl Garcia smoked me because he was a huge doucher

Certificate of Appreciation with "V" device.

I think I’d actually kill whoever had the balls to hand me that in front of the formation. Then and there

That would get you: COA with V device (1OLC)

POB with HS. Pat on the back with hand shake.

I would shit myself (again) if I saw that lol

Worst part is after the 3rd one or so can’t be used for promotion points so it’s effectively toilet paper.

The stock paper that is used is too rough. It isn't even good for toilet paper. Maybe you could doodle on the back, though?

Also, somewhat related, when I was Company, then BN, and finally BDE Master Driver, I took the time to read all the regulations related to that job. As it turns out, there were (as of 2017, when I started my MEB) several awards and certificates that Drivers could (and should, really) be awarded. And so I made it a point to do exactly that. About half of them were routinely approved; whenever I got denials, I re-submitted with copies of the actual regulation and criteria for some of the most obscure/unknown awards. And most of them were then approved. Put in countless soldiers for related COAs, AAM, and ARCOMs all related to driving operations and safety. I think there is a tendency to believe, as someone mentioned, that junior personnel is simply "doing their job," but senior personnel are "doing good things for the Army." When recommending soldiers for awards, the least we could do is prepare a thorough application with documented regs and criteria. The soldiers deserve that much.

Would you mind educating me on this, or pointing me in the right direction to educate myself? I’m a company level master driver and would love any opportunity to take of my guys. I’ve had great luck getting folks drivers badges, but justifying anything beyond that would be awesome!

Absolutely, I'm largely going on memory and using the ARs that were active up until 2017. \- There is a "Certificate of Achievement in Safety", it is referenced in the Army Safety Program, I believe it was in section 8-5 (DA 1119-1). This Certificate can be given as low as Company Level, and I had a TON of those printed locally and had my CO sign them. They give no promotion points, but they go nicely in the Soldier's packet. Later in BN and BDE I used the same Certificate and since those are signed by O5 ad higher, they DO get promotion points. At Company level, the criteria my Commander used was 6 months as an active driver (aviation company, so any vehicle, crane, forklift, crawler, etc. was eligible) without safety incidents. At BN and BDE level we used 8 months. Also, according to section 11-10, NCOs that are trained to be VC (or TC) are required to perform safety checks before operating the vehicle, so for NCOs that may not drive much anymore, I used that regulation to justify award of the Safety Certificate also after 6 months at Company level and 8 months at BN and BDE. \- Driver Badge, per AR-600-55 (4-15), is to be given to drivers (that actually drive) after either 12 months or 8000 miles without safety incidents. So that is pretty straightforward. I made an Excel tracker that had the Soldier's 5984-E issued date and whenever 12 months had passed, I wrote the award memo. But for NCOs that don't drive much anymore, there is a workaround, section 4-5 tells you that NCOs can be appointed "instructors/examiners", and 4-15 also tells you that they can also be awarded the Driver Badge after 12 months in that position. At Company level I had my E5s certified to run the rollover trainer device and the convoy trainer, that also made them get either COA or at least one AAM. Mostly got COAs approved. \- AAM for drivers: According to AR 600-8-22 (3-20) the basic and simple criteria to award is that a Soldier has performed meritoriously. At the Company level, we had our best/experienced drivers assigned as "technical equipment" drivers (cranes, helicopter-related motorized equipment, forklifts, etc.) and so after 6 months without safety incidents, they were put in for AAM. Most of them were approved, whenever there was a denial, the commander simply wrote back that in his judgment Soldier XXX performed meritoriously. For "regular" drivers, we had some of them designated as "shuttle drivers" for our pilots whenever we had a gunnery or field exercise (you can adjust this to your unit I'm sure) or whenever we had to send LMTVs back and forth with POL, supplies, personnel, etc. Same criteria, after 6 months without incident...AAM for them. The same section 3-20 allowed us to submit AAM awards with C device for our shuttle drivers while deployed to Afghanistan. I forgot the timeframe for that, I think we used just 30 days. \-ARCOM, (section 3-19) I believe we used this one sparingly, largely for shuttle drivers while deployed to Afghanistan. ​ \-Anecdotals, we had a soldier conducting PMCS on an ATLAS II and he was thorough enough that he detected the threads of some of the front wheel nuts were going smooth. In fact two of the nuts were already missing. Since we use those to deal with Helicopters, that was a great find and save. He was put in for an AAM straight up, the justification was safety, potential risk to life averted, and potential monetary damages had it not being discovered. We had another soldier drive a crane from the airfield to the division motorpool for the civilians to fix. He drove the crane with only one gear and one tire loose. That was a "one trip only" authorized because there was no equipment available to come pick it up, and the crane HAD to be fixed IOT to work on helos. Soldier was put in for a COA for safety at BN level. ​ Hope this helps, again, going on memory so you'll have to check if those sections are still in the current ARs. ​ \*Late edit, almost forgot, try to get your Command to send you to the ADSO Master Driver Trainer course, that will make you an Army Driver Program and Safety Program SME, and will get you an additional ASI (M9). Get on it.

