Was looking at a photo of the Vice Admiral recently doing the change of watch, and the arrangement of the ribbon only awards struck.

The Commandants Letter of Commendation Ribbon, is listed as a personal DECORATION in the awards manual. In 1979 the Comdt authorized a ribbon to be worn on the uniform, to visually indicate the award of the letter. 30 years later, would you think that it would be time to ask the US Army heraldry folks to design a metal pendant to go with the ribbon as is the norm with a personal DECORATION.

The CG Combat Action Ribbon is established as a personal service award, same as a Good Conduct Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, USAF Combat Action Medal, etc, etc. Again, should the CG take the initiative and complete the implementation process and design a round metal pendant to indicate the CAR appropriate status.

BOTH of those awards should be of the status that they are worn on the PORT SIDE with full/dinner dress.

The VFW is/has petitioned the USN to rectify its incomplete project on the USN/USMC CAR and design a metal pendant to accompany the ribbon. Perhaps a nudge at the CGHQ to complete the process on these two awards might be appropriate.
example only

Received a nice note from GMCM Wells, can I say that name , this morning, with an additional thought that should be put out there. Have CGHQ authorize the attachment of a 5/16" bronze CG emblem for the USN/USMC CAR. This simple addition would allow those veterans of WW II, Korea,Viet Nam to show that the decoration was earned as a Coast Guardsman. This would be along the same line as the Fleet Marine Force attachment that sailors in Marine units wear wear on service/campaign medals.

Thanx Bill.

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The Auxie ACLOC has a medal, it kinda makes sense.

Hey Bosun;
Since saving money is always a concern, instead of the new CG device, we could just use the blender, oops I mean hurricane, attachment!

Master Chief,

I am remiss in that I have not taken a close gander at the weed whacker hurricane device. It is, I hope, in the cyclone rotational direction.

At least someone took a peek at this topic, was going to delete it tomorrow to clear up space on here.

I threw this out here, because the timing might be right to do something that will be beneficial to the morale of future Coast Guardsmen. The annual ongoing topics about whether the CG is an armed service or a uniformed service might just pick up a small point to the military side of the argument.

Decorations and service/campaign medals are an integral part of any military organization. Awards are a part of any organization, Midas Muffler "Wrench of the Week", or a police department ribbon type award.

Decorations and service medals have a long standing protocol and standards, and will not bore everyone to death with that.

For future Coast Guardsmen, the award of this military decoration denotes an individual accomplishment, as does the personal service medal. These two awards NEED to have the establishment process completed so that they can be worn on the military uniform in their proper place of seniority.

I'd be willing to bet that many of the WW 2 aren't aware that their service may have earned the USN/USMC CAR. The Viet Nam veterans are now becoming semi geezerly. On those occasions when we break out the "war suit", being recognized that we served in the USCG, and were awarded the CAR for action that was done in OUR service, would be nice. Hence, the suggestion for the CG device. You and future Coast Guardsmen that may earn the CG-CAR should be able to wear it as an equal with all the other decorations.

If one of the denizens at CGHQ wants to throw this through the WTD in the Awards section, feel free.

Had the great pleasure of working with an active duty CPO this week. You new Guard types ain't that far different from old Guard types. Might be a time for a couple of deep breaths when things get tighter 'n a bulls butt at fly time around here.

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...just an interest point that does play a part in this. Just two weeks ago, the gent that sits next to me retired. Let's just say he is a little bit of a redneck and didn't really care what anybody wore to his retirement, but he did ask that official party be in Full Dress Blue. When I asked him why, he siad becuase through all of his years of military service (which began in 1967) he had never worn his uniform with medals. NEVER WORN HIS MEDALS! That was over about a quarter century of CG Service. Now, he is a reservist, but had a lot of time on AD, including the last several years as the PS RFMC! (oops, I outed him there!)

I bring that up, just as a discussion point on how important (or not) this medal/ribbon discussion may be. Everyone is required to have their medals ready to go at any time, but how often does Gordy the Guardian actually wear them?

quote:

cyclone rotational direction.

Depends on what part of the world you're in as to which direction the toilet water spins!

Were any CG units south of the equator during the period the CGPUC was given out ???

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If Gordy the Guardian is just an employee of the waterside contingent of the Department of Baggage Screeners, ribbons,medals, coffee mug of the week awards are just other trinkets strewn about to keep the unwashed masses happy. This issue would be of actually no importance.

The significance of the awards would only be important to a military organization.

Interesting concerning the MC retiring. Starting out in 1967. Medals that could have been available as a Reservist:
National Defense Service Medal (end in '75)
CGR Good Conduct
Shooting medals
Reserve activation medal ???

Decorations to Reservists were few and far between up until about 1992 or 93. Adm Lockwood, then head of (r) noted that he had seen very,very few Reservists wearing personal decorations. He put out instructions, that tied in with the TQM process, that he expected members of the reserve COC to start recognizing thos accomplishments and start recommending members for decorations. CGAM & CGCM.

