US Dept Defense Announces Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal

[IrishGunner]

Let the debate begin.  I think it looks like a commemorative medal vice a campaign medal.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/708442/department-of-defense-publishes-inherent-resolve-campaign-medal-guidance

[Chris Liontas]

"inherent resolve medal"??  Yay!  Next we need I laced my boots right medal!!  :-p 

 

 

[IrishGunner]

Yea, Chris, this really is the first US medal that I thought was totally unnecessary and completely "cheap" looking.  Of course, this is the artist concept, actual medals haven't been produced yet.  But I thought the GWOT Expeditionary Medal, which was already authorized for this campaign, was sufficient.

[Chris Liontas]

Sorry if I sounded bad, was having a rough day.  But honestly for discussion, I agree, I thought the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal would accomplish the same thing.  I appears you can give your GWoT medal in for this medal if you want.  Does it give you more promotion points?  I just fail to see the reason for this medal

 

Does everyone serving still get a National Service Defense Medal?

 

 I just still laugh when I see my class A's compared to my Dad's (WWII/Korea/Vietnam)  He has two rows of medals/ribbons and I looked like a Red Army General. So many unnecessary ribbons.

 

   I'm just waiting for someone to get offended by the stabbing of the scorpion motif.  "As you saying Islam is a scorpion??"  Soon US medals will only be allowed to have Barny or Big Bird as to not offend.

[JBFloyd]

We've gone stark-raving mad on medals.  It seems we create campaign/service medals before any campaign/service begins.  

Stop the madness!

[peter monahan]

As a 'Born in the USA', raised in Canada dual citizen with no military service in either country, I'm staying right outta this debate! 

[Hugh]

Thought you might like to see the Washington Post writeup.  I agree with Chris, Jeff and the Gunner - wretched excess.

Hugh

 

New medal for campaign against ISIS features armored hand stabbing a scorpion

 

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By Thomas Gibbons-Neff March 30

(Courtesy of the Pentagon)

A new medal for service members fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was announced by the Pentagon on Wednesday.

The Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, authorized in an executive order by President Obama, joins a growing list of decorations created for the wars and operations that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

[Music videos and mortars: What the frontline near the ISIS stronghold of Mosul looks like]

To qualify for the award, a service member “must have been present in Iraq, Syria, or the contiguous waters or airspace of either country, on or after June 15, 2014, for a period of 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days,” according to a Pentagon statement. “Service members who were killed or were medically evacuated due to wounds or injuries immediately qualify for the award, as do members who engaged in combat.”

Before the announcement of the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, troops fighting in Iraq and Syria earned the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, which is not to be confused with the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Troops deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, but not stationed in Iraq or Syria, will earn the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

The front side of the new medal features an image of a sword piercing a scorpion — probably a stand-in for the Islamic State. The display of such martial imagery is somewhat ironic, as the Pentagon has often gone out of its way to play down U.S. involvement in combat operations, insisting that U.S. forces are relegated to training and advising local allies and attacking targets from the air.

The reverse side of the medal has an eagle perched atop a banner that says, “For service.”

The hand clutching the sword appears to be wearing armor, and the sword itself is a variant of one commonly used in earlier U.S. military insignias. Known as the Sword of Liberation, the blade is prominently displayed in the emblem of U.S. Army Europe — although in the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, the sword is more of a dagger and the hilt is slightly altered.

Compare this to the last medal awarded for operations in Iraq: the Iraqi Campaign Medal. Authorized in 2004, the medal features an outline of Iraq on one side and two curved Iraqi scimitars on the other along with the words “For Service in Iraq.”

 

[This is the patch you’ll get for fighting the Islamic State]

It is unclear why the hand is wearing what appears to be medieval armor. Imagery of that sort could be construed to imply religious zealotry — insignia and call signs that invoke armor-clad crusaders have embroiled the U.S. military in controversy before. Last year, two Army units were criticized for using crusader names, shields and imagery in their unit logos.

The Islamic State and other terrorist groups, however, have never shied away from calling their enemies in the West crusaders. The Islamic State said terrorist attacks in Paris in November were in response to a French “crusader campaign” in Iraq and Syria,” while Osama Bin Laden’s initial declaration of war against the United States also used the term.

[TacHel]

Kinda odd in a way...  The Expeditionary medals from the different services would've fit the bill...  Even a NATO non article 5...

[Megan]

Are the US trying to catch up with the plethora of Russian Federation awards?

[TacHel]

15 hours ago, Megan said:

Are the US trying to catch up with the plethora of Russian Federation awards?

The Russian Defense MInistry already has them beaten 3+ to 1...

[Megan]

Yep, they are completely insane!!!

[TacHel]

Well for what it's worth, here's one.  Now to move 90 some other medals down one peg in my USA frame...

[Megan]

Thanks for that... where does it go in the order of precedence?

[TacHel]

On 7/27/2016 at 08:01, Megan said:

Thanks for that... where does it go in the order of precedence?

The Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal should be worn after the Iraq Campaign Medal and before other campaign medals related to the Global War on Terrorism, such as the GWOTEM and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

[Megan]

Thank you!

[Chris Boonzaier]

The "Inherent Resolve" campaign medal is for which branch of service?

I read the Engineering/construction corps troops are getting the "Ardent Erection" campaign Medal, The Civilian affairs/Propoganda units the "Inscrutable Nuance" campaign Medal, the accounting department the "Infinite Logarithm" campaign medal, The infantry the "Onerous Burden" Campaign medal ....

who thinks up these names???

 

[JBFloyd]

Chris is now on the short list for joining the Committee On Naming For United States Excursions (CONFUSE).  Some of these things get out of hand, especially when used outside of military channels.  Military folks get used to these code names and nicknames, so they think of them as normal.  

There is actually a website that lays out the basic structure of the US system (http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/codenames.html).  I was at the meeting where some planned operations were first discussed.  It's amazing how time was spent getting a code name that hasn't been used before, has the right number of letters, doesn't have a secondary meaning, isn't translated into the local language with odd results, and meets the general's personal whims. 

With all that said, the term "Inherent Resolve" is lipstick on a pig.

[ostprussenmann_new]

Go to Medals of America Website and go to "Rack Builder" and you can see the authorized order of precedence.