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Subscribe to RSSThe Distinguished Warfare Medal will be awarded for extraordinary achievement in things such as operating drones or taking part in cyber warfare. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
They fight the war from computer consoles and video screens.
But the troops that launch the drone strikes and direct the cyberattacks that can kill or disable an enemy may never set foot in the combat zone. Now their battlefield contributions may be recognized.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced Wednesday that for the first time the Pentagon is creating a medal that can be awarded to troops who have a direct impact on combat operations, but do it from afar.
"I've seen firsthand how modern tools, like remotely piloted platforms and cyber systems, have changed the way wars are fought," Panetta said. "And they've given our men and women the ability to engage the enemy and change the course of battle, even from afar."
The work they do "does contribute to the success of combat operations, particularly when they remove the enemy from the field of battle, even if those actions are physically removed from the fight," he said.
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The new blue, red and white-ribboned Distinguished Warfare Medal will be awarded to individuals for "extraordinary achievement" related to a military operation that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001. But unlike other combat medals, it does not require the recipient risk his or her life to get it.
Officials said the new medal will be the first combat-related award to be created since the Bronze Star in 1944.
A recognition of the evolving 21st Century warfare, the medal will be considered a bit higher in ranking than the Bronze Star, but is lower than the Silver Star, defense officials said.
The Bronze Star is the fourth highest combat decoration and rewards meritorious service in battle, while the Silver Star is the third highest combat award given for bravery. Several other awards, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, are also ranked higher, but are not awarded for combat.
Over the last decade of war, remotely-piloted Predators and Reapers have become a critical weapon to both gather intelligence and conduct airstrikes against terrorist or insurgents around the world. They have been used extensively on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and northern Africa.
Over the same time, cyberattacks have become a growing national security threat, with Panetta and others warning that the next Pearl Harbor could well be a computer-based assault.
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The Pentagon does not publicly discuss its offensive cyber operations or acts of cyberwarfare. Considering that secrecy, it's not clear how public such awards might be in the future. The federal government, for example, launched a broad leak investigation after reports surfaced that the U.S. and Israel may have been responsible for the Stuxnet computer virus that attacked computers in Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities.
According to the Pentagon criteria, the medal gives the military a way to recognize a single act that directly affects a combat operation, doesn't involve an act of valor, and warrants an award higher than the Bronze Star.
"The extraordinary achievement must have resulted in an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding as to clearly set the individual apart from comrades or from other persons in similar situations," according to the Pentagon's list of criteria for the medal. It could include the "hands-on" but remote launching of a weapon and could specifically include efforts in space or cyberspace.
The medal is a brass pendant, nearly two inches tall, with a laurel wreath that circles a globe. There is an eagle in the center. The ribbon has blue, red and white stripes.
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As a veteran said elsewhere, medals for anything other than gallantry are an embarrassment. I don't believe gallantry is even possible when you do your job sitting in a chair.
You must be new here ;)
What? but no medal for all of the veterans who served during the cold war era..... what a joke, are you kidding me!
Are you kidding me! Why doesn't Panetta work on passing a medal for all the veterans who served during the cold war!
Cold War Military Metals included The Armed Forces Expeditionary Metal, Korean Defense Service Metal, Metal for Humane Actions among others. The National Guard/Reserves had one for the Cold Was Victory Metal.
This wouldn't even fly in a HALO profile ... if the award was only worn electronically, or from a remote location, somebody might convince me that this is worthy of CJCS approval. Panetta (who is quitting, by the way...) is laying quite the minefield to cover his exit. Leave these decisions to the new guy.
I think it should be ranked below the Bronze Star Medal, Soldier's Medal, Purple Heart, and Air Medal.
We have a real life "I gonna getchu sucka" (movie title for those not aware of reference) award....Awards for typing...etc.
Are you kidding me! Why doesn't Panetta work on passing a medal for all the veterans who served during the cold war!
On top of the ones I listed above in your other post of this a Cold War Recognition Certificate issued to all Veterans and Military Retired who Served from Sept. 2, 1945 to Dec. 26, 1991. That was by Pres. Bush.
Make the medal in the shape of a video game controller. ;-) I mean that tongue in cheek.
While these individuals may not be putting themselves at risk, they definitely help prevent the risk of other soldiers do they not? Every contribution should be recognized and this is a paradigm shift to recognize the times are changing.
