Dave Danner

Supply seems as much a factor than demand. The more common ones are generally cheaper, and the more common ones tend to be from the larger states. Some WW1 award numbers: Bavaria: Milit?rverdienstorden 4. Klasse mit Schwertern: approx. 24,000 Bavaria: Milit?rverdienstkreuz 3. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern: approx. 73,000 Bavaria: Milit?rverdienstkreuz 3. Klasse mit Schwertern: approx. 290,000 Saxony: Albrechtsorden Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern: 11,099 Saxony: Silberne Milit?r-St. Heinrich-Medaille: approx. 8,300 Saxony: Silberne Friedrich-August-Medaille: unknown but relatively common Saxony: Bronzene Friedrich-August-Medaille: unknown but relatively common W?rttemberg: Friedrichsorden Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern: 5,111 W?rttemberg: Silberne Milit?rverdienstmedaille: 201,412 Baden: Orden des Z?hringer L?wen Ritterkreuz 2. Kl. mit Schwertern: 6,367 (Volle) Baden: Silberne Verdienstmedaille am Bande des Milit?rischen Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstordens: approx. 170,000 Hesse: Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen "F?r Tapferkeit": approx. 150,000 Oldenburg: Friedrich August-Kreuz 2. Klasse: approx. 63,000 on combatant's ribbon Hamburg: Hanseatenkreuz: approx. 50,000 Bremen: Hanseatenkreuz: approx. 20,000

I am not sure what the source of your article is, but it is not recent, as the anecdote about a Guardsman asking Secretary Rumsfeld about HMMWV up-armoring shows. As of February 3, 2007, Army casualties in Iraq were as follows: Army: 1,291 hostile deaths; 303 non-hostile deaths, 10,878 WIAs. Army Reserve: 79 hostile deaths; 33 non-hostile deaths, 981 WIAs. National Guard: 306 hostile deaths; 101 non-hostile deaths, 3,270 WIAs. As for the reason for the discrepancy between OIF and other conflicts, the first article glossed over and merely alluded to the simplest reason: unlike the prior conflicts the article cites - Vietnam and Desert Storm - OIF has involved heavily National Guard combat units. Few Guard units were sent to Vietnam, and in Desert Storm, the overwhelming majority of Guard and Reserve units deployed were support units. The brunt of the fighting was by regular units. Your second post at least alludes to that, but doesn't really analyze it. I don't know about non-divisional units, but during World War II, Army divisions suffered 138,262 combat deaths. This was 58.8% of all Army combat deaths. The Army Air Force suffered 40,061 combat deaths, or 17.06%. Most of the other combat casualties were to non-divisional units directly supporting divisions, such as tank destroyer battalions, etc. National Guard divisions suffered 39,483 of these combat deaths, which was more than were suffered by regular Army divisions. The rest of divisional deaths were suffered by Organized Reserve divisions, which made up the majority of WW2 divisions. Also, the Army's overall death rate was one for every 35 soldiers, and the battle death rate was one for every 48. As for World War I, divisions took an even higher percentage of casualties, given the nature of the war. Divisions took 94% of all battle deaths. National Guard divisions suffered 18,233 battle deaths, or 39% of all divisions, and 36% of all battle deaths. Still, the highest casualty rates were suffered by the first three regular divisions, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions. These three divisions alone took 24% of all deaths in World War I. If you choose as a baseline Vietnam and Desert Storm, conflicts where the Guard's role was minor, you will get a misleading perception. Similarly, if you tried to compare the low rate of reserve deaths to World War II, where the reserve was the majority of forces, you get another skewered perception.

