[quote]atypical1 wrote:
I definitely think that being a drone pilot is harder than we joke around. I’m sure that there is a level of stress that goes along with watching someone day in and day out and then ultimately killing them. Also the fact that you’re doing this while going home to your family and having to keep mum on it all.
The Bronze Star is always a combat medal though right? I mean you have to be in a combat zone and receiving combat pay to be awarded the device. In my mind any medal awarded in a combat zone or where one has physically risked their life should be ranked higher than those that are not.
james[/quote]
I also note I saw a grand total of 1 missle fired from a drone in a several year period.
It was a lot of more of radio talk to this effect: “Haji’s running into Xs buidling. He’s got Y. Fuck there are five of them on the roof. Turn right you stupid fucker. No, your other right!”
[quote]atypical1 wrote:
I definitely think that being a drone pilot is harder than we joke around. I’m sure that there is a level of stress that goes along with watching someone day in and day out and then ultimately killing them. Also the fact that you’re doing this while going home to your family and having to keep mum on it all.
The Bronze Star is always a combat medal though right? I mean you have to be in a combat zone and receiving combat pay to be awarded the device. In my mind any medal awarded in a combat zone or where one has physically risked their life should be ranked higher than those that are not.
james[/quote]
The sensor operator is identifying the target, the pilot pulls the trigger. I actually wanted to be a sensor operator for a little while, I thought it’s a cool job. But I agree with you, most combat related jobs are going to be demanding and stressful. The AF drone guys might be stateside and enjoying the comforts of living relatively close to Las Vegas but they still have to clock into work and do a job. Chances are there’s politics involved in that job and the inherent stress of taking lives is going to exist. You could also be flying over the battlefield and seeing your guys die and get shot at.
Yes, however the AF might view the Bronze Star differently than other branches of the military. This article explains it pretty well http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123299369 .
[quote]thethirdruffian wrote:
No, I believe you can get a Bronze Star without a V for non-combat zone stuff, or I think you can. (I earned 2 bronzes, both with V’s and my ribbons have a metal V in the middle stripe).
I may have been pinning it on wrong, who knows? Never much of a dress blues guy. Only wore them when Bush II gave us a unit citation, and I probably fucked it up.[/quote]
I need to do some more research then. I thought that you had to be in a combat zone to get the Bronze and the “V” meant that you were actually in direct combat.
Honestly the medals really only matter if you’re staying in though and are looking for promotions.
[quote]b89 wrote:
The sensor operator is identifying the target, the pilot pulls the trigger. I actually wanted to be a sensor operator for a little while, I thought it’s a cool job. But I agree with you, most combat related jobs are going to be demanding and stressful. The AF drone guys might be stateside and enjoying the comforts of living relatively close to Las Vegas but they still have to clock into work and do a job. Chances are there’s politics involved in that job and the inherent stress of taking lives is going to exist. You could also be flying over the battlefield and seeing your guys die and get shot at.
Yes, however the AF might view the Bronze Star differently than other branches of the military. This article explains it pretty well http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123299369 .[/quote]
I think the hard part would be to try to be silent about everything. When you’re in the field you’ve got nobody to hide things from. I’m 100% certain that there’s a whole lot of politics that go along with that career path too. I’m certain that there’s a long road ahead of that group to get acceptance. Getting this medal was more political than anything else because it gave them the validity that they have been looking for.
But that’s just a guess on my part. I was never in the AF but I’m going to assume that the politics are like they would be in the Corps.
I’m sure there’s a friendly rivalry between pilots and guys on the ground, that exists everywhere though. I think guys make fun of the Air Force similar to how guys with combat oriented jobs in the Army makes fun of the non-combat jobs, the Air Force isn’t really filled with combat jobs either. That’s why it gets called the Chair Force.
[quote]thethirdruffian wrote:
No, I believe you can get a Bronze Star without a V for non-combat zone stuff, or I think you can. (I earned 2 bronzes, both with V’s and my ribbons have a metal V in the middle stripe).
I may have been pinning it on wrong, who knows? Never much of a dress blues guy. Only wore them when Bush II gave us a unit citation, and I probably fucked it up.[/quote]
I need to do some more research then. I thought that you had to be in a combat zone to get the Bronze and the “V” meant that you were actually in direct combat.
Honestly the medals really only matter if you’re staying in though and are looking for promotions.
james
[/quote]
Yup. Bronze Stars are only awarded for wartime service or in support of combat operations; the “V” Device is obviously awarded for valor (and not trying to insult anyone here) for being exposed to personal hazard while participating in direct combat operations.
[quote]thethirdruffian wrote:
No, I believe you can get a Bronze Star without a V for non-combat zone stuff, or I think you can. (I earned 2 bronzes, both with V’s and my ribbons have a metal V in the middle stripe).
I may have been pinning it on wrong, who knows? Never much of a dress blues guy. Only wore them when Bush II gave us a unit citation, and I probably fucked it up.[/quote]
I need to do some more research then. I thought that you had to be in a combat zone to get the Bronze and the “V” meant that you were actually in direct combat.
Honestly the medals really only matter if you’re staying in though and are looking for promotions.
james
[/quote]
Yup. Bronze Stars are only awarded for wartime service or in support of combat operations; the “V” Device is obviously awarded for valor (and not trying to insult anyone here) for being exposed to personal hazard while participating in direct combat operations.
[/quote]
Fuck I learn something every day. I think there has been some medal creep, though, because guys I knew were REMFs in the green zone got Bronze Stars, and I doubt they ever did more than here us shooting our weapons in the distance.
Or maybe I am an asshole that just automatically dismissed anyone who was not combat arms.
[quote]thethirdruffian wrote:
No, I believe you can get a Bronze Star without a V for non-combat zone stuff, or I think you can. (I earned 2 bronzes, both with V’s and my ribbons have a metal V in the middle stripe).
I may have been pinning it on wrong, who knows? Never much of a dress blues guy. Only wore them when Bush II gave us a unit citation, and I probably fucked it up.[/quote]
I need to do some more research then. I thought that you had to be in a combat zone to get the Bronze and the “V” meant that you were actually in direct combat.
Honestly the medals really only matter if you’re staying in though and are looking for promotions.
james
[/quote]
Yup. Bronze Stars are only awarded for wartime service or in support of combat operations; the “V” Device is obviously awarded for valor (and not trying to insult anyone here) for being exposed to personal hazard while participating in direct combat operations.
[/quote]
Fuck I learn something every day. I think there has been some medal creep, though, because guys I knew were REMFs in the green zone got Bronze Stars, and I doubt they ever did more than here us shooting our weapons in the distance.
Or maybe I am an asshole that just automatically dismissed anyone who was not combat arms.[/quote]
Even though some dudes may have never left a FOB, they were still deployed to Iraq ( in a comat zone receiving hostile fire pay) so they qualified for eligibility on that alone. Your “V” devices are obviously the major discriminating factor!