Medals Database being Considered by Pentagon

[revan1013]

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2...idering-stolen-valor-medals-database-071012w/

Since Stolen Valor was struck-down, the Pentagon is considering creating a medals database.

Am I the only one who thought they should've already tracking this kind of thing? I'm a little surprised there isn't a master-record somewhere for everyone. We keep track of everything. This seems like something that should've been done decades ago.

At least it opens up the possibility of more easily fact-checking people who are claiming things. Maybe we don't need Stolen Valor, if this database becomes a matter of public record?

The whole push for digitization, and yet we still hand-carry our records around and need hard copies for all kinds of things... Thoughts?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

It kind of is with NSIPS.

I will say for those that have been around for a while before service records went electronic to make sure everything is up to date, the people that they had scanning in records were not the top sailor you might think, in many cases it was "you will work 8 hour days until done" now that is motivation, so what happened is not all pages were scanned, so while my hard copy that I kept had all, the electronic did not, easy enough to fix, but jump on it now if you haven't.

 

[robav8r]

I'm a little surprised there isn't a master-record somewhere for everyone.

There is, but it's not a database that falls under FOIA. DoD can ascertain right quick what your actual awards are. Whether or not they should be made public, is another story.

 

[squorch2]

https://awards.navy.mil, for all your awards needs.

 

[KBayDog]

Awesome. Another "one-stop shop" database that someone else is going to administer, but it will somehow still be my responsibility to keep it accurate and up to date at all times by dealing with a nameless, faceless automated system.

I'm sure the medals database will be user-friendly and seamless in execution...just like all of our other "paperless" initiatives.

 

[CommodoreMid]

NSIPS is a good resource for the member to check if accurate, but as a still relatively ignorant JO, how one corrects that particular system is beyond my scope of knowledges without a ton of research. When I was submitting my POM leave chit I tooled around on the site and saw that the Coast Guard special ops ribbon my squadron got last deployment wasn't entered into my record on there. Again, checking on this is pretty far down on my priorities list, but I figured since this was a mass thing we got for showing up to work in my squadron it would be entered automatically. Would my admin guys fix this, or do I have to contact people? At the end of the day, if God forbid there is an Admiral CommodoreMid or I'm placed in a position that people think I should actually be responsible for shit, I figure there's probably some database out there that shows what fruit salad I should have and people check that shit (see ADM Boorda). Is NSIPS that database? I mean, no one gives a crap about said Coast Guard ribbon, but no one wants to be accused in the end run of wearing something they haven't earned, so what does the average service member do to make sure their crap is correct?

 

[robav8r]

Your awards and accuracy of your service record is your responsibility - always has been, always will be. NSIPS is a data base that is trying to capture a whole bunch of info from different sources. Sometimes it's accurate, sometimes not. Check out the link below for updating your awards:

http://www.public.navy.mil/BUPERS-NPC/CAREER/RECORDSMANAGEMENT/Pages/AwdDecorMedal.aspx

 

[squorch2]

You should be reviewing your record to ensure that awards, FITREPs, etc. are being properly documented. This is done through BUPERS Online. (https://www.bol.navy.mil/DefaultPub.aspx?Cookies=Yes) If you're missing anything, your admin department should be able to handle updating it. If you really want to dig into it yourself, click on "Personal Awards" (up top) at https://awards.navy.mil, then "Updating Personal Awards" (bottom right). It'll launch a popup.

Unit awards are much trickier and sometimes take a while to show up, when they do show up. If the awards database doesn't have an entry for your ribbon(list here), it probably won't show up in a unit query.

 

[boobcheese]

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2...idering-stolen-valor-medals-database-071012w/

Since Stolen Valor was struck-down, the Pentagon is considering creating a medals database.

Am I the only one who thought they should've already tracking this kind of thing? I'm a little surprised there isn't a master-record somewhere for everyone. We keep track of everything. This seems like something that should've been done decades ago.

At least it opens up the possibility of more easily fact-checking people who are claiming things. Maybe we don't need Stolen Valor, if this database becomes a matter of public record?

The whole push for digitization, and yet we still hand-carry our records around and need hard copies for all kinds of things... Thoughts?

The awards data base you describe has existed for years (at least for the Navy). On the website that squorch linked a few posts up, anyone can do a personal awards query with no CAC or login required as long as you know an individuals full name and last 4. Comes in handy when writing up a citation for one of your sailors and you need to document past awards on the 1650.

 

[Gatordev]

DoD can ascertain right quick what your actual awards are.

Riiight. And which database will they be using? I'm with Kbay on this one.

 

[Recovering LSO]

Someone had to be seen doing something. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that, at its core, this idea came from a congressmen.

 

[robav8r]

Riiight. And which database will they be using? I'm with Kbay on this one.

Wasn't referring to NSIPS, but rather your detailer, official service record, etc. More to the point, your community knows if you have a MoH, SS, PH, etc.

 

[Gatordev]

Wasn't referring to NSIPS, but rather your detailer, official service record, etc. More to the point, your community knows if you have a MoH, SS, PH, etc.

Well certainly those big ones. But ADM Boorda got bent out of shape for "lesser" awards.

As for my detailer, OSR, etc... They only just got updated in the last month or two, and only because I re-re-resubmitted some awards through their convuluted process. I still don't understand why we need three databases to track all this stuff, especially when one database may be incorrect, but the process requires you to submit to another database, which may vary well have the correct info (ie, NDAWS).

 

[robav8r]

I still don't understand why we need three databases to track all this stuff, especially when one database may be incorrect, but the process requires you to submit to another database, which may vary well have the correct info (ie, NDAWS).

Agree. Maybe i've just been fortunate in that I haven't had to re-re-submit my important service record/award correspondence. I will say this though, it's even more incumbent on the individual to check, double check and triple check their service record now that everything is digital & on line.

 

[707guy]

All this makes me think that a pile of OSR's and my IBM Selectric III wasn't that bad a thing...