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New Medal Designed To Honor Cyber Soldiers
bios10h writes "The Boston Globe writes that the Pentagon is creating a new medal to honor cyber soldiers. '[The] troops who launch the drone strikes and direct the cyber-attacks that can kill or disable an enemy may never set foot in the combat zone. Now their battlefield contributions may be recognized with the first new combat-related medal to be created in decades. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced Wednesday that the Pentagon is creating a medal that can be awarded to troops who have a direct impact on combat operations, but do it well away from any combat zone.'"
Does it start out bronze, silver, and then gold? And do you get a platinum one if you collect all of the other medals?
Isn't the whole point of medals to reward someone for putting their life on the line to protect their country?
I'm sure these drone pilots are doing a good job and all but I wonder how their life could possibly be on the line in a nice cushy bunker somewhere.
I suspect this medal may well end up being called a Clayton's medal, the medal you get when you're not getting a medal.
Captcha: evasion: something drone pilots don't have to worry about too much :-)
"... for those too chicken shit to face combat."
Like you?
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Seriously though, medals aren't just for combat. Many are simply for doing your job well. I guess not missing your target and killing kids by accident could be considered doing it well. This does seem to be fairly pointless though.
--Forest C. Adcock--
A nickel... (wait... this is the gov.) 10k for a medal. 90k for the party afterwards.
Wuddooeyeno? IITYWYBMAD? Like nuts? eclecticallyincorrect.com
Medal unlocked!
If you want to give out a medal for flying a drone, fine, I don't have a huge problem with it as long as you're great at it. What really irritates me and a lot of other service members is it's ranking in the 'order of precedence'. What I've read is it ranks above some combat medals, specifically the Bronze Star, which is really pissing off the 'boots on the ground' troops and I don't blame them for being mad.
Combat is about survival and winning. It doesn't matter if you use snipers, nukes, or hackers.
That being said the concept of combat is going to change. Currently cyber soldiers aren't viewed as a combat role but that is going to drastically change in the near future when the enemy begins targeting them directly. Right now it seems like it's not a combat role but people felt that way about the Airforce at first too. The nature of war is going to change and combat will change but anyone who kills or risks being killed for the US Constitution should have our respect.
Roger Waters - The bravery of being out of range
Are you now or have you ever been an infantry grunt? For that matter, a voluntary member of the any national armed forces? If not, kindly shut your fucking mouth. The underlying truth that people forget or overlook in their rush either disparge the military or suck its collective dick is that the military requires more than just bombs and bullets and warm bodies to fire guns. The military needs logistics personnel to ensure forward personnel get the neccesary beans, bullets, and band-aids. The military needs communications and digital infrastructure personnel to ensure someone doesn't pick up a transmission with a friggin' radio scanner. That includes, gasp!, cyberwarfare and communications Soliders! Drone pilots do more than bomb places, they provide surveillance so Joe Snuffy Rambo doesn't walk into a deathtrap and get slaughtered.
In summary, go fuck yourself you self-righteous prick.
The Christian Science Monitor had an interesting piece a while back on the stress of remotely participating in combat:
At the end of the day, these pilots get in their cars and drive home to their families, mow the lawn and make dinner, or take their children to soccer practice.
The result is an "existential conflict" in some UAV pilots, says Col. Hernando Ortega, surgeon for the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency. It is "a guilt feeling, perhaps – or a 'Did I make the right decision?' " he explains." 'Was this a friendly fire incident? Was it a good outcome? Was it a bad outcome? Could I have done it better?'"
It's obviously not comparable to driving a LAV in convoy wondering when the next IED is going to detonate. But it appears to be a much tougher job than many of us would think.
The Pentagon has posted a really interesting video, about the process that they use to manufacture these medals.
Contrary to popular notion, not all medals are awarded for bravery. As a matter of fact, relatively few are. Some are rewarded for merely being present in a particular theater of war or in a particular campaign; some are rewarded for skill or adroitness in combat. This would fall in the latter category I would think.
Isn't the whole point of medals to reward someone for putting their life on the line to protect their country?
That, sir, is un-American thinking. Those brave young men and women put their carpal tunnels on the line for you every day and they haven't even been granted a Purple Mouse in recognition.
Dreaming of the eMedal, you find an evildoers site, but the whois is Whois Privacy blocked.
Laundering the LEO request via a state agency you get the name back.
They had a higher security clearance than your boss...
Men in suits visit your cubicle demanding to know why their database was alerted...
