Latest Middle East Campaign Medals

[Guest Darrell]

Here are (what I believe) are the latest US Government Issued Campaign Medals for the conflicts in the Middle East:

1. The Afghanistan Campaign Medal:

[Guest Darrell]

2. Iraq Campaign Medal:

[Bob Hunter]

I don't know...maybe it's the color. Bronze is very dull. A blackend white metal might have been a bit more dressy rather than something that looks stamped out by the bazillion. The troops deserve better.

We should follow the good example of our British cousins...check out a US medal bar against a UK medal bar. It's obvious.

[Guest Darrell]

Bob,

You are right. You wonder who is responsible for the design and approval of these? (Bush? Rumsfeld? Cheney?) ...

Edited July 7, 2005 by Darrell

[Bob Hunter]

Nothing quite so political as that. There is a bureaucracy already in place that sees to the design and procurement of such things. This is some civil servants notion of what is historically appropriate. I am quite certain the predominance of khaki in the ribbon colors represents sand, etc, etc.

[duarte1223]

You are quite correct, the tan represents the desert, but it also represents the tan BDUs our soldiers wear into combat, and the colors flanking the tan represent the iraqi flag.

Adam

[ehrentitle]

Most modern US medals are designed by The Institute of Heraldry (TIOH) at Fort Belvior, Virginia. Generally broad suggestions for the design are made by the Department of Defense (DoD) or the Army but TIOH is responsible for creating a design. sometimes several design choices, one of which is approved by senior officials.

TIOH designs and appoves all flags, streamers, and insignia....patches (Shoulder Sleeve Insignia), unit crests (Distinctive Unit Insignia) and badges for the Army. They also design insignia and flags for other services and government agencies. See their website at: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil It contains a wealth of information on current US Army insignia with color illustratons.

TIOH used to have a close relationship with the British College of Heraldry, several TIOH directors from the 1950s-1970s spent time with the College of Heraldry. Everything TIOH does is supposed to conform to heraldric rules, although I think they are much less strict than years ago, their primary interest now is customer satisfaction.

Yes I've heard many folks over the years complain about the decline in quality of production of US campaign medals. Cost may be an issue, for a campaign like Iraq, hundreds of thousands of these medals will have to be produced...by the lowest bidder. Still you are talking about spending millions for just one campaign medal. I for one would rather see DoD spending top dollar on armored vests rather than purple hearts.

Another factor may be the pressure to produce design in a very short period of time. The new Combat Action Badge, for example, was cranked out in less than 90 days. http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/badges/C...ActionBadge.htm

You still see higher quality in US decorations. I participated in a ceremony this week where a Legon of Merit was given to a retiring NCO and I had to marvel about the quality of that medal.

Speeking only for my experience in the Army, no one ever wears full size medals, except for when they are presented. Also a few ceremonial units like the Old Guard wear them. Generally the only thing worn is the ribbon bar on the class A, B and Blue Uniform or mini-medals on the mess dress uniform.

Ehrentitle

Edited July 9, 2005 by ehrentitle