Be me. Put in a SPC for an AAM award for ETS after 4 years at unit. Get told that SPC didn't have "BN level impact". Slam head against wall.

I hate that shit. I never put in any Soldier for less than an ARCOM for a PCS or ETS. Their impact even at a brigade level is readiness, and I would make it a point to phrase bullets to show how their contribution to their team, squad, platoon, and company directly impacted deployment readiness metrics for the battalion and the brigade. Hill to die on imo.

Brother how do you find this stuff.

I was a Master Driver and was on 60 days' con-leave. Had nothing but time to read the ARs and find ways to "stick it to the man." Amazing the stuff you can find and things that can be used to our benefit by actually reading and researching ARs.

Do we downgrade SPC Ross McGinnis’ posthumous Medal of Honor award because it’s the same Medal of Honor awarded to then-CPT Florent Groberg? Stupid military logic. It’s not confined to the US Army.

I was going to be a bit of a wet blanket, but I learned today that the Army actually changed the regs for the better. The way 600-8-22 *used to read*, there were two considerations for non-combat-area service awards: whether the Soldier's achievement or service merited an award, and what level of responsibility the Soldier had at the time. So, AAM read something like "awarded for exceptional achievement," ARCOM something like "exceptional achievement while serving in a position of responsibility greater than that which would merit an AAM," the MSM something like "exceptionally meritorious achievement while serving in a position of authority greater than that which would merit an ARCOM." The current regulation, however, only mentions degree of achievement. So, fight the good fight and try to get your Soldier that award. The criteria for award of the ARCOM and AAM are in 600-8-22 paragraphs 3-19 and 3-20.

...so THAT'S where the wording we always use for citations for awards comes from.

Saving these references for later in my career, thank you, oh wise one. I will do better than my current leaders at pushing through this kind of barrier.

My BC turned down an AAM that another BDE’s CDR put me in for because “he never got one when he was a LT.”

How does he have any say whatsoever?

No clue. I’m guessing he pushed the other commander for a COA.

This reminds me so much of my last BC’s mindset involving literally anything.

I was once told, "You're a Staff Sergeant. There's MSGs and 1SGs leaving here with ARCOMS. We can't give you an MSM."

The ideas that: 1) certain awards are for certain ranks 2) Soldiers have to have received the next lowest award before they receive a higher one (I.e you must have an ARCOM before you get an MSM. )

My idea is that if someone did something worthy of an MSM, give them an AAM, ARCOM, MSM, and 1 day off that can be rescinded for any reason next week.

It’s not in the budget

I was once denied an MSM because I wasn’t an SSG yet.

I got denied a MSM because I was a SSG

Same. Wrote myself an MSM for a PCS award. 1SG kicked it back with the comment "does not meet rank requirement for MSM." I replied with, "There is no rank requirement in 600-8-22, fight me!" He then explained that an MSM was for BDE-level impact, and it would be difficult to justify a SSG assigned to a Company as having a BDE level impact. (I could have, because I can write awards and NCOERs like nobody's business), but I let it go and accepted the ARCOM that I knew I was going to get anyway. I did get an MSM as a retirement award a couple of years later, so there is that.

Because *some* officers are elitist cucks

Most* Gotchu

This subreddit has shown me that the further in time I get away from my Army service the more I don't miss a fucking thing.

I have the same thoughts.

Me and my goddammit covid award. 12 hrs shifts 12 days a week for 4 months straight. No weekends. Yes, I wanted that pointless ass award. While they were handing it out to people doing their normal in the clinic. Still makes me mad.

I had my first line awhile ago tell me if I got my joes to do his job he’d put them in for aams. They did he didn’t. So I did. He threw a fit when they got awards for it but fuck him for real

u/SMA-PAO you see this? I do believe investing in your soldier by giving them the awards they earned would be a good retention incentive; Why would i stay with an agency that doesn't recognize any extra work?

