Recognize road warriors

[Administrator]

While on convoy duty in 2004, then-Capt. Carolyn Hoza and all the soldiers in her unit were exposed to all kinds of danger. Her father, a Vietnam vet, believes they deserve special recognition in the form of a road medal.
"It is inconsistent that those who travel the highways of Iraq in constant danger not be awarded something for their effort. The Road Warrior Medal — for 50 hours of road time — would be easy to establish and well received."

[keith96706_guest]

I realize it would be nice, if someone recognized all the different types of service preformed, but creating a Road Warrior Badge is a bad idea. Because, then we'd have to create a head count badge, a TCN Guard Badge and a god only knows what badge.
Currently, we already have a driver's badge and the COMBAT ACTION BADGE. These badges cover the service described. We can't keep creating badges for various services. Then we'd have the "I was the first in Baghdad" and the hopefully soon to be authorized "first in Terhan....."
The Comabt Action Badge covers convoys that were engaged by the enemy, those that were not engaged, were lucky and we don't create badges for being lucky.
Respectfully,
CPT YOUNG
OIF II,III & IV

[antietam1958_guest]

Why not have some kind of clasp that will go on the combat action ribbon for this type of service. I think Ii remember them using this in the past.

[Unregistered]

The ideas of special badges are nice, but the military has already diluted the meaning of its awards and badges enough. The Bronze Star used to be a hard to get award, now some units hand them out like candy. Same with the CIB there are some people wearing the CIB that never engaged the enemy or came under direct fire. Too many people want an award for doing their jobs. If you know what you did you should be proud of it. You don’t need a medal on your uniform to say you are a warrior.

[ganiskj]

I agree with 'keith96706'; we don't need another badge. With all the other badges, patches, flashes, tabs, cords, ribbons, devices and medals hanging off our uniforms now, we have come to judge a soldier by what he wears rather than the strength of his character, integrity, courage or leadership skills. Awards used to be earned by merit, recognizing a soldier's exceptional performance. Sadly it seems that awards have become all but automatic for "showing up", creating an environment where exceptional performers or worse, true heroes, get lost in the crowd. Whether you serve by pulling a trigger or processing leave requests, do it with pride because you're a soldier. That should be enough.

[bigjimshort]

There is a Medal for what She is doing. It is called the ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL FOR MERITORIUS SERVICE in a combative situation. I know I received one in VietNam for 2 tours working on helicopter under fire and incoming rockets.

[glory_gunner]

There is enough medals in the military. It is ridiculous that the soldiers have to have an award for everything under the damn sun. Just do your job and the rewards will follow. All we need now is a combat spoon award. MISSION FIRST.

[Stephen]

First of all, i think all of the people complaining about more badges and what not need to quit crying... I am an Infantryman, and i EARNED the CIB. The CIB was special and still is special because it is Infantry only... All of the Infantrymen signed up wanting to encounter the enemy, and to get down and dirty. Truck drivers usually pick that job to stay out of danger... So please stop the whining!! All none infantry mos's now have the CAB, and hopefully that is all yall will get, deal with it! We are in the military to protect the USA, not to recieve pretty badges to go on our uniforms. I think we should do what the marines do, and wear only the airborne wings...no other skill badges, so everyone can be happy... And also, just because you drive on the streets of Baghdad, that doesnt mean u are doin the infantrymans job... there is more to it, and if you want to see all that goes into being an infantryman, change u MOS!!!!
INFANTRY LEADS THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stephen

[Unregistered]

A new badge??? NO! We have enough of them as it is and the Army leadership should consider getting rid of some of them. The CIB was established to recognize the UNIQUE sacrifices of the Infantry. Yes, times have changed but that does not mean that everyone who may be exposed to the perils of combat deserve a badge. If you want to look like Audie Murphy then join the Infantry or go SF. Otherwise, be content with knowing that you have served your country well.

