1:2 Help Me Find “Rank Based” Criteria for Medals.

I’ve looked at the criteria for the AF Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM), Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star and I seem to be having a difficult time finding “based on rank.” We have all been told at one time or another that a Commendation Medal won’t be awarded to a SrA or an MSM to a retiring TSgt. Please click on the links above and help me find, “Based on Rank” in the criteria.

I recently attended a retirement for an 25 year Army SFC, with many joint assignments, two-four tours to three different conflicts, and previously received two Meritorious Service Medals. The award for the time she served her country with distinction was another MSM. The SFC was told that she ineligible for the DMSM based on rank. The medal above the MSM is the DMSM and the criteria is as follows:

The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is awarded to military personnel serving with or assigned to a number of joint activities including the Secretary of Defense, organizations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and headquarters of joint commands. Other joint activities and specified commands such as military assistance advisory groups and joint missions; and jointly manned staffs within Allied Command Europe, Allied Command Atlantic, the NATO Military Committee, and military agencies associated with functions of the military or other joint activities as may be designated by the secretary are also included.The medal is awarded for non-combat meritorious achievement or service that is incontestably exceptional and of magnitude that clearly places the individual above his peers while serving in one of the assignments for which the medal has been designated.

Can’t seem to find “Based on Rank” in the above criteria, can you?

I could go on and on about every medal and as a matter of fact, I’ll talk about one more. I frequently walk through Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery—this is the section in which the majority of the OIF and OEF fatalities are laid to rest. On the majority of those gravemarkers of our fallen brethren, the Bronze Star and Purple Heart are inscribed. The Bronze Star criteria is as follows:

This decoration authorized by Executive Order No. 9419 on Feb. 4, 1944, is awarded to a person in any branch of the military service who, while serving in any capacity with the armed forces of the United States on or after Dec. 7, 1941, shall have distinguished himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy. The award recognizes acts of heroism performed in ground combat if they are of lesser degree than that required for the Silver Star. It also recognizes single acts of merit and meritorious service if the achievement or service is of a lesser degree than that deemed worthy of the Legion of Merit; but such service must have been accomplished with distinction.

“Ground Combat,” is the key word that I chose here in reference to two or three persons that I know wear the medal with great distinction but never stepped outside of the wire or fired a weapon. It seems very disheartening to know that those men and women in Section 60 lie there with their Purple Hearts and Bronze Star Medals, yet there are some marching about proudly with their Bronze Stars. How has the Bronze Star been degraded to award for “outstanding service” and “directly impacted the mission outside of the wire?” Shouldn't an MSM been more appropriate?

As I end this very long blog, I want to ask three questions: 1) When did the “Based on Rank” stigma become attached to criteria and is the criteria left for interpretation to that extreme? 2) Do you think it’s okay to award Bronze Star Medals for service inside the wire or am I crazy? 3) Doesn’t all of this sound like the EPR system?