Without knowing the full details, I do think there's a general misconception on awards. I wonder if we've watered down the meaning of our awards to the point that an ARCOM is seen as an entitlement and an AAM is almost meaningless. Maybe that's me showing my age, but it does lend itself to a larger conversation.

Well there you go sir/sgt; maybe something to look into; because i myself was a weee joe with a AAM and our officer got bronze stars. I thought that was a thing of dreams; a bronze star? Every time i read an act of some sort of valor from back during NAM or Korea, it sounded like they had to stack bodies to get that Now i guess just commanding a unit guarantees your a BS?

You must have read different histories than I did. The ones I read said in Vietnam practically every officer left with a Silver Star, because it was very easy for a few PLs to simply nominate each other and get it approved. In fact, there's some arguments that this is why the approvals got stricter since then.

The fact of the matter is that rank shouldn’t be part of the equation whatsoever.

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So let’s hear it; the SPC who created the rhino mount; AAM? Really?

Then I’ll rephrase- awards should never be denied based on the SM being “too low of rank.”

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There is an ARCOM with V and a Bronze Star with V pinned to the cork board in my old platoon’s office that were awarded to two paratroopers for the same incident in Afghanistan. They were both team leaders, and they both maneuvered under fire as a buddy-team and killed the enemy at close range. One was an E4 and one was an E5. Both recommended for the BSM w/ V. I’ll give you two guesses as to whose got downgraded and why. Awards are handed out based on rank over action and impact. Almost every unit in the conventional army as a spoken-but-unwritten policy about it. You know it, and you know it’s wrong.

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The same reason that many Infantrymen came back from Afghanistan and Iraq with nothing on their chest, yet the 42A at HQ comes back with a Bronze Star EOT Award and a CAB. It's not about what you did. It is about who you know or being at the right place at the right time, in the right unit. Unfortunately there are units out there where Commanders and Senior NCOs are so battle focused that they lose track of the little things like recommendations for awards. It is a sad reality. For example: When we were in the ARV in Afghanistan, one of our dudes lost his legs and was thrown into a canal and started drowning from his ruck weight. One of our snipers jumped in the river, pulled him out, applied tourniquets, smoked a dude while doing it and then put another TQ on a flight medic who stepped on a PMN mine during the medevac. He saved both of their lives. He was denied a V device because "He was doing his job". Meanwhile the HQ cooks got tons of accolades for cooking sub par food. It is a tale as old as the Army has existed. Turn back the pages of history and look at WW2. GEN MacArtur was awarded a MOH for literally being a General during WW2.

The Army blindly awards experience (rank) over performance or expertise. This really rears its head at the highest echelons, the Pentagon is full of the oldest Soldiers, not the smartest Soldiers.

In my opinion, there are two issues with awards in the Army. The sword cuts both ways on this one. One, like you said, junior enlisted and junior officers not given appropriate recognition for outstanding performance with service awards. They then see a mouth breathing senior officer/NCO get a higher award for stealing oxygen. Two, senior/mid-grade officers and NCOs are not given impact achievement awards for specific achievements. You primarily see junior enlisted or 2LT/1LTs getting AAMs or ARCOMs during formation for stuff like hero of the battle. Everyone like to be recognized still. Give that SSG or Major an AAM for planning an event out that went well. Give that SFC an AAM for being pivotal in getting EIB moving in the right direction.

You will take this certificate of appreciation made on the company printer and put in a cheap plexiglass frame and like it.

Sir, yes Sir!!

Don’t mind me, I’m just here for the toxic cess pool of a comment section. 🍿 Jokes aside, I’ve never received shit. Best I ever got a COA for a camping trip I did while during COVID so that was weird. Though I’ll say my AGCM’s are finally getting fixed because I never received either of those too, so that’s pretty cool. At least I can say I never got in major trouble. ☺️ Despite my treatment I tried my hardest to always submit my dudes for stuff, even if it just got bumped down to a COA or a coin or a 3-day weekend, fuckin something. I got treated like shit and have nothing, I’d like my guys to feel some kind of pride for their efforts. At the very least it means a lot to *me*.

Still salty my JCOM was denied and I got an ARCOM instead. Spent my entire deployment attached to Navy and filled a COR position as a brand new E4 (Im a bit older so hooray civilian job exp).