Essayons,

An Engineer Soldier

[Unregistered]

I have to agree with the 11B there shouldn't be any kind of road medal or badge. Plus she recived a Bronze Star which I think the upper leadership has total takin the honor away from it, of thing i have read if you are E-7 or above, that goes for all officers you get the bronze star which is retarted.
Basicly what it has come down to is the upper leadership as found a way to pad the ribbion rack a little better and that is what they are doing. I think BC get something higher than the BS which by the way is what the Bronze Star is becoming is a Bull Shit award. Also the 11B is right most people sign up for truck driving to stay out of harms way, as for me i signed up to be a Combat Engineer, because i like to blow shit up. So i would like to say to all the ""Combat"" MOS out there drive on..... drive on

21B20

[Unregistered]

What about cooks who come under mortar or rpg fire. There should be a combat chef award. Perhaps a Chefs hat with a wreath and a V device. Where does it all end????

[Phil hoza]

Dear Responders and those that seem to have an interest,

Since I am the author of the article in regard to Road Warrior Medals, I find revisiting the responses that there seem to be many, well really two or three involved with their own service which may or may not be correct.

I still believe that those traveling the deadly roads and sand hills of Iraq deserve to be recognized. The military keeps so many records that they can tell where and when you took your last dump. They know your milage to and from and the time spent, how much you expended and who unfortunately were lost.

The military; Army, Marines have all pulled all in and are looking for more to do double and triple duty. In my opinion the rewarding of those serving with a little bit of pot medal on a ribbon is not unjustified. The medal and accomplishment is long past and will never mean anything to anyone than a form crew member, vet or family member. I can assure you it will never get you a better job in the civilian world.

Our leadership has gone in the opposite direction and have cut medals, VA benifits, hospitalization, and pension. Those that have not served are the fat cats making the bucks while those leaving the service after serving regular, reserve, national guard are left to scramble for themselve. Try going to a VA hospital and checking in.. You will find out how much your CIB is worth....

You can lay it on me, but there are many that agree that our soldiers are giving above and beyond anyone in our country and deserve to be recognized other than in the reports of those lost which reached 3,000 today. I guess the Purple Heart is the only recognition that our govenment accepts.

Phil Hoza

And the quote from my door gunner in RVN which means the most to me with with 62 Air Medals:

Hey Phil,
Nice article! Your right on the money about giving recognition where and when it is due.
You have a good message here, I hope it sinks in!

I appreciate the honorable use of my name in your letter.

Larry

[Phil Hoza]

Following the prior note placed on the Road Warrior Comment Board, I received the following from someone closer to the action and her response to the prior comments in the discussion group.

From my daughter who served in Iraq as a "On the road platoon leader" with the 660th Transportation Company, 2004\2005 running convoys hauling fuel from Camp Anaconda \ Balad to all the Marines stationed in the Sunni Triangle - Her comments unedited to stimulate discussion: Phil Hoza

Ok, the occassional mortar round (unless you're on LSAA - then there are mortars ALL the time) is one thing ... but when you are putting yourself in the direct line of attack - that's something completely different. What a moronic response - people like that irritate me!

It's one thing to get attacked every now and again, but if anyone would like me to look back at my logs and count how many hours, attacks, injuries, and deaths we had in my platoon alone - I'd be happy to. We slept outside on cots, in crappy housing (GP medium anyone?), or in the sun when it was 150+ degrees and we'd been re-routed because of a death or attack - cooks slept in their nice comfy beds every night.

We'd be on the road anywhere from 1-5 days - away from all creature comforts - if there were any "comforts" in Iraq 2004!

Good grief - can you tell this has gotten me fired up!?!

Must be my PTSD! ;-p

Second response after the Lt. cooled down,

Medals have gotten completely out of control yes, agreed. There were stupid rules and regulations when I was there. My soldiers could not receive a medal for an action or heroic effort they did throughout the tour (an Impact Award). Medals were only given at the end of the tour or upon a soldiers death and even then our higher command (13th COSCOM) only alloted a certain % for each company, so people deserving of an award didn't necessarily get one. I had soldiers jumping in 40 ton fuel tankers that were on fire trying to rescue soldiers and KBR Contract workers. This is beyond admirable. And while people should "be happy" knowing what they've done - that's just ignorant, because ANY soldier knows that medals give you promotion points - that's what makes them all that more worth while. A soldier risking his/her life for crap pay, should be offered every opportunity to gain a promotion with more pay! So while it is great to know what you've done - it's even better when someone else recognizes it.