These are organized thematically, rather than by overall precedence. Most don't appear to be decorations in the conventional sense, but ribbons for holding various commands, completing various schools, etc. "Başarı Şerit Rozetleri" means "achievement ribbons". Most of these seem to be schools and types of services. "Komutanlık Şerit Rozetleri" means "command ribbons". They range from Chief of the General Staff down to brigade command. "Alay, Tabur, B?l?k Komutanlığı" means "regimental, battalion and squadron command". "Mesleki İhtisas Şerit Rozetleri" means "ribbon for professional skills/accomplishments." These, however, include service ribbons. The lone ribbon on the second row is the Combat Action Ribbon. The third row are the Korea, Cyprus and "new inventions" ribbons. The last is for inventing or improving weapons, equipment and the like. The next row are "educational membership ribbons" for doctors, docents and professors. The next row has the distinguished courage and sacrifice ribbons, which appear to differ from the medal in post #23. The next row is made up of navy command at sea ribbons. I think the last are chief navigator ribbons. At least I think that's what a Baş?ark?ı is. In looking over the Turkish Army website (which has the unfortunate acronym KKK, for Ground Forces Command) list of ribbons here, I see a bunch of ribbons not shown here, so they've either added more or this chart was incomplete. For instance, at #9 are "YURTDIŞI S?REKLİ G?REV ŞERİT ROZETİ" which are overseas service ribbons for assignment to NATO, UN or similar staffs.

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Like Lebanon (see that thread), Turkey also provides its military with day planners that have several pages on insignia and awards. Here are the pages from the Turkish version. Just ribbons, no pictures of the decorations themselves (though many of these awards are just ribbons and don't have a corresponding medal).

It certainly consumes all my time and energy. Why not a post or two? In following the precedence, keep in mind that Arabic reads from right to left. As you can see, the highest grades of the Order of Merit come first, followed by all the grades of the Order of the Cedar. Then come the regular grades of the Order of Merit. Then, similar to French precedence, the Military Medal and the War Medal (CdG equivalent) come next, followed by the Medal of Military Valor. Then come the Air Force and Navy orders. So I got that one wrong. Then the Wound Medal and the two commemorative medals from 1990 and 1991. The older campaign and commemorative medals aren't included since this is a guide for serving officers, not a reference book. The Medal of Competence is not present. I'm not sure why. As you can see from the photo of Gen. Sleiman, it is a military decoration. It is first on the third row and ranks ahead of the Medal of Military Valor. The last medal on his third row, after the Medal of Military Valor, is the Medal of 31 December 1961. On Sleiman's 2nd row, there is a medal with a device after the Military Medal and before the War Medal. I have no idea what that is. In the 4th row, #1 is the Medal of General Security and #2 is the Medal of State Security. I have no idea what the last one is. In the 5th row, they appear to be foreign. The blue-white-red of the first one is not exactly Arab colors. #2 might be the Syrian Order of Civil Merit. #3 might be the Military Service Medal from Kuwait, or it might not. In the 6th row, the 1st one, which looks like something blue with a dove on it, might be some sort of peace medal. The last two are the Medal of National Unity and the Medal of the Dawn of the South.

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I made a post earlier in this thread which seems to have disappeared. Lebanese officers are given daily planners by the Lebanese Army magazine Jaysh, which have in them a guide to insignia and decorations. The following are the pages on orders and medals from a mid-1990s version which came from a Lebanese officer I went to IOBC with.

After not finding a Ge?ling in the rank lists, I figured the vowels were just hard to read. I tried every other vowel combination - Ga?ling, G??ling, Gi?ling, Go?ling, G??ling, Gu?ling, G??ling. No luck. I searched the web.genealogie and lexikon-der-generale sites for Generale der Artillerie ending in "ling". Then I just started going down the Bavarian rank lists, hoping a name would jump out. After a few pages, like a brick to the head... oh yeah, "y" is a vowel too. By the way, that drawing is the same one that illustrates Gy?ling in Das Bayernbuch vom Weltkriege.

Gy?ling, not Ge?ling. Otto Ritter von Gy?ling. On mobilization, he was a Generalmajor in command of the 6. Feldartillerie-Brigade of the 6. bayerische Infanterie-Division. From 17 February 1915 to 17 April 1916, he commanded the 6. bayerische Infanterie-Division. He was replaced then due to illness by Genlt. z.D. Albert Koch. From 14 June 1917 to war's end, he was Inspekteur der Etappen-Inspektion der 6. Armee. He was promoted to Gen.d.Art. z.D. on 28 May 1918.

General Michel Sleiman, Commander in Chief of the Lebanese Army.