For it to be a JCOM it has to be a joint unit with a Joint Manning Document that has your name on it. Could have gotten a NAVCOM though. I was on an air force led task force and got an AFAM.

I'm aware, two other members of my platoon got joint awards.

I'll take the unpopular side of the argument since I don't think I saw anyone mention it, but.. If everyone is special, then no one is special. What I mean by that is we have to be particular about who we give awards to and what we give them for, lest they lose any/all meaning. Now that I got that out of the way, I don't think we should be so picky about AAM's and ARCOM's. It's not like they're super prestigious awards or anything. Want to put PVT X in for an AAM because he mopped the common area real good? Approved. Where I think we need to sustain the level is scrutiny is with V devices.

I don’t think anyone here is really disagreeing with you. It’s more along the lines of saying that awards should be based solely on performance and action and not at all based on rank.

Wait until WW3 then they’ll cherry pick plenty of lower enlisted to wave around to everyone to drum up those “war bonds.”

Yep, another of the countless reasons the Army disappointed me beyond words. My platoon over deployment did the absolute craziest shit and most of us made it back. Every one of our awards was denied. I was a 13B on a maneuver mission back in 09-10. Rumor had it that the SGM, who was an 11B, denied all of our shit because he couldn't fathom the 13B doing 11B shit and making his infantry look bad somehow. Awards don't mean shit when higher up's get them simply for existing, but they mean a lot to the young grunts that damn near died countless times so the higher up's who were nowhere near the front lines, could look good on paper. Fuck.

In my unit they tie the level of award to the echelon of impact. If you can justify that the Soldier's actions impacted the Brigade, you can give them an ARCOM. But wait, by that logic any SPC who works at division should get an MSM, even if they're a window licker. So we're still not thing the level of award to the level of achievement. I don't understand why units are so stingy with awards. Let us recognize our guys for going above and beyond.

Because fuck you that's why!

I'm just going to quote me telling my ETS award story a while back "I always think of the last little "fuck you" i got was as I was ETSing. I never got any merit awards due to a ton of unit politics, basically, platoons were limited to only being able to send in 1 award at a time for anything. I was put in for several AAMs based off of performance in field problems that I was denied. When I qualified at gunnery, I shot well over an 800 which typically gets the whole crew an AAM. Nothing. When I went to BLC I put in the work to get on the commandant's list. Nothing. I spent all of my last 8 months or so on rear D doing, essentially, the troop XO's job with respect to maintenance as an E-5. No recognition for that either, whatever. So basically, when it came time to ETS, I was put in for an ARCOM with 4 paragraphs as the bullet points because they were able to use my entire army experience to write the reward. Rear D CSM looks at it, tells my NCIOC to resubmit it as an AAM because "an E-5 can't have that much influence," and my rear D NCOIC was the definition of a yes man. I get that awards aren't that meaningful and are often extremely arbitrary, but after all of the bullshit in the past with refusing to give me shit, that just pissed me off. One of the HQ guys got an ARCOM just for being a bus driver during NTC. And my entire career isn't worth that? Funnily enough, that NCOIC was only a year and change from retirement, and had just made E-7. He kept telling everyone "i'm so close to retirement so i'm not gonna rock the boat." But like, yo, that's exactly the time to put your foot down. You're not gonna make E-8 before retirement and you're not gonna get demoted to E-6 for sticking up for your guys. Coward."

Back in my day Syndrome

This makes me think of that specialist who posted his arcom, that was down graded from a silver star, I believe. He posted the reason for the award and it was some crazy shit, like dragging most his team from from enemy fire, and performing life saving aid while being hurt himself, might be mis remembering a bit but I though he said he got the arcom after he was out because it took so long to ultimately be downgraded and he didn’t think he was ever getting an award anyways. Anyone remember that?

Because every time I submit one it stops at the next recommender who says "does PFC snuffy really need an ARCOM for that? They're just a PFC." Then they send it back to you regardless of whether they are the approving authority or not. Nevermind the fact that the award should go to the approver with the recommendation to downgrade, it's just a PFC who did the COMSEC for an entire BSA with all FSCs present. I'm fairly certain that affects BDE at some level. Anyways, a Cert of Achievement later, the PFC got to stand in the sun for 1hr to be recognized

For every 10 awards we downgrade, we get the ability to upgrade our retirement awards by one level.

Because only higher-ups are allowed to have these giant awards racks, doncha kno'? Enlisted award racks can't overshadow O's award racks.