I'd love to see how the people who wrote that would feel if their civilian jobs handled their career like that!

Just my opinion - had to share!

[ganiskj]

Mr Hoza, While I admire your loyalty to your veteran daughter and respect her service in doing a job that most people wouldn't do for a million dollars, you and your daughter both need to step back a moment and take a deep breath. First of all, she and I, and all veterans of this all volunteer military, aren't "most" people. If she didn't know it when she first signed her contract, she must have realized somewhere along in her training that soldiers have a dangerous job. It just goes with the territory. Further, and with all due respect for your service in Vietnam, awarding dozens and dozens of the same medal to one soldier is beyond ridiculous. How exactly does one wear 62 Air Medals? LT Hoza bemoans the fact that soldiers often don't receive the decorations they deserve? Its up to the soldier's leadership to advocate for the proper recognition. Higher headquarters downgrades or denies award recommendations? That's why they are called recommendations. The current system is unfair? Perhaps, and this is just a guess on my part, the current awards process is a result of a past system that seemed to distribute medals like water from a barrel. Like 62 awards of the same decoration to one man.

[The Universal Curmudgeon_guest]

The Bronze Star used to be a hard to get award, now some units hand them out like candy.

I hate to be cynical (oh suuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrre I do), but it is quite possible to "win" a Bronze Star without doing anything at all.

All you have to do is be a member of an allied military unit and get killed in a deliberate attack by some hot-shot ANG pilot (on active duty with the USAF) who doesn't have the faintest idea of where he is or what he is attacking and attacks in violation of a direct order not to do so.

[Phil Hoza]

From Phil Hoza 01/03/07

Good discussion leads to answers and comments from Cpt. Hoza and Larry in regard to how they earned it and what they earned.

It seems to me that there is a group of veterans opposed to the award of any decoration and willing to slog it out for good old Uncle Sam.

Heard today that the CEO of Home Depot was fired with a 210 million retirement package...Dah!!!

Research) Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Nardelli abruptly left the company after a year of heavy criticism of everything from his pay package to the underperforming retailer's corporate governance.
Nardelli, 58, will walk away with a severance package of about $210 million under terms of his employment. He and the company said in a release that his leaving was a "mutual decision," and Home Depot shares rose more than 2 percent.

And the soldiers are happy with what they get and angry with those that want improvements....PH

PS Lt Hoza, now Cpt. was called out of the last year of her total inactive reserve while working at Harley Davidson's engine plant to complete the remainder of her "Fine Print 8 year obligation" to be served in Iraq with a new unit needing Transportation Officers because there are none left....

[Phil Hoza]

And an instant reply to Cpt Young, I would assume.

Those emails don't "reply" or forward well, so I am just writing to you. I am sure that CPT Young has had some interesting tours in OIF I, III, & IV. The combat arms have special individual badges for themselves, why the heck can't Combat Service Support have theirs? I know plenty of Infantry people wearing CIBs (Combat Infantry Badges) and they didn't see half of what we saw. Medals have been diluted, but they're not being given to those that have earned it. We were not able to give impact awards and many of my soldiers were not properly recognized. CABs went to everyone - how more generic of a badge can you get? Transporters who dodged IEDs, 71 miles of landmines, and multiple ambushes ... I am almost certain that in my 12 months, I still saw a shit load more than CPT Young. It's not a competition of who saw what. It's a matter of recognizing the soldiers who do take the initiative to jump in that burning tanker with over 40 tons of fuel. It's the soldiers who desperately try to save the contract worker or their fellow soldier - that were not credited for shit because of the crappy medal system.

Just trying to give what's right to those who deserve it. You don't go out the wire over 200+ times and not feel a little irritated at the whole system.

Cpt. Hoza, Retired....

[The Universal Curmudgeon_guest]

Medals have been diluted, but they're not being given to those that have earned it.
Those are the two main problems.