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Sadly, you're right. People will see it as "Thank you for playing a video game," rather than "Thank you for serving your country." I see it the latter way. After all, a soldier is a soldier. I'm not sure about how the drone remote controls are designed, but in theory someone who ended up with a permanently handicapped leg or something like that (e.g. prosthetic leg because the real one got blown off) could still handle that. They can still serve their country. They can still fight. They may be too physically impaired to be on the field, but that doesn't mean they can't do something using a remote-controlled vehicle of some sort such as the drones. I don't like the drones any more than anybody else, but I know there can be a positive side to them. I doubt they'll be used in such a manner unfortunately, but that's how they might be used.
I have been a captive in America my entire life. Everybody and everything uses customary units instead of metric.
Why do we have soldiers fly drones anyway? I imagine gamers would do a MUCH better job with the drones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQLIaZUOnBU
Coming soon: the Unquestioning Obedience Citation, awarded for not caring about legalities like declaring war.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
a Purple Nurple would be more in order.
You deserve a medal for that post.
rewriting history since 2109
I served 6 years in the Air Force - no heroics, didn't dodge any bullets, but I did my job to the best of my ability. I left with a box full of of medals and citations that promptly went into the dumpster. Why? Because they were awarded every time I sneezed into a hanky and not into someone's face, for showing up to work on time sober...things that I was duty-bound to do anyway.
The military has joined the rest of American society in giving out awards for everything, for everyone, because we are all special.
If someone did a really good job, great - give them a pay bump or something. If someone did something truly exceptional, honor them by not giving the least competent slob in the unit the same award just because he bothered to show up two days in a row.
Left MS Windows for Linux Mint and never looked back!
Vote for Bernie in 2016!
When in the field, a soldier gets stressed out - sure, however they get to use much of the innate stress mechanisms humans and animals have of fight or flight.
When sitting behind a computer screen in an air conditioned office - much of the stress is still there however there is no mechanism for management.
Just ask an air traffic controller if they think their job is easy - now compound that by actually having to kill people.
Personally - I think these guys probably don't need medals, they probably need lots of counselling.
EMail: 0110001101100010010000000110001101110010 0110000101111010011011100110000101110010 0010111001100011011011110110
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...cyber soldiers get a chest full of lead!!
This sig is not paradoxical or ironic.
Having been an army volunteer I can assure, soldiers will look upon those who wear that badge with total and utter contempt. After hours in the boozer those known for that badge will likely have to face off against those that volunteered for front line combat units.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
Would that be like the chicken hawk award for all those politicians that assiduously avoided any form of combat and protected their own spawn with all sorts of religious and political lies but were all rah rah when it comes to sending other people to fight and die in wars, all support your military until they come back home wounded then it's cut back on medical and support services and pretend they don't end up homeless. I get it now, the setting up drone warfare positions for the spawn of politicians so they can claim combat experience when it's their turn to run for those hereditary corporate campaign dollar political positions.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
Everybody wins! Yaaaay!
Okay great, another metal for the military, but if your going to give people who kill in the name of there country a metal shouldn't you also reconize the people who kill for fun? A solder is a serial killer who gets away with it.
I recall reading that after the 'battle' for Greneda, more medals were handed out - including to military contractors - than were handed out for D-Day. Might have been BS, but it's always stuck with me.
Funny how all this fascist behaviour and bravery of being out of range is starting after most all the WWII vets have died.
It just shows how low the US can go.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/09/kroll-show-drones-video_n_2653407.html
Just look at the health warning at the back of your keyboard.
It's the "Chair Force Medal of Honor", isn't it?
I'd personally nominate the Purple Wrist medal for service personnel who got Carpal Wrist Syndrome in the course of duty.
The only part of the DOD that will see much growth the next fews after the midesat war drawdowns.
They typically come with a federal land grant. A six by six by three foot plot in whichever military cemetery has room.
ze The Silver, and Bronze medals are usually a bit less costly.
The problem with this medal is that is "outranks" the Bronze Star that the guy holding the LASER designator is probably going to deserve for being on scene in person while the "driver" and "shooter" are sitting in an air conditioned box a few thousand miles closer to safety.
While the grunt and his LASER gun are escaping and evading back to friendly territory the heroes at home will be picking up their dry cleaning, stopping by the IGA to grab some milk and bread for the wife and spending the evening in front of the TV with the family.
On a particular hard day them might even hoist a few at the club in celebration of a successful mission...
Don't misunderstand me... It's great that the techies and stationary pilots are being recognized... It just seems strange to make that recognition count more for promotions than actually being IN the war zone...
Kinda like giving achievement awards for the Very Best Video Game Ever!!!
