Air Medals and the point system

[hscs]

Air medals (strike flight) should only be for flights in country. I know that you all are doing flights over the border, but I would venture to say that your guys didn 't have enough points to qualify (20 pts). Guys should not get Strike flight Air Medal points for staying solely on the Kuwaiti side of the border. I would also say that the "politics" of saving them for the jet guys is a bunch of BS -- you just have to have the points per SECNAV 1650. Just remember -- you guys save lives, and the jet guys spin circles out of the threat envelope.

Keep doing good work, and hopefully the Army will release you all to come up north....

 

[Tom]

Many helo pilots have Air Medals.

 

[torpedo0126]

sorry, i'm still really confused on what merits certain awards. i mean you can read the description of, say, the air medal, but those descriptions don't always define what "meritorious" means and the like.

Since I've mostly seen people in flight suits, I only had the LTs from NROTC to draw on (in terms of helo pilots and Air Medals)

 

[Uncle Fester]

Air Medals come in two flavors: "Strike/Flight" and "Valor". S/F are awarded for combat missions. So many missions gets you a medal. How exactly points are computed, what rates points and what doesn't, is much-debated and subject to the whims and opinions of various commanders. What rated Air Medal points for one Air Wing on one boat, didn't for the boat that relieved them, flying the exact same missions.

"Valor" medals are awarded for specific actions, and are denoted by the "V" device on the ribbon. For heroic action not quite rating the DFC.

 

[torpedo0126]

Do Navy helo pilots often fly "combat" missions? I was under the impression they were more of the workhorses of the Navy?

 

[eddie]

so does some of the above mean Navy helo pilots are eligble to earn Air Medal Awards?

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means, what you think it means."

 

[Gatordev]

Air Medals come in two flavors: "Strike/Flight" and "Valor". S/F are awarded for combat missions. So many missions gets you a medal. How exactly points are computed, what rates points and what doesn't, is much-debated and subject to the whims and opinions of various commanders. What rated Air Medal points for one Air Wing on one boat, didn't for the boat that relieved them, flying the exact same missions.

"Valor" medals are awarded for specific actions, and are denoted by the "V" device on the ribbon. For heroic action not quite rating the DFC.

You can also be awarded Air Medals w/ no "V" nor a Strike/Flight number. There's quite a few helo guys that have them (w/ and w/out Combat "V's") for airmanship. Some examples are for SAR efforts or for saving the aircraft. One of the more recent engine failures in the HTs resulted in a full auto w/ lots of gas and two studs at night on a departure. The last word I got was that CNATRA or the Commodore had the paperwork in pretty fast because everyone walked away w/ only some spread skids.

 

[Gatordev]

Do Navy helo pilots often fly "combat" missions? I was under the impression they were more of the workhorses of the Navy?

I think it all depends on who you ask and your definition of "combat missions."

 

[torpedo0126]

gotcha thanks. i appreciate the info.

 

[MasterBates]

Prime example.. Summer 04 flying patrol missions overland and armed with Hellfire and 50 Cal was not Combat Time nor earning Strike Flight points. So no green ink nor air medals.

Boat before, same mission but no hellfire (Block 0s, no HF capes) got Green Ink and Air Medals after X flights. Boat after, same mission, Green Ink, no Air Medals.

All COCOM dependent.

 

[Uncle Fester]

torpedo, I think you're thinking "combat missions" means this:

...but "combat" missions really means that the local commander has authorized a particular mission to be logged as combat time. That may be because of the threat, or what they're doing, or whatever he "feels like" rates combat time and Air Medal points. Yes, it's really that random and capricious.

 

[torpedo0126]

lol, a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[mastbump]

torpedo, I think you're thinking "combat missions" means this:...

Wait? That's not what it means? Damn.

 

[MAKE VAPES]

IMNSHO,
Air Medals mean jack shitola now, I got back from Kosovo and talked with a Huey pilot from Vietnam.... I seem to remember he had something like 42 Air Medals. Shot down a few times, saved many a life etc... they just need to stop giving them out nowadays, make em mean something again (and stop the fvcking bickering!).. after all, Air Medals seem to be the medals they hand out if you really just did your job...

Skipper gets a Bronze star for bringing a Hoov aboard at night after a fire? Wasn't that his fvcking job? What was the alternative?

Isn't that what we signed up for? Don't we get a paycheck for that?

If everything on the Combat "V" write up is as you remember it happening, no imbelishments, it might be worth a shit... from what Ive seen, the validity there has waned considerably. I think Ive seen a Navy Achievement Medal with a V... what a joke.

Not that all contributions aren't needed or appreciated, sorry to bust anyone's labia, but not everyone is a hero folks...

 

[drit]

You can also be awarded Air Medals w/ no "V" nor a Strike/Flight number. There's quite a few helo guys that have them (w/ and w/out Combat "V's") for airmanship. Some examples are for SAR efforts or for saving the aircraft. One of the more recent engine failures in the HTs resulted in a full auto w/ lots of gas and two studs at night on a departure. The last word I got was that CNATRA or the Commodore had the paperwork in pretty fast because everyone walked away w/ only some spread skids.

Gatordev,
If the engine failure you speak of was last august, the instructor in question definetly deserved the air medal for his actions.