If a "combat" decoration were only given to those who had actually been in combat - as opposed to those who had been in "hazardous situations" (or worse, been five miles back and commanding those who went into combat - I doubt that there would really be as much of a fuss being made.

(ASIDE - And if there was then those who were rightly entitled to a "combat" decoration would have a tendency to "sort out" those who weren't but were wearing one.)

I wouldn't have any problem with a "four tier" system. "Theatre" (or "Campaign" if you would), "Area of Operations" (thus leaving out those who are [for example] "serving" in Iraq from places like Dubai), "Area of Hazard" (thus leaving out almost anyone who doesn't get out of base camps), and "Combat" (thereby eliminating everyone who doesn't actually get "shot at" by someone with some reasonable chance of actually hitting whatever it is they are shooting at). Maybe what could happen is that the "Campaign" decoration could come in four grades

- Gold (Combat)
- Silver (Hazard)
- Bronze (Operations)
and
- Iron (Theatre)

to make only a slightly cynical suggestion.

That way everyone knows that the wearer has "beendere" as well as "dunwhut".

As far as other decorations, they should (IMNSHO) be divided into three classes:

- Valor
- Bravery
- Merit

and it wouldn't be completely out of line to have the three classes distinguished by different shapes. "Crosses" for Valor, "Stars" for Bravery, and "Round" for Merit. That way you would be able to tell, at a glance, that the person with a whole slew of round. black decorations on their chest had probably served very well in some rear echelon position while the person with one or two gold crosses on their chest had probably done something pretty brave at great risk to their own lives in order to save others.

On the other hand, since it would also provide a pretty simple way of differentiating a "realtrooper" from a "garritrooper" (don't blame me, blame Bill Mauldin) the odds on it happening are roughly nil.

:cheers:

[Unregistered]

I can not believe I am reading some of these replys to road warrior badges.
True! perhaps not a badge but a device. Some sort of recognition.
To steve of the infantry, You seem bitter! You have a CIB. Congraulations! So do I. I earned mine in Vietnam with the 101st Airborn Div, Whoops, Now I have a set of jump wings. Then I reinlisted and went to Helicopter maintenance school. Perhaps to get a cushey job as a crew chief with flight wings..( oh no, not flight wings) Viet nam duty again recognized me with 62 air medals some for combat hours,some for valor w/ V device. I had the misfortune of being in two chopper crashes. one was rushed by the VC Battalion we were persuing. We fought with them for what seems like hours but was finally rescued by the T-bird Gun ship Platoon who risked their lives exposing them selves to enmy fire at low tree top level taking many hits in there ships so we could be rescued. Didn't see the infantry leading the way though. Gee, that action only got me a bronz star and purple heart. Our pilots and crew members were decorated as well. I believe they deserved it!
One night our air field was under attac and while running to the flight line I was hit with sharpnel. Gosh, another purple heart.
Before leaving vietnam I received an Army Commendation metal for serving three consecutive tours. I am proud of all my metals, badges, devices, over seas combat bars and service stripes. As you should be proud of your CIB!
My point is that I feel that I earned at least these awards. You earned your CIB.
The troops in Irac have done their job. They continue to do their job. They too fight, get shot at, wounded, and some pay the untimate price.
Please do not belittle them. Embrase them. Salute them! Support them.
Because sir, with a CIB you are one of them. Like it or not, if you put them down, that does not say much for you. Combat sucks for sure but at least a little recognition is the least they could do.

Larry bulletproof336@comcast.net

[Unregistered]

Im tired of all this political correctness in the military is there not more to worry about than complaning that your job does not have an award or badge for you. soldiers are getting rediculous if you want to be an infantrymen than be one. I know women cant receive this but an award for driving around in iraq is sad and if you need something on a dress uniform to show off show them your campaign medal grow up and quit whinning about what other soldiers have and just do your job.

[Unregistered]

Everyone in theater is eligible for a combat action badge as long as they meet the critiera so whats the problem with that badge it was specially made for all other types of soliders because they felt left out because the infantry has the CIB but one question will there be an expert action badge and will any one want to go through all the crap to get it lets face it when you get out of the service your award are only jewlery that you never wear.