I don't really have a complete list, as it keeps changing as I decide maybe I should add a little more Bavarian here, Saxon there, etc. It just sucks you in. Jumping from page to page, these are the ones that jump out the most: Anhalt - any grade of the Order of Albert the Bear. Right now all I have is a Knight 2nd Class with Swords.Baden - Commander's Cross and Breast Star of the Milit?rischer Karl-Friedrich-VerdienstordenBaden - any more examples of the Verdienstmedaille des Milit?rischen Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstordens. Right now there are two there. One is a Franco-Prussian War type (FUR..., not F?R...) awarded to Uffz. Seraphin Landmann in February 1871. The other is a World War I type (I will add the obverse to show the difference when I update the Baden page) to either Uffz. Rudolf Krauth of IR 112 or Uffz. d.L. Jakob Krauth of LIR 23, both of whom were decorated in 1917. Other examples, especially if there are different engraving styles, would be nice.Baden - Small Golden Merit Medal on the statute ribbon and/or on the ribbon of the MKFVO, Friedrich II type. There were 1,418 awards on the statute ribbon and 395 on the MKFVO ribbon from 1907-1918, so they shouldn't be impossible to find, although obviously far less common than the Silver Merit Medal, which on the MKFVO ribbon was Baden's Iron Cross 2nd Class equivalent for enlisted men.Bavaria - Commander's Cross of the Milit?r-Max-Joseph-OrdenBavaria - Military Merit Order Cross 3rd Class with Swords. I think the example shown is a 4th Class cross which has been gilded.Bavaria - examples of the Milit?r-Sanit?ts-Orden. I had not previously covered it because of its rarity, but now that I've shown even rarer awards, that's not much of an excuse. Also maybe the Verdienstkreuz f?r freiwillige Krankenpflege.Hesse - Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen, "F?r Kriegsverdienste"Hohenzollern - Honor Cross 2nd Class with Swords, Silver Merit Cross with Swords, Silver Honor Medal with SwordsMecklenburg-Schwerin - examples of the Military Merit Cross from campaigns before 1914.Mecklenburg-Strelitz - its version of the House Order of the Wendish CrownMecklenburg-Strelitz - 1870-71 version of the Cross for Distinction in WarPrussia - Member's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of HohenzollernPrussia - 1870 Iron Cross First ClassReuss - Golden Merit Medal with Crown and SwordsSaxony - Merit Order/Civil Service Order - any grades not already illustratedSaxony - Albert Order Commander's Cross with SwordsSaxe-Weimar - White Falcon Golden Merit Cross with SwordsSaxon Duchies - Star of the Commander 1st Class with Swords of the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House OrderSaxe-Altenburg - Gold and Silver Merit Medals of the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House OrderSaxe-Altenburg - Duke Ernst Medal examples. I have a 1906-09 type with the prior duke, but no WW1 examplesSaxe-Meiningen - Gold and Silver Merit Medals of the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House OrderSchaumburg-Lippe - any classes of the House Order of the Honor CrossSchwarzburg - illustrations of the Oak Brooch (Eichenbruch).Waldeck - Merit Cross 4th Class with SwordsA nice little wish list for pics. An even nicer wish list to have the actual awards.

Last are commemorative medals. Medal of Palestine / M?daille de la Palestine / ميدالية فلسطين - for the 1948 war. Medal of 31 December 1961 / M?daille du 31 d?cembre 1961 / ميدالية 31 كانون الأول 1961- for those serving at the time of the failed coup by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. Medal of National Unity / M?daille de l?Unit? Nationale / وسام الوحدة الوطنية- awarded to all Lebanese military and internal security forces on active duty between 13-31 October 1990, when the Lebanese Civil War of 1975?90 was ended. Medal of the Dawn of the South / M?daille de l?Aube du Sud / وسام فجر الجنوب- for the redeployment of the Army in south Lebanon in July 1991.

These next few are civilian decorations which I would assume are roughly equivalent to the French merit orders which were later consolidated into the National Order of Merit. I don't have much information on them. Order of Public Instruction / Ordre de l'Instruction Publique /وسام المعرف - Established in 1930. Since this example is referred to as the Bronze version, I would guess there are other classes. Order of Merit in Public Health / Ordre du M?rite de la Sant? /وسام الإستحقاق الصحي Order of Agricultural Merit / Ordre du M?rite Agricole /وسام الإستحقاق الزراعي Labor Medal / M?daille du Travail /وسام العمل - This one is in gold, so again I assume there are other classes.

