Uggghh. One of my least favorite topics. After pulling 10 mos in Bosnia as a Dept/Section NCOIC (E7 billet), I didn't get the MSM the rest of my peers did, 'cos I was only an E5. After writing up a newly promoted E4 for a Joint Service Commendation medal she'd earned, doing an O4's job in a very austere central African shithole, SOCEUR downgraded it to a JSAM due to her rank. WTF? I get a JSCOM for just doing my damned job as an E7, while she gets a lesser award for gettin' shit done at a level WAY above her pay grade? As a E3, I was on the rifle team that swept the Post Commander's Cup (Ft Sill, '89). As the only non-NCO on the team I was given a BC's coin & a certificate of appreciation, vs. the other guys' AAMs & ARCOMs. I threw both in the waste basket at the CQ desk on my way out the door, after the awards ceremony.
Would you believe I was awarded the HSM for pulling grass out of the cracks in the sidewalks in the Anzio Acres housing area on Bragg, while Dependa's sat on the porch & watched us? I'm a little ambivalent about the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Bosnia '97/'98. I reckon it had the potential to go sideways, but never did while I was there, but my 2nd NATO medal because I worked a couple Saturdays on Bragg, supporting an information campaign for the 'air war' in Kosovo? C'mon. As I was retiring in '08, my 1SG tosses me a DA 638 & tells me to write up my retirement MSM. Swear to God, I almost told him to stick his award up his ass.
I retired with a rack that'd be the envy of any central American dictator, but I was never so embarrassed in my life as when (at my great grandmother's funeral- I was a pall bearer & had worn my Class A's) my grandpa asked what all those ribbons were for. Mind you, he's a WW2 & Korea vet, from back when you got a campaign ribbon at the end of the war, a Purple Heart if you got shot & a Bronze or Silver Star meant you'd had a very, very bad day. Had to explain to him that one was for finishing Basic & one 'cos there was a war going on, but I didn't go & one for not getting in trouble for 3 years in a row, one for being stationed in Germany, one 'cos I had to go to a 30 day leadership course when I got promoted to Sergeant, etc. I hated it. Stack so high, my wings & flash were practically under my left epaulet, as I couldn't wear it on the breast pocket flap beside my marksmanship badge, 'cos I had to wear the frigging Driver's badge (wheeled- for not crashing an ambulance for 3 years) I'd been awarded & there wasn't enough frigging room.
It looked cool, but was a glittering PITA to keep up with & with the (then) current awards 'system', most awards meant little to nothing to many that received them for silly, bullshit reasons after seeing their awards downgraded over rank or seing higher ups get 'cool' awards for showing up & doing nothing more than their damned job (& sometimes not even that). Cheese eaters & ticket punchers drooled all over the fruit salad, but it was all ultimately so meaningless & stupid that I wanted nothing to do with it.