[Phil Hoza]

The Universal Curmudgeon response is great and it seems that he starts to appreciate the discussion and offers the first sensible insight into what our soldiers need for the support of their actions in all phases. I like that and thank him for the honest view.

Larry, my friend became very fired up about the lack of concern for those serving today and layed it all out. He is a straight up guy and a hero that was there and like all of our military did his duty above and beyond, except he was honored for his service, because our unit did the paperwork, remember three forms!!! Award, Narration and Discription, and it was well received by our command structure in RVN. I don't know anyone that "Hung it out", more than Larry as a huey door gunner with a free hand held M-60 \ 100 round box with no safety straps, that was Larry Mc Cune and all of the other T-Birds. I always wondered if Larry was the one that put the bullet holes in our rotor blade on a "Bat turn" at 50 feet coming around on some VC\NVA, Phil Hoza

But, unfortunately, I am sorry, Carrie, our daughter, the one and her troops the article is about, whose husband is now at Camp Speicher, Iraq with the Red Hats of the Air Force had his very good friend was just killed December 31 along with his 11 year old daughter driving through Flint Michigan at 12:30 PM by a drunk.

This tragidy as we learn more about it has thrown us all off track and brought us to the realitization that life and real things change very quickly and this discussion while very important is a sidelight to life in the real world.

Frank and his two daughters were headed to see his wife who flew ahead and family in Canada, they were hit, head on by a drunk driver in Flint, MI at 12:30 pm in the afternoon on the 27th or 31st. I found out about Frank on the 1st and just found out about Olivia today at 5pm. It's all very sad. It was all over the news in MI, but just made it here in IL.

Try www.wnem.com - search "crash" and it will pull up stories ... there's is the I-69 story from the 27th.

Article from Naperville and email from our friend Steve regarding the condition of Olivia their 11 year old.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/192464,6_1_NA31_CRASH_S1.article

wrote: She will be with Frank shortly and watch over Alex and Sandy from Heaven

To the friends of the Campanaros:

Olivia is not going to survive. Sandy has made arrangements with ?Gift Of Life? so that other children have the opportunity to live. The doctors will keep Olivia on life support until it is time to do the necessary surgeries. It is an agonizing but worthwhile wait for Sandy and Alex.

Alex continues to improve and will hopefully be out of the hospital by today. Her physical recovery has been amazing.

Please keep the Campanaros in your prayers.

Sorry for the downer, just another reason to think about our young soldiers serving around the world and our family and friends because everything changes very quickely.

Suddenly the discussion and worry about medal and proper recognition for others seems sort of sour..... Hopefully, someone realize that our soldiers need to be recognized and will carry the load.

Phil Hoza

[glory_gunner]

As I read the following messages on this topic, I never realized that the new generation of soldiers and being rewarded for mediocrity. Hell, soldiers now, don't press their uniforms or shine their boots anymore like the old timers like us did. God forbid us senior NCO's try to discipline some substandard prima donna for fear that he will go to his congressman or cry to mom and dad that he got yelled at for not following instructions. We might as well give them badges for tying their shoes, putting their pants on and eating their chow within a half hour time frame.

[Unregistered]

Lets not only do this but lets make new awards for being on time for PT formation and for every MOS that ever gets mortared or fired on. We are already out of control with medals and badges

[Unregistered]

Another interesting aspect of the current military penchant for (almost) automatic medals for serving in Iraq, my son (an MP corporal) in Baghdad told me several weeks ago that his unit had already submitted their end of tour award recommendations - just short of half-way through what is supposed to be a one year tour! I questioned him on how they could choose who would be getting medals with so much time left in their tour (and with lots of action left to face). He said they were directed to turn them in early because of the length of time it takes to process them, so they could be pinned on right at the end of their tour of duty. Huh? How about actually seeing what people do in their entire tour (except for impact awards, of course), then process/award the appropriate medal?

Cold War Vet (still waiting for that Cold War Victory Medal!)