My step-father is spinning rapidly in his grave. He only had to fly a real airplane, have the enemy shell go completely through the fusilage behind his seat in Vietnam and return the plane to base to get his Distinguished Flying Cross while stationed at DaNang in 1968 during the Tet offensive.
I am mightily offended in his honor.
Oh isn't that wonderful, next on the list are cooks, supply clerks and for coming out gay!
Not all of them will be given or awarded the metal. " limited to achievements that are truly extraordinary. “The member’s actions must have resulted in an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding as to
clearly set the individual apart from comrades or from other persons in similar
situations,” DOD directive. "
What a kick in the ass for my earned Bronze Star, How can a drone pilots life be in enemy danger behind a deck in Nevada?Panetta has disgraced all vets in more ways and actions he has done GOOD RIDDANCE
This is an award for extraordinary achievements not valor as in the Stars awarded for Valor in combat.
This is an award for being good at video games. These guys sit back and bet on who's gonna get more kills.
MikeP-738110, you are a moron who obviously never put his life on the line even if you did serve in the military. If you had served, you would be as outraged and offended as the rest of us who did.
Oh yeah, I'm going to take "Joey-Bag-of-Donuts" word over MikeP's.
Stop making a fool of yourself.
The guy's who run these drone are the same guy's who sat behind the arcade machines and played video games all day. Most of these guy's are what we used to call nerds. I would not deny them this medal. At the same time, a man stands up in the hospital waiting room, pulls out a gun and say's in arabic "Allah is greater" and shoot and kills and wounds many americans. Allahu Akbar has been shouted by the taliban as a battle cry. In the handwritten instructions for the hijackers on 911 Mohamed Atta instructed his people to shout Allahu Akbar as they destoyed their targets because it stikes fear in their enemies. As US soldiers in Iraq were beheaded, the taliban would shout Allahu Akbar. Now our government says that US Major Nidal Malik Hasan who shouted Allahu Akbar and shot and killed 13 and wounded 29 was a disgruntelled employee. Therefor the personnel who were shot do not recieve the purple heart, and recieve a lesser level of benefits and no military disability as a result. These are american soldiers. The president would have you believe that they do not need this and that Hasan was not a terrorist, afterall Obama has terroism under control. Obama has also cut medical benefits for active duty personnel, which now requires a co-pay for Med's, E.R. , Office Visits and specifically dependent care. His goal seems to be reducing eveyone's level of living.
You have got to be F*cking kidding me. I am truly disgusted.
Oh please.
I'm sure the Frankish axe throwers think shooting people from 1,000 meters away is as pansy as we think of drones firing Hellfires at houses from afar and above. Warfare has always been about making sure they died for their country, and less of your guys.
Someone who actually did the job that a lot of ignorant people are pouring scorn and ridicule on, posted earlier in this thread. Since his one single post is worth more than all of the garbage-spounting posts together, I think it deserves to be re-posted at least one more time here to set the record straight:
It is also worth mentioning that some knowledgable posters are disputing the reporter's assertion that the new medal is ranked above a Bronze Star.
The only ones who get the medals are the ones who kill Obama's american targets by executive order, so we will never hear about it.
Once they join up with al-Qaida then they deserve to be targeted and killed, citizen or non-citizen = no difference.
Or according to Obama/CIA policy:
"It in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent," the Timesreports... see article - huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/drone-attacks-innocent-civilians_n_1554380.html
Lets give these same medals to our Congress for a job well done. Pretty soon everyone will have medals.
Speaking of the leak about the cyber attack on Iran; that should have been an impeachment result for lack of intelligence of our administration for letting it leak and putting us all in jeopardy. They investigated themselves...what a joke...and the liberals are complaining about the LAPD doing their own investigations. The Obama administration keeps doing their own investigations and we have them ruling over the whole countries head...the world too in the case of the leaks. I think we need to improve the aim with the drones to not kill children and innocent people before we come up with an award. Let's give some thanks to Chris Kyle, Mr. President and Gen. Panetta before we think about honoring a man behind a computer screen. Kyle very seldom missed his target and took them out one by one.
Thanks to all of you men and women out there in uniform that put your lives on the line for us. In my eyes you all deserve an award, but sadly the only award most of you get is the same one we all do...freedom, and Obama is trying to gradually take that away too.