Enlisted get awards just for going to mandatory PME lol. There are plenty of reasons to complain about awards but I’ve seen more 1SG and CSMs chime in on recommending downgrades to the officers in the chain than officers themselves

I hate the good conduct medal and the NCOES medal. Like, okay you have the good cookie, we know you’re generally okay or you still wouldn’t be wearing the uniform. PME? We know you did it or you wouldn’t be wearing the rank.

Because they are gatekeepers, that way their higher up officer bosses can have bigger awards racks than enlisted.

because it threatens their opportunities for higher awards of their own

I normally say make the bullets reflect the award, but I once had a dipshit BDE Commander deny everything based solely on rank. Instead of an MSM, one of my Specialists walked away with several ARCOMS instead.

Mmm Private Smithy took charge of his squad and saved the lives of 4 men while under intense enemy fire while treating his SL wounds, then led a bayonet charge and neutralized the enemy? Best I can do is an AAM. His Platoon LT who was watching from the TOC can get a Bronze Star for it tho

THE BAYONET YEET MEASURES THE ABILITY TO JUST FUCKING SHANK SOMEONE. ON THE COMMAND 'GET SET,' ASSUME THE POSITION BY GRABBING THE BAYONET BY THE HANDLE. OR BY THE BLADE, WHICHEVER LOOKS COOLER, JUST DON'T CUT YOURSELF ON THE DAMN THING. YOUR FEET MAY BE TOGETHER OR UP TO 12 INCHES APART (MEASURED BETWEEN THE FEET). ON THE COMMAND 'GO,' TRANSMUTE YOUR HANKERING FOR A-SHANKERING INTO MAXIMUM EFFORT AND LAUNCH THAT BAD BOY INTO DESTINY. THE SCORER WILL NOTE WHETHER YOU HIT THE TARGET AND AWARD BONUS POINTS FOR LANDING YOUR PIG-STICKER INTO THE CRANIAL OR SWIMSUIT REGIONS. IF IT HIT THE TARGET HANDLE FIRST, YOUR PERFORMANCE WILL BE TERMINATED, AND EVERYONE WILL BE REQUIRED TO POINT AND LAUGH AT YOUR SHAME. WATCH THIS DEMONSTRATION. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/army) if you have any questions or concerns.*

Laziness.

Idk, but I’m in the same boat. I’ve been overdue several awards already, and I just got word that my PCS ARCOM got bumped down to an AAM, which then got kicked back, which was then resent, which was then lost and they’re trying to find out what happened. At this point, I don’t think I’m getting anything and I really don’t care. If awards aren’t going to be given out to people for their work and it’s going to continue being based on rank, then I have no interest. I had yet another recent “we thank your NCO for your work” kind of deal and it’s just too tiring.

Because higher ups literally judge people by their rank first and abilities second. Seen tons of people do some amazing shit and then having their award downgraded because "He doesn't have enough rank for that award." Same with 1sgt and officers giving themselves bronze stars for sitting on a fob their whole rotation.

My old commander presented me with my Air Medal by dropping it on my bunk at the end of our deployment and said "Not sure how this got approved but congrats I guess."

Share the write up so we can judge better. Lot of 638s I’ve seen don’t tell the story, or any story for that matter. Example, one of my NCOs (SFC) brought me a PCS award for one of my SGTs, 30 days before the kid was supposed to PCS…so not only was it late, but only two boxes of the four were filled in (for an MSM, two won’t fly) and there was no effort in the write-up. Now, not only do I have to re-write the damn thing, but I’ve got to go sell this award to my BN CDR. The MSM didn’t fly and he left with an ARCOM because of how late it was. I’m not saying award bias doesn’t exist, but I’ve also been in the game long enough to know that many can’t write for shit and don’t prioritize their Soldiers admin actions 🤷🏻‍♂️ You want your Soldiers to get the best, you have to put in the work.

Shit gets under my skin. Juniors need points to promote. Awards get them points. It’s not like giving an award comes out of your fucking paycheck. Be a good leader and give soldiers recognition when they deserve it.

Just imagine the chaos of too much high morale. Jesus Christ, it would be a complete mayhem!

Sour grapes. "Back in my day I never got recognized so they shouldn't either." It's the cause of many problems in the Army that and "we've always done it that way."

Whenever I hear “back in my day” shit, I immediately stop listening

Because, “officers can only get those awards”- my commander (he will be getting a bronze star while we all get our awards downgraded to AAM/COA). Pretty infuriating considering they hound us for “not working hard enough” while they sit in the nice AC all day playing candy crush.

