Yeah, I guess it would be different for a Unit Citation that was fairly current. Soldiers who were involved in an action could be annoyed by a newbie wearing a ribbon for it. In the 60's, rotation was so fast that people would be in and out of a unit, before even being aware of the citation.
I know that I didn't hear of the awards until YEARS later, when I called the Center for Military History. One of the awards was for Tet, 68, and I was still with the unit 7 or 8 months later, and we never heard anything about it.
When they told me that we had been awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, I looked it it up and was shocked at the criteria: "The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of a Distinguished Service Cross to an individual." That knocked me off my chair.
What are these people thinking the are disgracing all of those who have given their lives for their country. If you don't earn it don't put it on the rack. I hope they catch and make examples of these impostors.
you know i know i have only been in the military for only 5 years (this month), but i earned everything i got. I work my a@@ off to get them and for ppl to come here and want to make themselves look good by putting awards they feel like putting on there, that is the wrong answer. I know everyone has said what im saying,but i want to voice my opinion to. Whats going to end up happening is that it is going to make it harder for those who deserve awards and decs to go through a longer process and ridiculous interviews just b/c ppl want to make themselves look like they are shining stars.
Whats worse, is ppl i have known to wear rank that wasnt awarded it yet and go to the airport and display that and when that SM was deployed telling his wife he was promoted and her telling the FRG that he was and they all looked at her like she was crazy. Mind you he wore SGT when he was not even a SPC(p), but a SPC. Either way its not right and i look at it like this let me see somebody looking like gold and they actually look bronze it will be a sad day for them. I mean ppl make mistakes on uniforms, but not with a rank or MOH The Army has changed my life dramatically, in a good way, im proud to serve the military. This military dont deserve phonies or fakes. It deserves hard working and sharp squared away soldiers. Now if anyone doesnt agree with what i said on here by all means let me know and i will fix it, but this is how i feel.
I have to disagree with you on allowing Soldiers who are currently at a duty station to wear the unit awards. As was mentioned by another response, it displays the unit history and aids in a sense of uniformity for the Soldiers. All the Soldiers have their individual medals on the left side, then everyone (mostly) looks the same on the right side. For those that don't know, only 4 unit awards are authorized for temporary wear: Presidential Unit Citation, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Army Superior Unit Award. This can be found in AR 670-1 Table 29-1.
Wearing them other than while serving in that specific unit is just plain stupid and disrespectful to that unit and the army. For those of you who are falsifying your accomplishments, just look at past Army Times and see what the punishments were for those who took this path. Do what your pay-grade can afford, and just plain DO WHAT IS RIGHT!
Im new to this site....if someone can look at my ribbons an tell me if i have the right ones....i know i had the wrong korean one.....but i think i have the right ones.
I retract my former comment that there aren't a lot of phony Medals of Honor claimed. I just checked, and there are at least seven MOH's claimed by members of this forum. Somehow, looking at their profiles, I doubt ALL of them.
This is a disgrace, I personally know two awardees. What they did to EARN the Medal of Honor was incredible. One was KIA (from my high school) and one survived (I met him many years after)
These impostors have to be stopped. Dennis, please see what you can do.
"Wearing them other than while serving in that specific unit is just plain stupid and disrespectful to that unit and the army."
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I remember my boyfriend, who's unit earned an MUC while he was in Iraq the first time, said that you can only wear a unit citation for as long as you are attached to the unit that earned it OR permanently if you were in the unit at the time it was awarded no matter what units you may be attached to in the future. If you were attached to a unit that had some aware, and were then transferred to a unit that did not receive that award, you were to immediately stop wearing the award ribbon.
I could be remembering it wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's what he said to me. I asked because I went to a Christmas function at his unit and had asked him why he was wearing an award that not everybody in the unit had (silly questions from us beginners! LOL). Anyway, I'd love to know if I misunderstood what he said. I'm enlisting here soon and that would be a good thing to know. Not that you really switch units in Army Band, assuming I can get that MOS...but still good information.
When you are assigned to a unit, you are authorized (often required) to wear citations that were earned by that unit in the past. The citations may come from WWII, Korea, VN. It doesn't matter. They belong to the unit, and its CURRENT members. When you leave that unit, you remove those citations.
If you are part of a unit during the action that earned the award, you have the right to wear the citation permanently. The award may not be made for a period of time, so it is not WHEN the award is made that is the main factor, but when it is made for.
I left Vietnam before the awards for the PUC and the VUC were announced. But I was part of the 2/39 during the period that was covered by the awards. Therefore, I am authorized to consider them permanent individual awards.
We're looking and if you're not completely sure of your awards, error on the side of caution rather than slapping anything in there..
You won't impress anybody on a site like this with a huge ribbon rack, I promise you!
