Military medal database - What's next?

[hornadylnl]

Pentagon to set up database for military medals - U.S. News

 

[atvdave]

and how much of our tax money go's to this???

 

[hornadylnl]

and how much of our tax money go's to this???

The article says $250,000 but I highly doubt that's all it would cost. I wonder if the database will actually post the citations for the medals and if they will include gimme awards. I had 9 ribbons, none of which had any significance other than service awards or being in the right place at the right time.

 

[pudly]

Seems like a perfectly reasonable solution to the "stolen valor" problem. Wouldn't be a very complex tool to put together and would go a long way towards eliminating false claims of winning military medals. Why the objections?

 

[hornadylnl]

Seems like a perfectly reasonable solution to the "stolen valor" problem. Wouldn't be a very complex tool to put together and would go a long way towards eliminating false claims of winning military medals. Why the objections?

Why don't they just post my entire service record?

ETA: The awards section on a DD214 is about as reliable as a fake service member's claims. Some units will give awards for nothing while others won't give awards for real achievements.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Seems to me this is a good idea. I am more surprised they don't at least have an excel spreadsheet or something already with who all has been awarded various honors.

 

[hornadylnl]

Here's my scientific approach to determining the validity of military awards. If someone is telling me unsolicited about their awards to gain accolades or money, they're a phony. That costs me nothing.

 

[atvdave]

We all ready have our DD214's... why wast any more of OUR tax money?

If you don't believe someones service, ask to see their DD214.. If no DD214... No service...

 

[pudly]

Why don't they just post my entire service record?

ETA: The awards section on a DD214 is about as reliable as a fake service member's claims. Some units will give awards for nothing while others won't give awards for real achievements.

So your objections are on privacy grounds? I can also see that objection if some citations indicate covert activities. An opt-in/opt-out setup could handle that problem, allowing you to restrict access to the public if you don't want it.

Poor record keeping is the bane of any database: garbage in = garbage out.

 

[hornadylnl]

We make fun of those scammed by the Obama utility bill deal but want to protect those scammed by fake vets. If anyone is using their service, real or not, to entice anything out of me, they've lost me. It pisses me off when salesmen or businesses use service as a selling point.

 

[hornadylnl]

So your objections are on privacy grounds? I can also see that objection if some citations indicate covert activities. An opt-in/opt-out setup could handle that problem, allowing you to restrict access to the public if you don't want it.

Poor record keeping is the bane of any database: garbage in = garbage out.

There's nothing in my service record that I want to hide. I just don't think it's anybodies business.

What good is the database when one unit would give a meritorious service medal for a particular action and wouldn't warrant a certificate of achievement in another unit? It just reeks of more feel goodism. As with anything, caveat emptor.

 

[pudly]

I can sympathize with that. I'm big on privacy, so that's why I mentioned opt-in/opt-out. Not sure why uneven medal distribution is much of a problem. The intent is to simply allow verification that various awards are in fact owned by the person. Are you concerned some people will use it to claim they are somehow better than others because of their medal count?

I see this as (roughly) analogous to being able to call a college and verify that someone actually received a degree there- useful for preventing credential fraud.

BTW- I did not serve in the military, so I'm not familiar with DD214s and these details. These questions are not intended as attacks. I'm really trying to understand your objections.

 

[atvdave]

BTW- I did not serve in the military, so I'm not familiar with DD214s and these details. These questions are not intended as attacks. I'm really trying to understand your objections.

A DD214 is "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty",

Every past service member has one on file with the gov. and should have been given one at discharge from service.. Here's a link..

DD Form 214 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lot's on info on a DD214..

 

[Rookie]

The article says $250,000 but I highly doubt that's all it would cost. I wonder if the database will actually post the citations for the medals and if they will include gimme awards. I had 9 ribbons, none of which had any significance other than service awards or being in the right place at the right time.

I agree. I was part of a base closure and they were handing out medals like they were going out of style. I got one for some silly reason (wasn't even directly involved) and it means so much to me that I couldn't even tell you what it was or where my medal is, but I got a medal!

 

[Fletch]

It sounds like a waste of time and money to fix a non-problem. In other words, a perfect job for the government.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Until I came off my last AD tour, I had no idea what medals and citations I had accumulated. The nature of some awards (especially longevity awards and such in the Guard) makes it difficult to keep track, even if one is sufficiently interested in one's career to do so. With the advent of electronic recordkeeping, HR Command has become somewhat better at tracking awards, but they still rely on the individual to ensure their information is accurate.

Having said all that, I suspect the cost of developing and maintaining a "medal database" would be mainly an internal cost to the military as the pieces and persons necessary to create and maintain such a database are already in place for other purposes. While I understand the NOYB attitude of some individuals, it's not like most medals awarded are done in the dark; recommendations must be made, approvals granted, and orders issued, all of which are "public record" for the most part and would be available for perusal under FOIA.

 

[ATOMonkey]

I agree with the sentiment that if you want to spot a faker, just listen to how loud he crows.

Most citations are awarded at the expense of life and limb, which is nothing to celebrate.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

There's nothing in my service record that I want to hide. I just don't think it's anybodies business.

What good is the database when one unit would give a meritorious service medal for a particular action and wouldn't warrant a certificate of achievement in another unit? It just reeks of more feel goodism. As with anything, caveat emptor.

I can only speak for the Army, but Awards and Decorations have become a necessity for career soldiers to be considered for promotion. Whether you believe it right or wrong, such things are measurable means by which to assess a soldier (or even moreso, an officer) and his potential for greater responsibility. As with anything else, knowing how the game is played is reason enough for some folks to game the system. Even the best leaders I served with, officer or enlisted, knew enough to pay attention to those particular details.

Personally, I didn't care enough throughout my military career to pursue such things (which is one reason why I never made CW5), but by personal experience, I can attest to the fact that for military personnel, being awarded some of the higher medals is a result of being in the "right place at the right time" in the worst of circumstances.

 

[hornadylnl]

An opt out of the database won't work. When your Navy Seal/Ranger coworker is telling tales of Koreat Nam, he'll just tell you he opted out of it when his story doesn't check out.

I'm sure my military records could be found through FOIA request but that's a lot different than a nosy coworker or neighbor pulling up dirt on anyone they so choose because they can have it at the click of a mouse. I don't have anything to hide, I just don't feel the need to tell everyone about my service.

My units cared so much about me that my awards either got downgraded or I had to pester them to make sure they went through. I got an Army Commendation Medal when I got out. Typically in the Army, you'll get an Army Achievement Medal for service to that unit when transferring to another. When getting out, you typically get a Army Commendation Medal. I had 36 days of leave built up so I left my last duty station 36 days early and went home. My chain of command new months ahead of time that I was leaving early. Come time to leave, I was told that it hadn't went through yet. I called a couple times, it still hadn't went through. I finally called the Battalion S-3 who was a major. I finally got my award a week later. I worked in the S-3 shop as the Battalion Commander's humv driver. My chain of command felt so highly of me at reenlistment time that I had to go stand before the SGT Major and everyone else with rank to try and talk me into reenlistment. But now that I was getting out, they didn't want to be bothered with my award.

Now contrast that unit with other units or other jobs. Are you friends with the admin clerks processing your awards? Are you friends with the guy who approves your awards?

I wasn't involved in any actions that are secret by any means. I just don't think it's anybody's business. If a prospective employer wanted to see my dd214, no problem. Many seem to have a problem with employers asking for facebook info, how would military records be any different?

 

[rambone]

Fletch nailed it.