Meatsuit-
Thanks for your service. I think you hit the nail on the head as to where the decoration should fall. I have to say that as a former Marine, I was recruited for the UAV program in the mid 80's but declined. Two of my buddies jumped on the chance and became operators. The UAV's being used back then were Israeli technology if my memory serves me.
semper fi
This is the same kind of trite crap I expected from the Bush/Cheney horror show, Obama a socialist ?? hahaha !!
Anybody who still thinks there is any difference between the parties anymore is a moron, they ALL answer to the Corporatocracy that has hijacked our govt, our Democracy is now a sham, our elections a dog & pony show, we are a pathetic high tech Banana Republic with no moral authority anymore, we should be ashamed. The demise of our print media could not have come at a worse time, why did they fail ?? lack of corporate advertising, ummm, just a coincidence ?? I think not.
Keep blaming the Mexicans, the Welfare Queens, the unemployed, we are all getting screwed and we are so ill-informed we deserve it.
Do these guys deserve recognition for making a difference? Absolutely!
But, as a 25-year combat veteran who HAS put my little pink fanny in the line of fire, I think a medal for gallantry is a bit of a stretch, and making it higher than the Bronze Star is a kick in the nuts for the rest of us.
Robots, you have hopes for a medal also in the future. Instead of rushing to give medals, we should be taking medals away from our Generals that stood by and allow his foot soldiers serve -3-4-5-6-7 war tours in Iraq and Afghastan. Our brave soldiers are coming home as a wreck from excessive war tours. Our Veteran hospitals cannot keep up on treating our brave soldiers. The suicide rate is extremely high.
While the Generals allowed these excessive war tours for his foot soldiers, he/she waits for that next star on his shoulder.
It's unbelievable that Congress haven't said a word of these excessive war tours. Plus not a word from our Generals. (That's sad!!!) No human should face what our foot soldiers have faced in these excessive war tours.
The military in general and the Air Force in a particular has been headed down this path for a long time. In a bid to distance themselves from the "brownshoe days"of yore, they have been on a quest to highlight, amplify, and glorify the support folks' contributions. This is agreat idea, in principle, because no war can be won without the support folks contribution, and their contributions were neglected for a long, long time. Still, the key is balance and moderation. Unfortunately, the Air Force has taken that basic idea and perverted it to the extent that the tail is now wagging the dog, and wagging it hard. In the Air Force, combat pilots only exist these days to file travel vouchers, get legal advice, and break aircraft, so that everybody else can do THEIR jobs. The purpose of the entire enterprise has gotten lost in the shuffle.
Drones are further desensitizing us of the horror and carnage
of war. Killing becomes easy if you never have to face your enemy. Sure, blow
some little kids face off, it's no problem if you don't see it.
Instead, do it face to face, where you get to see the child’s body twitching in its last
moment of life. Watch as blood pours out of some little 10 year old girl’s
chest with her guts on your boots as she looks at you, reaching out for help.
Drones are the coward’s way. If you had to fight the enemy
face to face like I describe, maybe your lust for blood and war wouldn't be so
strong.
Imagine, if you will, it was your daughter and the drones
were flying over our soil from another country and we were the ones with
limited defenses like most of the people we attack.
Can you even imagine for one second the utter unrelenting hatred we are generating for us as Americans?
People will never forget what we did, and do, and they will come.....someday, and they will pay us back tenfold.
911 was the day the terrorists won. Not only did we give up all our freedoms and privacies; we turned ourselves into merciless killers of women and children, just like they did to us.
I thought the US and its citizens were better than that.
A) Women and children have always been killed in war; this is nothing new
B) This isn't ancient Rome where we put Gladiators in an arena to fight a proxy war. If we can accomplish a military objective without putting our forces in harm's way, I'm all for it.
C) In no war in history have we had such stringent rules to mitigate collateral damage to property and civilians. In WWII we carpet bomed cities and dropped 2 nukes to win the war. Now we can't even drop a bomb or strafe a positively IDed enemy if they are anywhere near anything as insignificant as a wall or a grape hut. Are mistakes made? Absolutely. Do innocents get wounded and die? Unfortunately. But for you to be so naieve as to say we "turned ourself into merciless killers" shows how little you understand history.
We are.
We are not causing the killing.
Our soldiers are forced into these situations because they have no jobs at home.
Capitol Hill and the White House hold the controls to all of this. Most are millionaires. Most Americans are not millionaires.
It is best to state the totality of the circumstances, not pick and choose what we want to make it appear.