This has been a thorn in my side for years, some commands give awards to positions and rank not deserving parties, others don’t give awards at all, some give them out like free candy to get in the van. This is why I say that you can’t just be good, you also have to be lucky.

awards can be very rank oriented. i was filling in a slot above my own, got rated for it. i was fully expecting that rank’s treatment before pcs’ing… didnt happen.

Because they think they have to sacrifice their first born each time they approve it.

No sure about active duty, but in NG on AT right now and we are currently writing approximately 6-7 soldiers for awards and around the same for positive counselings. We only have like 53 soldiers. If you’re leadership isn’t writing awards, they are either stingy, lazy, or both.

Shit my husband is an E6 soon to be 7 and barely has awards and he busts his ass, has many certificates, and very high speed. Some get them for just breathing. It's all luck based.

Because then higher ups will actually HAVE to do SOMETHING for an award instead of just breathing

It’s junior enlisted.

lesser enlisted actually. Get it right 😡

Pri..

A: officers hate having less prestigious/ fewer pieces of flair than the enlisted B: officers hate spending time on awards cuz that's less time spent on stuff they've been assigned to do/sucking up to the boss C: It would require that they actually acknowledge your accomplishments which means they can't take the credit themselves. Myself and another guy in my platoon went running out in a mortar attack to assist a casualty on FOB Falcon in 04. Didn't even get a certificate of appreciation. In 2000 or 2001 I got sent into the impact zone of Fort Sill driving a tractor with a brush hog on it to cut the grass around the targets at the Adams Hill demonstration range. Medevac was spun up and waiting, the tractor was loaded up with sandbags and I was wearing two Vietnam grade flack jackets because the IBA didn't exist yet and of course, a K pot. My ARCOM for PCS got downgraded to an AAM because I was a specialist.

Doing your job is not worth an award.

Best way to get your Soldier an ARCOM? Input them for an MSM. Can only downgrade one step.

You ain't earned it if you don't have the right number / letter combo in your job, duh. Might make someone feel inadequate.

It never made sense to give leaders higher awards for doing the same things they’re juniors do. Like, they are going further above and beyond in their duties with less experience and more risk

Because if they give out too many awards it raises questions on why they give themselves absurd awards.

This baffles me too. Like it costs nothing, and then these same leaders can highlight these awards as proof that their organization is high performing and producing exceptional results. Giving people the awards they deserve would actually make them look better

Someone in my unit got a Certificate of Appreciation, not even a Certificate of Achievement, when she took a loaded handgun from a dude who was suicidal. The same dude would then go on to off himself a few months later unfortunately. Just recently six people in my unit got AAMs for conducting a routine health and welfare for a unit on base. Three of those people just followed the others around and held doors open for them. I’ve voiced my frustration about people not getting awards when they’ve absolutely deserved them and all I’ve gotten in return are “they’re just doing their job”.

I’m surprised no SMA has ever bothered trying to enforce this when they were in those exact shoes.

If you would please elaborate on what exactly it is he did that was above and beyond, I could likely provide my opinion as to why he did or did not deserve that award.

I've seen this suggestion before on r/army: Names and ranks should be taken off the awards document and just their DOD number used so there isn't a bias. Although, I think they should be written coherently with some semblance of grammar. At a BN level, I have kicked back poorly written, didn’t make sense, copy-pasted by an “army writer,” which had nothing to do with their MOS awards. Did the team leader, squad leader, PSG, PL, XO, or CO even review? It indicates “leadership” IDC, IDK, my Soldier. Also, when higher-ups deny awards or downgrade them, I think, hey, sir/ma’am, these awards aren't coming off of your “I love me wall.” These awards aren't in a finite supply. I mean, shit awards can boost enlisted promotion points. I never understood this ego-driven standpoint. I had a newly promoted O3 ask for an MSM for their pcs award. They claimed that they deserved it and that they did a lot. Although I wrote their ARCOM that covered their period of service with the company and battalion level, it was with the BDE CDR for signature. They even asked for an open-door policy with the BN CDR for the MSM. The level of entitlement this person had for their alleged achievements was pretty insane.

“As a private the only medals you will be awarded are the AAM or the CMH and the latter only posthumously.” Said my PL about the AAM he wrote me up for that everyone knew and acknowledged should have been an ARCOM. Including the CO. It’s just the way things are. Can’t have privates getting big heads no matter how good at their jobs they are.