[Unregistered]

Just so you know, im not doging any other mos... I am Infantry, and I signed up for combat...Not bitter at all, I still love my job, and im going back to Iraq in one month, so bitter no, proud yes... The CAB is for non-infantrymen, who are in combat in iraq and afghanistan... Be happy that they have anything! I am happy with my CIB, but to make a special awars for every MOS that enters combat would be stupid, and make all of them worthless.. I could actually care less about EARNING my CIB, or the combat badge. I signed up to do a job, and that is to protect the United States of America against ALL enemies foreign and domestic, not to earn silly badges to show that I went to Iraq.. Quit doing stuff for medals, and do it for your country!!!
Stephen
INFANTRY STILL LEADS THE WAY!! (And always will.....)

[Blakjak572]

Why is it that every time a SOLDIER gets shot at they think they deserve a special class of badge for it. Oh, I know why it's because they go into the recuiter's office and request a job that won't put them in harm's way. Here is some news..you're supposed to get shot at, that's your job. That's why you're trained in combat. Infantry, which I am, knows their job is to close with and destroy the enemy. That's their sole mission and they train at it. Not too many people are drawn to this caveat of military service, that's why the Army created the CIB. All other MOS's are trained to do their job while under fire. If you want all the combat bling bling, reclass Infantry, there's always an Incall. Next thing you know there will be a combat FOB badge and a "I was wearing boots under fire" badge and a "I got shot at on my day off" badge. This is not a vide game where you get promoted after every battle.

[Unregistered]

What next? A medal for breathing the Baghdad air? I travelled through Sadr City and 9 Nissan, the Green Zone, Downtown Baghdad and Baghdad Airport and so what? I encountered more problems and concerns on the Cross-Bronx Expressway and the Belt Parkway. Enough with the medals (and tabs) already...Army Soldiers are starting to look like Christmas trees or worse, Air Force personnel.

[Unregistered]

As I read the following messages on this topic, I never realized that the new generation of soldiers and being rewarded for mediocrity. Hell, soldiers now, don't press their uniforms or shine their boots anymore like the old timers like us did. God forbid us senior NCO's try to discipline some substandard prima donna for fear that he will go to his congressman or cry to mom and dad that he got yelled at for not following instructions. We might as well give them badges for tying their shoes, putting their pants on and eating their chow within a half hour time frame.

Sir,
you may be just a bit out of touch with today's Army. I would invite you to attempt to press a pair of ACU's and aply some kiwi shine to the Desert Sand boots. I would be interested to see the reaction of your command when you arrived.
WWII vets said Vietnam era soldiers were not trained as well and now you are doing the same to today's military. Without taking any respect away from Vietnam vets (my father was killed there) many soldiers of that era did a one year tour. The draft was a major cause of that, many soldiers today are on their 4th one year deployment to the same AO, still think they are not so tough as "you old timers"?
As for a new badge/medal for those drivers who valiantly serve, I do not see it as a benefit for either the individual soldier or the Army. Where would it end? The CIB was created for Infantrymen who consistently went looking for the dangerous situations, other soldiers will fight and will fight well when confronted with violence, though they are not intentionally looking for it.
To assign a medal for each MOS who encounters the violence that defines warfare would in effect dilute the pride and sacrifice of the service of todays serviceman.
I look around me on a daily basis and am so proud of what I see, men and women who intentionally put themselves in dangerous situations because of their love for America. God bless you all.
To the gentleman who I responded to, sir your words do nothing but hurt the young who are serving today. Perhaps you might remember how the military felt when criticized in your time. Please, for the benefit of this proud and beautiful nation do not degrade the servicemen of today in an attempt to make your generation seem that much tougher.
A half of one percent of Americans today have served, should that not be enough to know to say that those who have ever served are tougher than 99.5% of America?

[Unregistered]

How do you "win" a BSM? I don't think it is a contest. You "receive" a BSM for your actions. Get it right!!!


I hate to be cynical (oh suuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrre I do), but it is quite possible to "win" a Bronze Star without doing anything at all.