I myself know that I left out at least 1 ARCOM but I have to go to my car and get the copy of my DD-214 that's out there, add that and change my amount of OSR's.
If you still feel that you have to impress everyone here, I'm sure someone will flag you for a federal offense. GOOD LUCK FOOLING THEM!
i do have to agree with all of you i think a good way to resolve this problem is to have the membership as a whole vote on the athenticity(sp) of those signatures in question and if they are found to be fake ban them from the site ....just a thought
i looked at my erb so i could remember all of mine and i still dont see why its got to a contest ....just another thought
P.S. this is my first post lol sorry if i may have brokin any rules
pres Carter or was it Raygun gave a unit citation in 82 to people serving in Korea you had to have a set of orders to wear it state side, a leuy who served with me in Korea gigged my uniform when he inspected me, he informed me I was out of uniform so I made the corrections. I am going to confirm this one I have updated my ribbons. I pulled out my dd214.
I was in the 1/72 armor on Camp Casey Dragon Valley. Our unit crest had a dragon breathing red flames 2/72 had green flames.
I am a peace time vet I also would like to thank all for their service God Speed.
The Defense Department announced today the creation of theKorean Defense Service Medal (KDSM). The KDSM is a service medal to give special recognition for the sacrifices and contributions made by members of the U.S. armed forces who have served or are serving in the Republic of Korea.
Public Law 107-314 legislated the creation of a new medal to recognize military service in the Republic of Korea and the surrounding waters.
Members of the armed forces authorized the KDSM must have served in support of the defense of the Republic of Korea. The area of eligibility encompasses all land area of the Republic of Korea, and the contiguous water out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces above the land and water areas.
The KDSM period of eligibility is July 28, 1954, to a future date to be determined by the secretary of defense.
Servicemembers must have been assigned, attached, or mobilized to units operating in the area of eligibility and have been physically deployed in the area of eligibility for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days or meet one of the following criteria:
Be engaged in actual combat during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the area of eligibility.
Is wounded or injured in the line of duty and requires medical evacuation from the area of eligibility.
While participating as a regularly assigned air crewmember flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the area of eligibility in support of military operations. Each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria shall count as one day toward the 30 or 60-day requirement.
Personnel who serve in operations and exercises conducted in the area of eligibility are considered eligible for the award as long as the basic time criteria is met. Due to the extensive time period for KDSM eligibility, the nonconsecutive service period for eligibility remains cumulative throughout the entire period.
The KDSM may be awarded posthumously, and only one award of the KDSM is authorized for any individual.
Each military department will prescribe appropriate regulations for administrative processing, awarding and wearing of the KDSM and ribbon for their servicemembers, to include application procedures for veterans, retirees, and next-of-kin.
More than 40,000 members of the U.S. armed forces have served in the Republic of Korea or the waters adjacent thereto each year since the signing of the cease-fire agreement in July 1953, which established the Demilitarized Zone. For more than 50 years, U.S. Armed Forces efforts to deter and defend the Korean Peninsula have helped maintain democracy and preserve the indomitable spirit of freedom.
I obviously am still working on a redesign but I have the main section done. I am open to suggestive tools and people who are willing to help police certain things, such as fake ribbon racks.
Also adding and doing base research and new ribbons. My new engine has permissions that will allow me to give individuals certain permissions to help build this site better. I am still some months away from an integration AND I am getting the site refaced as well. Been trying to save up some money for that as I am in no way a designer nor claim to be ;).
MOH is not the only award being faked here. I observed E-5 with the Defense Meritorious service medal Award and the Soldiers Medal. Not believing it.
Its not like you have to post your DD214 online, but come on, some awards are giving based on rank, position and time in service. Some are quite obvious. Dave
Ok obviously the bigger ones are hard to fake, should we have a "report user flag" for review. How do you propose we 'verify' these people? Is there a public record of ribbon holders that can be accessed? I got out in 2004 so I am not up to date on what tools that we could potentially have access too.
Do you think we should shut down a users ribbons until their ribbon rack is verified by them by proof such us posting their dd214? Seems logical, maybe even make it thread based and allow them upload and make comments on their "case" or w/e.
I agree that people who post fake medals are pieces of garbage. However, I disagree that anyone should be required to post their DD214 for public review. I sent a copy of mine in the mail last week to the DMV, so I can get the new SC Veterans License Plate, and was nervous as hell sending that thing in the mail! It has my SS, DOB, etc. Not too hard to steal identities with that stuff. So, posting DD214 isn't an option in my book. Unless you are talking about the moderator personally reviewing it? Still seems a bit shady to me.
How bout posting people's address who say that they have earned the highest awards, so we can all go to their house and personally verify? :-)
