Kind of unrelated: apparently a captain at my airline set a record by making a little over $88,000 in July.
I had a CO (O-6) when I drilled at PERS in Millington that got a Legion of Merit for having zero credit card discrepancies in her previous command.. The WTF look on every body at Quarters was quite the sight.. But she also gave me a 2.0 in Military Bearing on my FITREP for quitting and going IRR.. So we have that... Maybe she was that much a Rock Star and me the Turd.. Dunno..Some one probably got an MSM and fitrep bullet for it too.
Everyday, I am shocked & amazed at the awards I see on very, junior folks running around the Pentagon these days. The latest? An AF E6 with a Defense, MSM. I have seen MSM's on Navy LT's and CPO's as well. Amazing . . . .I had a CO (O-6) when I drilled at PERS in Millington that got a Legion of Merit for having zero credit card discrepancies in her previous command.. The WTF look on every body at Quarters was quite the sight.. But she also gave me a 2.0 in Military Bearing on my FITREP for quitting and going IRR.. So we have that... Maybe she was that much a Rock Star and me the Turd.. Dunno..
Everyday, I am shocked & amazed at the awards I see on very, junior folks running around the Pentagon these days. The latest? An AF E6 with a Defense, MSM. I have seen MSM's on Navy LT's and CPO's as well. Amazing . . . .
Meanwhile some commands stick to their guns on the award instruction, and can't seem to get sailors promoted.
![]()
Is this the same person who went on to make RDML with exactly ZERO sea service deployment ribbons?I had a CO (O-6) when I drilled at PERS in Millington that got a Legion of Merit for having zero credit card discrepancies in her previous command..
To be fair that guy was going to get an MSM at the end of his tour provided he didn't purposefully burn the building down regardless of the work he actually did.Some one probably got an MSM and fitrep bullet for it too.
To be fair, it's not up to the command (at least at the O5 level) to award anything higher than a NAM. If your ISIC says NFW, then there's not much you can do. That doesn't mean you don't go to bat for someone that's worthy, but it's not something you can do for everyone.Meanwhile some commands stick to their guns on the award instruction, and can't seem to get sailors promoted.
![]()
True, but I do wonder if some of this is an aviation vs other community culture thing. When I see O-4s walking around with MSMs or DMSMs, and O-3s with JCMs and NCMs, it puzzles me. Because I know that would never fly in Naval Air absent unusual circumstances (not that we'd be giving out joint awards, but my point remains).To be fair, it's not up to the command (at least at the O5 level) to award anything higher than a NAM. If your ISIC says NFW, then there's not much you can do. That doesn't mean you don't go to bat for someone that's worthy, but it's not something you can do for everyone.
Perhaps.. I know she had that weird, made up pin that looks like a seashell with water around it for doing something like monitoring bouys or something underwater to track submarines.. I believe she was/is a high school guidance counselor in Seattle for real job...Is this the same person who went on to make RDML with exactly ZERO sea service deployment ribbons?
Some of it depends on the commands they were at. Second tour SWO on a major combatant would probably rate an NCM. Same thing for a JO at a major shore command.True, but I do wonder if some of this is an aviation vs other community culture thing. When I see O-4s walking around with MSMs or DMSMs, and O-3s with JCMs and NCMs, it puzzles me. Because I know that would never fly in Naval Air absent unusual circumstances (not that we'd be giving out joint awards, but my point remains).
Or maybe I've just noticed that purple squirrel who got it for unusual circumstances; I don't know.
Perhaps.. I know she had that weird, made up pin that looks like a seashell with water around it for doing something like monitoring bouys or something underwater to track submarines.. I believe she was/is a high school guidance counselor in Seattle for real job...
To be fair, it's not up to the command (at least at the O5 level) to award anything higher than a NAM. If your ISIC says NFW, then there's not much you can do. That doesn't mean you don't go to bat for someone that's worthy, but it's not something you can do for everyone.
True, but I do wonder if some of this is an aviation vs other community culture thing.