FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard
Press Release Date: February 5, 2008
Contact: (202)372-4634
Coast Guardsman Awarded Bronze Star
WASHINGTON - Coast Guard Reserve Chief Warrant Officer Jack Brown was awarded the Bronze Star by Coast Guard commandant Thad Allen yesterday at a ceremony held in his honor at Coast Guard Headquarters here. Brown earned this prestigious medal for his service with the U.S. embassy in Iraq. The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration which may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. In addition to being a Coast Guard Reservist, Brown is the assistant director of the office of emergency management in Arlington, Va. and is also a retired fire chief for Fairfax, VA.
I hope it was for something more that what you'd give someone a Commendation for. I think it has been so marginalized that it really is not worth it anymore for what the Army has awarded it for. I heard a personal story about an Army E-5 who got it for running a motor pool in Kuwait that sent trucks up north. The USMC has held true and only gives them out for extreme circumstances, perhaps the USCG shold follow suit.
I hope it was for something more that what you'd give someone a Commendation for
Well, you had better write your congressman than!
Bronze star: "....distinguish themselves after 7 December 1941 by heroic or meritorious achievement...."
Commendation Medal: "...distinguish themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement."
The only difference is a relation to armed conflict. Not conflict itself, just a relation to it.
Now, the awarding authority MAY award a Comm as a lower level of award even for people serving in conflict if they choose too.
Now - to add a "V" to it is a whole different story. The "V" actually can be added to either medal and it is what denotes actual 'direct' or 'imminent' hostile action.
Folks this was discussed ad nauseum back in February in the PCP forum http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/415197802/m/8900071861001/p/1 I know he earned the medal. Here is an excerpt from the original discussion, "Thanks to everyone for checking on CWO Brown. I have only known Jack for six months and I can tell you he is completely humbled by the award. After reading the letter that the Homeland Security advisor wrote to the Commandant, I put him in for the Purple Heart as well. Jack is so humble, he asked not to be given the Purple Heart as there is many more deserving people. I will ask him if he would allow me to put in his award citation here. The award was very nicely wtitten, but some of the comments I saw in the letter included: running into a burning building and rescuing the people (He is a retired 29 year Fire Chief for Fairfax County), Pulling an injured person from the embassy after a mortar attack, where Jack was injured. Sustaining 60 mortar attacks and 200 IED explosions. Shielding a high ranking Iraq General from an attack using his own body to cover the General to safety. He did not stay in the embassy, that was his base. He traveled all over by convoy and set up quite a bit of maritime operations.
You all can see that I do not respond to the boards (but I do read), and I really want to express that he deserved this medal. I do not remember seeing the V on the medal. He had over 175 fire and EMS folks in attendance. The Commandant gave the awards. The neat thing was how he thanked the Reserve and Active MCPO-CG's for spending time with him in Iraq. Jack is a good one and I know nobody has not said anything to the contrary. I hope I clarified this. The thing that makes me proud after 24 years is that a medal can really mean so much to other people; which goes back to recognizing our folks for a job well done. Thanks" So let's not continue with the speculation about the merit(s) of the award. The man EARNED it the old fashioned way.
That's what I want to hear. So many awards go to the undeserving, and many award requests go unaswered. There should be a write up in the Reservist. So many PATFROSWA ring knockers got their Bronze Star for floating in the NAG while their LEDET teams and crews did all the work and took the risk. Good for CWO Brown, and the USCGR.
