Jessica Lynch awarded Bronze Star -- For what???

[allthumbs]

Am I the only person who is outraged that Jessica Lynch is being touted as a hero by the media and the Army has awarded her a Bronze Star and given her a ride home in a Blackhawk helicopter? I know the Army has a long history of handing out medals like they were Halloween candy, but what did Jessica Lynch do that was heroic or even meritorious enough to warrant a Bronze Star?

 

As far as I can tell, here are the facts:

 

1) Her unit took a wrong turn and drove into an ambush. Nothing heroic or meritorious here.

 

2) The vehicle she was riding in crashed into another vehicle, severely injuring her. Nothing heroic or meritorious here.

 

3) She was captured and taken to a hospital. Nothing heroic or meritorious here.

 

4) She was rescued by elite U.S. forces. The only thing here that may be construed as heroic or meritorious are the actions of the rescue force, not Jessica.

 

Oh wait! I get it now! Army service members must have lower standards than other service members to be awarded the same medals. I mean, if I remember correctly, Douglas MacArthur received a Congressional Medal of Honor just for hiding out in a bomb shelter on Correigidor for a few weeks. So following that logic, a woman in the Army just has to get captured to be awarded the Bronze Star. Imagine that; in the Army you can get a medal for heroism or meritorious service if you surrender to the enemy. Isn't that special.

 

No, I'm not Army bashing, but in this case the Army appears to have its head up its ass.

 

[AlpineK]

Yeah, and she was, "rescued," after some Iraqi told the US army to come pick her up.

 

The whole Jesica Lynch thing is almost as big a con job as the president telling everyone that Iraq had WMD.

[Kiwi]

Hero? No.

 

'Earned' the medals? Technically, yes. However, I don't think she deserved them.

[lummox]

AlpineK said:

almost as big a con job as the president telling everyone that Iraq had WMD.

'had' is the operative word. 'when' is another.

[MissNormandy]

Stuff like this makes me feel really badly for all the other people who have been taken captive during war or who have actually commited an act of heroism. Why the hell is she so special?

[Dru]

she's a hero cause she got with the program and agreed to be a media star

[Off_White]

I don't know how much she agreed to it, I haven't paid a lot of attention, but I don't think she's been blowing her own horn. The propaganda machine has been doing all the chestbeating, and not giving her a medal is tantamount to admitting it was all spin.

[RobBob]

I agree OW, if ya wanna bash somebody about this, bash the administration and the media. The girl isn't the villain here.

[allthumbs]

Fellas, I never implied that she was a scoundrel. I do however find it disturbing that she 'accepted' this dubious achievement award. No spine or personal convictions , if you ask me.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

trask said:

No spine or personal convictions , if you ask me.

 

Well, sounds like the military's not doing its job then, or at least only 50% of it (which would still garner a solid F). Aren't they supposed to build up one's spine and break down one's personal convictions, or at least teach you to ignore them in favor of vigorous smiling-and-nodding?

 

Time to cut that Pentagon budget back!

[iain]

interesting news story

[allthumbs]

very agile

[chelle]

The Bush administration probably considers the boost in morale after her rescue a heroic act. More propoganda if you ask me.

[bunglehead]

iain said:

interesting news story

 

 

AWESOME

[Wopper]

I agree and had this conversation with my wife the other day. There have been countless POWs who have suffered far worse fates than her. Read "Ghost Soldiers" which is about a POW raid in the Phillipines in WWII if you want heros.

BTW that story is the funniest damn thing I have seen all day.

[Figger_Eight]

She looks good in pictures. Good PR for the war machine.

 

[Bronco]

Awarding the Bronze Star

 

a. The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (superseded by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962).

 

b. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United States after 6 December 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; or while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

 

c. Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star.

 

d. The Bronze Star Medal may be awarded for meritorious achievement or meritorious service according to the following:

 

(1) Awards may be made to recognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. The lesser degree than that required for the award of the Legion of Merit must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction.

 

(2) Award may be made by letter application to Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200 (enclosing documentary evidence, if possible), to each member of the Armed Forces of the United States who after 6 December 1941, has been cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, inclusive, or whose meritorious achievement has been other wise confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947. For this purpose, an award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge is considered as a citation in orders. Documents executed since 4 August 1944 in connection with recommendations for the award of decorations of higher degree than the Bronze Star Medal will not be used as the basis for an award under this paragraph.

 

(3) Upon letter application, award of the Bronze Star Medal may be made to eligible soldiers who participated in the Philippine Islands Campaign between 7 December 1941 to 10 May 1942. Performance of duty must have been on the island of Luzon or the Harbor Defenses in Corregidor and Bataan. Only soldiers who were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (Presidential Unit Citation) may be awarded this decoration. Letter application should be sent to the Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200.

 

 

Executive Order 11046

Authorizing award of the Bronze Star Medal

 

Authorizing Award of the Bronze Star Medal

Signed: August 24, 1962

Federal Register page and date: 27 FR 8575; August 28, 1962

Supersedes: EO 9419, February 4, 1944

 

Source: The provisions of Executive Order 11046 of Aug. 24, 1962, appear at 27 FR 8575, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 630, unless otherwise noted.

 

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

 

1. The Bronze Star Medal, with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances, which was first established by Executive Order No. 9419 of February 4, 1944, may be awarded by the Secretary of a military department or the Secretary of Transportation with regard to the Coast Guard when not operating as a service in the Navy, or by such military commanders, or other appropriate officers as the Secretary concerned may designate, to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard of the United States, after December 6, 1941, distinguishes, or has distinguished, himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight--

 

(a) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;

(b) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or

© while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

[Para. 1 amended by Executive Order 11382 of Nov. 28, 1967, 32 FR 16247, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 691]

 

2. The Bronze Star Medal and appurtenances thereto shall be of appropriate design approved by the Secretary of Defense, and shall be awarded under such regulations as the Secretary concerned may prescribe. Such regulations shall, so far as practicable, be uniform, and those of the military departments shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense.

 

3. No more than one Bronze Star Medal shall be awarded to any one person, but for each succeeding heroic or meritorious achievement or service justifying such an award a suitable device may be awarded to be worn with the medal as prescribed by appropriate regulations.

 

4. The Bronze Star Medal or device may be awarded posthumously and, when so awarded, may be presented to such representative of the deceased as may be deemed appropriate by the Secretary of the department concerned.

 

5. This order shall supersede Executive Order No. 9419 of February 4, 1944, entitled "Bronze Star Medal". However, existing regulations prescribed under that order shall, so far as they are not inconsistent with this order, remain in effect until modified or revoked by regulations prescribed under this order by the Secretary of the department concerned.

 

[jon]

Yeah, Jeremy Boorda didn't earn his medals either.