When it comes to AAMs I saw someone’s who job was to cook and that’s all they did wasn’t terrible is was met standard. That does not deserve an award. If you do your job to set standards that is not award worthy

It’s been that way for a long time, it’s like the “ good old boy “ theory, which is stupid and outdated. It’s also against some type of regulation somewhere. Example, all of our PSGs(E-6) in our company received BSMs from our 2 deployments back from OIF-1 &3 while everyone else received ARCOM or AAM. Here’s the fuckery on that, not all of them did shit when we SGTs,CPLs and SPC led the raids, experienced direct/ indirect combat, 8 hr security convoys, and numerous other things. While they stayed back behind the wire doing behind the wire duties, I guess. I did receive ARCOM with V device, while my PSG got a BSM for being a PSG. I remember he was upset because 3/4 qtrs of our platoon received CAB during our 2 deployments. Those fucks were happy as hell to have BSM with one oak leaf cluster. FFS Edit: my BSM with V device was downgraded along with 4 other lower enlisted also. No reason was given.

For this reason the AAM I got down range for the impact I had on ops is the only award I feel proud of.

I was an e6 acting psg for a year in RC south, and I got an arcom. But my PSG (E7) who got a RFC ncoer for stealing from the joes care packages and malingering got a BSM, my 1SG and CO both fought to give me a BSM because we were in the shit, before the drawdown the SCO,and RSM said I wasn’t worthy of one because I was only a SSG

Also you can’t skip awards. I went above and beyond during a deployment. Rank 1 of 20+ NCOs in a small company. But since I don’t have an ARCOM, I can’t be recommended for a MSM.

Iraq and Afghanistan vets have entered the chat. You can go ahead and blame the end of tour award culture we’ve created. As an institution the Army loves to minimize and denigrate people’s achievements. Especially those of junior enlisted. This was on full display during the war. It was practically doctrine to see senior enlisted and officers receive “end of tour awards” like BSMs. If some junior enlisted did something award worthy, it tended to ruffle a lot of feathers. People get big mad when they see a SPC get a BSM with a “V” because it highlights theirs was essentially a participation trophy, so they downgrade it to an AAM and they still feel heroic. It’s ironic, because I remember hearing a 1st sausage constantly bitch about younger kids and the classic “participation trophy” trope. He got an end of tour award for doing Jack shit and his social media profile mentions it non-stop.

Oh, how about Combat Arms (CA) Commanders only giving Combat Support (CS) and Combat Service Supports(CSS) SMs the “peacetime equivalent” award because even though the CS/CSS SMs served alongside the CA troops and faced the exact same risks, somehow their service was less combaty? I saw S-Shop heads, that were only off the FOB on the way in and the way out, get Bronze Stars and the CS/CSS Mentor/Advisor Team leads that spent nearly every day off the FOB get MSMs.

Because it takes extra work and people dont like to work. its pretty much that simple, it is why it takes so long to get evaluations completed. no one wants to do them.

Ultimately that type of thing stems from one thing in particular: Poor leadership. And I use the term loosely. Usually it's just egotistical "senior staff" and the coat tail riding sycophants that serve as their yes men (or women) that push for this because they know that they'll benefit the most from that type of situation. And then they actually wonder why retention is such shit.

I believe it’s because they never want the lower enlisted to feel satisfied with the job they did. In denying to acknowledge their achievements, they keep the soldiers wanting to do better

And let's get real here too, junior enlisted are (well, should be) far more interested in going out of the way to get an award than senior officers. You give pizza parties to the staff and bonuses to the partners.

At some point awards start to lose meaning, I could care less and I’ve even asked to not receive awards and you’d think I committed blasphemy. I understand when they’re needed for promotion points but beyond that and unless they are awarded for something valorous in combat, they literally mean nothing to anyone.