All you have to do is be a member of an allied military unit and get killed in a deliberate attack by some hot-shot ANG pilot (on active duty with the USAF) who doesn't have the faintest idea of where he is or what he is attacking and attacks in violation of a direct order not to do so.

[Unregistered]

Yeah, I remember rolling with the 660th. I am Air Force and we were some of the first ever Air Force gun trucks to do the ARMY's job. The 660th was not our favorite unit to roll with. They had some of the most "incidents" of all the units at LSAA.

Following the prior note placed on the Road Warrior Comment Board, I received the following from someone closer to the action and her response to the prior comments in the discussion group.

From my daughter who served in Iraq as a "On the road platoon leader" with the 660th Transportation Company, 2004\2005 running convoys hauling fuel from Camp Anaconda \ Balad to all the Marines stationed in the Sunni Triangle - Her comments unedited to stimulate discussion: Phil Hoza

Ok, the occassional mortar round (unless you're on LSAA - then there are mortars ALL the time) is one thing ... but when you are putting yourself in the direct line of attack - that's something completely different. What a moronic response - people like that irritate me!

It's one thing to get attacked every now and again, but if anyone would like me to look back at my logs and count how many hours, attacks, injuries, and deaths we had in my platoon alone - I'd be happy to. We slept outside on cots, in crappy housing (GP medium anyone?), or in the sun when it was 150+ degrees and we'd been re-routed because of a death or attack - cooks slept in their nice comfy beds every night.

We'd be on the road anywhere from 1-5 days - away from all creature comforts - if there were any "comforts" in Iraq 2004!

Good grief - can you tell this has gotten me fired up!?!

Must be my PTSD! ;-p

Second response after the Lt. cooled down,

Medals have gotten completely out of control yes, agreed. There were stupid rules and regulations when I was there. My soldiers could not receive a medal for an action or heroic effort they did throughout the tour (an Impact Award). Medals were only given at the end of the tour or upon a soldiers death and even then our higher command (13th COSCOM) only alloted a certain % for each company, so people deserving of an award didn't necessarily get one. I had soldiers jumping in 40 ton fuel tankers that were on fire trying to rescue soldiers and KBR Contract workers. This is beyond admirable. And while people should "be happy" knowing what they've done - that's just ignorant, because ANY soldier knows that medals give you promotion points - that's what makes them all that more worth while. A soldier risking his/her life for crap pay, should be offered every opportunity to gain a promotion with more pay! So while it is great to know what you've done - it's even better when someone else recognizes it.

I'd love to see how the people who wrote that would feel if their civilian jobs handled their career like that!

Just my opinion - had to share!

[poohbear7608@yahoo.com]

To the gentleman from the Air Force you and the 660th and the 724th were all FNG's at one time and scared the hell out of us several times but you all turned out outstanding and would like to thank all of you for keeping us alive and safe, and in regards to the 11B I understand all to well even thou I havent earned the right to were the wreath around my EIB i understand but i was with Capt Hoza and her platoon and the other platoons from her company and the other companies who escorted us thru Iraq and they are deserving of recognition. I dont pretend to have the answer as to what decorations and or badges are in order however when you are strapped into a tank truck loaded with thousands of gallons of fuel with no armor to speak of and unarmed with kilometer upon kilometer of insurgents trying to make a fourth of July fireworks display out of you then maybe you will understand the kind of job these truck companies did. Unfortunatly i dont have time or space to go into detail but i will always be appreciative of there dedication and my hide still being intact.

P.S. M*****G**** Thanks again and Regards and please pass my regards to the rest of the company PoohBear

[itsjustjack]

How do you go about finding out if someone won a purple heart. I have someone claiming they won a purple heart and was a POW in Kosovo. This guy has said he won a purple heart for being a POW, and then told someone else he was shot in the leg in combat and won a purple heart, and told another that he saved a life on the battlefield and won a purple heart. There is many more non military lies, which makes me believe he is taking credit for something he hasn't done, which steals the glory for every person who has served this country and won a medal the correct way. PLS email me at jsmith989@aol.com if you can help.

[itsjustjack]

Please help