Drop them in the forge...but there is a semi-random chance it will fail and you will have to collect the lower medals again.
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
Orange Juice and Gingerale, used to call it the designated driver's special. Good bars gave it to you free for being a designated driver.
Bad bars charged and you sometimes wondered if the orange juice was so old it had fermented!
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
Medals needing no combat or even real sacrifice:
Good Conduct Medal - Don't get article 15'd for 3 years? You're awarded it. - You can look it up.
Achievement medal - Do something great, or a series of good tasks. Normally for the lower enlisted/officer grades
Accommodation medal - Supposed to be for even greater things than the achievement, in practice is simply more for senior NCOs and midrank officers.
The purple heart at least acknowledges your sacrifice; you managed to make it into a combat zone and close enough that you experienced enemy action. Some states use it to grant extra benefits. For example, in my area you'd get a deduction on your property taxes.
I don't read AC A human right
will have a picture of a bench in the back.
who prays for Satan? Who in 18 centuries has had the humanity to pray for the 1 sinner that needed it most? ~Mark Twain
Because all the families of the innocents slain fucking hate you, and your country, and all that drone killings represent. I mean seriously, congratulations: you ran some software someone else made, and you followed orders from someone else to drop a bomb on something you didn't personally go to. Thanks a lot?
That's ok.
They were all bad.
The government said so.
More Twoson than Cupertino
Oh yes. They need a medal. Because it is so dangerous for them sitting in front of a screen thousands of miles away from the conflict. How brave.
There are already medals commemorating exceptional work that is not necessarily dangerous. This is unnecessary.
And yes, I am a veteran.
Proverbs 21:19
No. The point of military medals, generally, is to recognize notable (for a wide range of definitions of "notable") service. Some medals are specifically about putting one's life on the line, some are not.
Quite frequently, there is a distinction between those that can be awarded for combat service and those that can be awarded for non-combat service; there are two aspects that typically distingish the former: direct and immediate combat impact, and personal risk in the theater of combat. (There's also some for non-combat service in a combat theater.) Adding a reasonably high-level award specifically for service that involves direct and immediate combat impact that is performed from a location remote from combat makes perfect sense (well, inasmuch as the rest of the system of distinctions between military awards does, in any case.)
That's certainly understandable, though its perhaps worth noting that there are already non-valor medals that rank above the Bronze Star; the Silver Star has been, for a very long time, the lowest ranking medal for valor which has no medals above it which are not also for valor.
If you look at the new Distinguished Warfare Medal as a step down from the Distinguished Flying Cross issued as an acheivement rather than valor award (as all services except the Army use the DFC without the "v" device), it makes some sense (and, unlike the acheivement version of the DFC which it ranks below, the DWM is restricted to award for acheivement that has a direct impact on combat or military operations.)
And yet, here you sit. Free.
Double Tap that.
They used to give these thinks for RISK and BRAVERY.
Now, they are scorecards, for remotely blasting ambulances.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
You know, despite the fact that my draft lottery number put me last in line to be drafted and I joined the USAF anyway, I always felt that "veteran" didn't really apply to me, despite that stupid little ribbon, until a few years ago when I started drinking in a bar in the rough part of town where a lot of veterans drink. One fellow was an Army ranger, one a Navy seal, several had various medals, one guy had two purple hearts and a silver star.
One Veteran's Day there one of them asked me "were you in the service?"
"Yeah," I said. "Air Force."
"What did you do?"
"I hauled ground equipment to the aircraft."
"Where were you stationed?"
"Utapao, Thailand."
He stuck out his hand and said "I want to thank you. If you weren't hauling that equipment to the planes they wouldn't have flown. Those planes saved my goddamned life. You're a fucking hero!"
I feel a lot better about my time in the service now, and I seriously doubt you have ever seen combat. Because you don't sound ANYTHING like any combat vet I've ever met.
What's next? A 'Shit River' combat mission award.
http://www.timjacobs.com/images/Philippines/Subic%20City/Shit%20River%20Patch%20Big.jpg
In GOD we trust, all others we monitor.
I suggest a medal in the shape of a robot chicken, preferably enameled with yellow.
In a serious war, there will be no satellites. They go bye-bye in a matter of minutes. There will be no GPS. There will be no drone video feeds. There will be no drone data links.
It is so comforting and innocent to imagine that world wars are a thing of the past, merely a part of distant history. Those who are unprepared will be the losers.
I cannot think of a worthier response than - Fuck off you stupid fucking Seppo.
The new right fascists are bilingual. They speak English and Bullshit.