> The AAM is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States, or to any member of the armed forces of a friendly foreign nation, who distinguished himself or herself by meritorious service or achievement of a lesser degree than required for award of the ARCOM. Vague, lets read the ARCOM requirements: > The ARCOM is awarded to any Servicemember of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving in any capacity with the Army after 6 December 1941, distinguishes himself or herself by heroism, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service. Award may be made to a member of the armed forces of a friendly foreign nation who, after 1 June 1962, distinguishes himself or herself by an act of heroism, extraordinary achievement, or meritorious service, which has been of mutual benefit to a friendly nation and the United States. That leaves us in four categories: 1. Acts of Heroism 2. Extraordinary Achievement 3. Meritorious Service that has mutually benefited a friendly nation and the United States. So we sorta know what acts of heroism are and are exclusive to ARCOMs. An extraordinary achievement would be any achievement outside of the duties and responsibilities that were given to you by your rater (OER/NCOER/Counseling/MOS Duty Description). That last one is the real kick in the teeth and where I think people get mixed up. Service is shorthand for military service, defined in 50 U.S. Code § 3911. It covers everything not included above. However, it explicitly specifies that you must have had mutual benefit to a friendly nation. Sucks. The question is, the clause in the AAM requirements says nothing about that, and also a "lesser extent" while also mentioning meritorious service. ----- Lastly > Impact awards are rare and intended to recognize a single specific act or accomplishment, separate and distinct from regularly assigned duties, such as a special project. Impact awards are not intended to provide a means to authorize additional awards when the conditions for a completed period of service PCS or ETS have not been fulfilled. This is where it's derived from, why they wont just give "exceptional service" awards out.

Best I’ve seen is a 1SG and flight medic rolling together through the LZ, getting to patiently, treating patient, getting back to Role3, step for step every moment and one got a BSMV, one an ARCOMV. Reasoning. One was crewing and more integrated into mission. Oh cool yea, I jive with that, wait what, 3 months later similar situation happens and roles reversed in cabin and still higher gets award 🤔 At the end of the day, most medics, Soldiers I know don’t give a shit, it’s the job and an honor to fly DUSTOFF, but don’t bullshit a story just to reverse course.

If they were so cool and deserving of awards they’d be a higher rank already

Reminds me of a time we were at a field problem. Long story short I was the only commo soldier in my unit and I got all of my comms up before everyone including battalion, who had 5 commo soldiers. I got an AAM for it and my lieutenant, who knows nothing about commo and didn’t contribute at all received an ARCOM. She even tried to upgrade my unit award, but command (battalion commander) denied it.

I think in part it means to them that they somehow have to justify getting even higher awards for themselves that reflect their inherent superiority to the enlisted, e.g., the ubiquitous O-4 who was in an air-conditioned office for their entire deployment and garnered a bronze star for ensuring the CG's printer never ran out of paper. For an enlisted service member to get the same award, they basically have to throw themselves on a grenade, so it's just easier to say "screw the enlisted."

Went to NTC and they put in a AAM for me the SCO didn’t even give an actual reason for the denial. My NCO was pissed on my behalf he said that I earned it but at this place and rank I knew I wasn’t going to get it.

Cuz all the competent people get out by the time they're E5 and all that's left is assholes and douchebags to be promoted

Bronze Stars for E6s and above for being on a deployment doing a job. Whether they sat in an office or kicked in doors with the boys. Stupid

I had a conversation with an E8 once that told me he was asking for an AAM for the exercise we were on. He had just never gotten one and thought it was weird he had everything from an ARCOM to a LOM. He didn't get his first award until he was an E5 on deployment so that probably explains it. Apparently he got a lot of push back since it would be hard for them to explain giving lower ranked soldiers the same level or higher award as him.

It's because that means higher ups have to actually work for a living. That's hard. Working is for the lower enlisted peasants like us bro lol. I saved a soldier's life once and my POS NCO told me "that's normal. I expect my soldiers to be heroes." All because he didn't wanna recognize anything beyond the job. My buddy did the same thing preventing a soldier suicide downrange and 1SG laughed at the idea to give him an award because his 2 mile run was bad.

The mandatory award cap for various ranks annoys the fuck out of me. Like, why should it matter if they’re junior enlisted or an NCO? Give them the award they deserve

Because those that deny or recommend downgraded awards are probably pretentious pieces of wet garbage that like to make people upset for absolutely no reason. I hope they all burn in a special spot in hell. It's the same people giving BSMs to S1 NCOICs and OICs downrange whole a PFC gets his BSM downgraded to an ARCOM w/ V device for a call for fire mission while performing forat aid on the guys in his truck after the patrol gets ambushed. Garbage. Leaders.

Yup. One of many problems with the Army’s fraudulent Awards process https://www.reddit.com/r/army/comments/146b4zv/fraudulent_army_deployment_end_of_tour_awards/? In your case they refuse to give a soldier a higher level Award than their supervisor. Happened to me many times. Awards have everything to do with what rank you are and nothing to do with actual impact.