This might be important to all those who wear the full dress whites with some frequency. More than likely though nothing should come of it.
These are awards that, I'd bet, are mainly in the realm of the enlisted man and would be of no concern at the top of the food chain.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

quote:

Interesting concerning the MC retiring. Starting out in 1967. Medals that could have been available as a Reservist:
National Defense Service Medal (end in '75)
CGR Good Conduct
Shooting medals
Reserve activation medal ???

Oh he had them - some 20 decorations were medals. Just he never was required to wear a uniform.

quote:

Were any CG units south of the equator during the period the CGPUC was given out ???

I might have been actually, as I was u/w in the East Pac doing CD in a Navy FFG when the hurricanes hit. I might look and see ... and change the direction of the blender blades.

Mastersmate,

Regarding your original post... very interesting concept. You know, that will not be the first time that a Ribbon only award became a medal.

During WW2, the Commendation Decoration was a Ribbon only award established in 1943 for merit and valor(to a lesser degree as would be required for a Bronze Star). These awards were made into medals in 1949.

Before that, the "Army Wound Ribbon" was established to recognize men wounded in combat in WW1. This ribbon was established on 06Sep1917 and was replaced by the Wound Chevron 12Oct1917. Finally, the Purple Heart Medal, as we know it today, was established to replace the Wound Chevron on 22Feb1932(retroactive to 05Apr1917).

Replacing the COMDT Letter of Commendation and the Combat Action Ribbons with full medals.

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quote:

I'd be willing to bet that many of the WW 2 aren't aware that their service may have earned the USN/USMC CAR.

Mastersmate,

I was wondering if my dad a WWII veteran (2BM) rates the USN/USMC CAR? He served onboard the CGC Algonquin (WPG-75) during the battle of the North Atlantic and made many Greenland patrols.

RGD

Ron,
From the original authorization back in 1969

"(d) Personnel aboard a ship are eligible when the safety of the ship and the crew were endangered by enemy attack, such as a ship hit by a mine or a ship engaged by shore, surface, air or sub-surface elements."

The original 1969 criteria, would have been what was extended back to WW2 vets. May be a HQ determination as to what cutters/shore details would have rated. The CG Historians site has the ALGONQUIN attacking a submarine in April 1945. That appears to meet the original requirement. Be worth following up on.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

Is there public information available as to how many Commandants Letter of Commendation ribbon awards are awarded each year ??

Is it mainly an enlisted award or mainly an officers award ??

As some have posted before, it "seems" to be strewn about for just about everything. Perhaps, the addition of a metal pendant for full dress occasions, may enhance the prestige formerly associated with it.

The CG CAR, just by the O to E numbers in a cutters crew, this should be predominantly an enlisted award.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

quote:

The CG CAR, just by the O to E numbers in a cutters crew, this should be predominantly an enlisted award.

Dana-

You would think so but if you apply the same logic then all the 82's in Nam would have resulted in a lot more enlisteds getting the bronze star since, as I recall, all the C.O.'s of those boats did.

An interesting match up would be the COs Bronze Star and the award of a Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation for the crew. The way I understand it, if the COs' decorated for the units performance, then the appropriate Unit Commendation goes to the crew. The Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation is equivalent to the Bronze Star.

That was the way it was explained to me way back when. I got X award for being able to get from point A to Point B. The crew earned a CG MUC for keeping the ship seaworthy and able to do the job.

More interesting would be if the 110s followed that procedure.

Off for some night time training.

quote:

The Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation is equivalent to the Bronze Star.

Without looking it up - that seems WAY, WAY overrated! What the heck is a UC equal to then?

From SecNav Inst. 1650.1H , Navy Awards Manual

Equivalent
Navy PUC - Navy Cross
Navy Unit Comm. - Silver Star or Legion of Merit
Navy Meritorious Unit Comm. - Bronze Star or like caliber.

CG Unit Comm. - Meritorious Service Medal
CG Meritorious Unit Comm - CG Achievement Medal

..as usual, ours makes more sense!

Wondering aloud about completing tasks concerning awards.

The Navy/Marine Corps, Army & Air Force PUCs are combat unit decorations the equivalent of their services "Cross" decoration, the one just below the MOH.

Over three years now, has the DHS established any eligibility criteria or decoration equivalency for the DHS-PUC yet ???

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

BOSN: For the Navy Unit Commendation and the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, they are much, much rarer in being awarded then their CG equivalents. The CG is much more "free spirited" at awarding it's Unit Citations/Awards than the Navy from my experience in the Navy and casual observations of the CG over the years. FWIW.

But then, it's not uncommon to see CoastGuardsmen on their first enlistment with 3 rows of ribbons nowadays, so the chest candy explosion of CG Unit Awards shouldn't be all that surprising.

Respectfully,
Surface Force