These next two decorations are for intelligence and internal security organizations. Medal of General Security / M?daille de la S?ret? G?n?rale / ميدالية الأمن العام- Established in 1975 by d?cret No.9538 du 28.1.1975. The General Directorate of General Security was established in 1921 as the Premier Bureau. It became the directorate in 1945 and was subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior. It became a General Directorate in 1959. It is an intelligence agency and an internal security force. Medal of State Security / M?daille de la S?curit? de l'Etat / ميدالية أمن الدولة- Established in 1994 by d?cret No. 5327 du 5.7.1994. The General Directorate of State Security was decreed in 1984 and established in 1985. It is primarily an intelligence and counterintelligence agency, but also does VIP protection. Both of these agencies have very broad and overlapping mandates.

Medal of Competence / M?daille de la Comp?tence / ميدالية الجدارة - Established in 1962 (d?cret No. 8610 du 29.1.1962). Jadara, the Arabic name, translates as worthiness or suitability, so the French and English versions with "compentence" might be softer than what is intended. My guess would be a general merit or good conduct-type medal. Medal of Military Valor / M?daille de la Valeur Militaire / وسام التقدير العسكري - Established in 1971 by the d?cret No. 1669 du 18.8.1971. Comes in two grades: silver for officers and bronze for NCOs and enlisted soldiers/sailors/airmen.

War Medal / M?daille de Guerre / الوسام الحربي - Established by the Law of 2 June 1948. As discussed above, probably analogous to the French Croix de Guerre. Military Medal / M?daille Militaire / الميدالية العسكرية - Also established by the Law of 2 June 1948. Probably analogous to the French M?daille Militaire. Medal for the War Wounded / M?daille des Bless?s de Guerre / وسام الجرحى - Also established by the Law of 2 June 1948. Analogous to the French M?daille des Bless?s.

I have an order of precedence at home, but I think the next would be the Navy and Air Force orders. The War Medal (the Croix de Guerre equivalent) and the Military Medal (the M?daille Militaire equivalent) have the same precedence as in France, after orders except in certain cases for the M?daille Militaire. Aviation Order/Medal of the Eagle / La m?daille de l?Aigle / وسام النسر للطيران The Aviation Order of the Eagle is sometimes called the Medal of the Eagle, since wisām is used for both terms. For some reason, the third word of the Arabic name, Tayarān ("Flying" or "Aviation"), is left off of the French and English names in official Lebanese sources. It was established by the 1959 Code of Decorations and comes in four classes: the Excellent Class and the 1st through 3rd Class. Excellent (ممتازة) Class: 3rd Class: Navy Medal/Order / M?daille de la Marine / الوسام البحري Established in 1974 (d?cret No. 6929 du 7.1.1974) in the same four classes as the Medal of the Eagle: Excellent, 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Excellent (ممتازة) Class: 3rd Class:

Officer: Chevalier:

National Order of the Cedar / Ordre national du c?dre / وسام الأرز الوطني According to the Lebanese government, it was created by a Law of 31.12.1936, so some discrepancy in dates in the sources. As with the Lebanese Order of Merit, currently regulated by the Code of Decorations of 1959. Like the French Legion of Honor, it comes in five grades: Grand Cordon, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight (or Chavalier): Grand Cordon: Grand Officer: Commander:

2nd Class: 3rd Class: 4th Class:

Lebanese Order of Merit / Ordre du m?rite libanais / وسام الإستحقاق اللبناني Created in 1922, as noted on Ed's site, and currently governed by the Code of Decorations of 12 June 1959 (d?cret-loi 122 du 12.6.1959). Comes in four regular classes and two special classes, the Extraordinary Grade and the Grand Cordon. Extraordinary Grade (الرتبة الاستثنائية): Grand Cordon (الوشاح الأكبر): 1st Class:

The War Medal, or M?daille de Guerre, or al-wisām al-Harbī (الوسام الحربي). I believe this is the Lebanese equivalent of the French Croix de Guerre, although no devices are authorized to indicate different levels of citation.

What I have: Don't ask me why someoen scratched "1000" on the back of the first.