I checked the profiles of many who are registered and many if not more got the Bronze Star award. Some were air force pilots who got it, navy personnels, "in the rear with the gear," who got it. But when I looked at brother marines on the front line, hardly anyone or less, got a Bronze Star. I guess it depends what branch you are in determines how hard or easy to get one?

Compared to the other branches, the Marine Corps is notoriously stingy with awarding medals for valor. Not to take anything away from the other branches, but when I see an enlisted Marine grunt with a medal for valor like the Bronze Star, I have no doubt that had he been in any other branch he would have been awarded the Silver Star or higher. Joe Carey's Bronze Star citation reads like a Navy Cross.

From this weeks Marine Times:

Medals awarded for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom

MOH: Army 1, Marine Corps 1

DSC,AFC,NC: Army 8, Marine Corps 17**,Navy 1

Silver Star: Army 385, Air Force 11, Marine Corps 77**, Navy 40**

Legion of Merit: Army 59, Air Force 3, Marine Corps 28**, Navy N/A

DFC Army 96, Air Force 269, Marine Corps 24**, Navy N/A

Bronze Star Army 58,877 (1,843 for valor), Air Force 1,881 (91 for valor), Navy 2,258***, Marine Corps 1,940**,***

* Navy figures only include Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Navy Cross
** Includes awards for OIF and OEF, breakdown unavailable
*** Breakout of Bronze Star for Valor unavailable

This is the Infantry where medals only serve to remind Grunts of bad times in hard places where good Brothers were killed so you won't find any heros here because we lost them all in war. We're merely Marines who lived to tell their tale.

Semper Fi

quote:

Originally posted by ABVGunns:
From this weeks Marine Times:

Medals awarded for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom

MOH: Army 1, Marine Corps 1

DSC,AFC,NC: Army 8, Marine Corps 17**,Navy 1

Silver Star: Army 385, Air Force 11, Marine Corps 77**, Navy 40**

Legion of Merit: Army 59, Air Force 3, Marine Corps 28**, Navy N/A

DFC Army 96, Air Force 269, Marine Corps 24**, Navy N/A

Bronze Star Army 58,877 (1,843 for valor), Air Force 1,881 (91 for valor), Navy 2,258***, Marine Corps 1,940**,***

* Navy figures only include Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Navy Cross
** Includes awards for OIF and OEF, breakdown unavailable
*** Breakout of Bronze Star for Valor unavailable

Its missing the MOH that Navy SEAL LT Murphy was awarded.

Good heads up MN3, the Brother paid his dues in full. God bless them all.

quote:

Originally posted by Bri6366:
Compared to the other branches, the Marine Corps is notoriously stingy with awarding medals for valor. Not to take anything away from the other branches, but when I see an enlisted Marine grunt with a medal for valor like the Bronze Star, I have no doubt that had he been in any other branch he would have been awarded the Silver Star or higher. Joe Carey's Bronze Star citation reads like a Navy Cross.

That BSM I have means a lot to me, because I wear it for the men that did not get it that did much more than I ever did! The Marines are true Conservatives when it comes to military Honors! I like it that way!

quote:

Originally posted by Bri6366:
Compared to the other branches, the Marine Corps is notoriously stingy with awarding medals for valor.

I may be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time, but from what I understand, the Army does not treat the Bronze Star as a medal of valor unless it has a "V". It is handed out like a Navy Commendation Medal.

I have never heard of a Marine getting the Bronze Star for anything other than valor.

A National Guard Lt that I know said that half of his platoon got them in Afghanastan.

quote:

Originally posted by JSchmuckatelli:

quote:

Originally posted by Bri6366:
Compared to the other branches, the Marine Corps is notoriously stingy with awarding medals for valor.

I may be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time, but from what I understand, the Army does not treat the Bronze Star as a medal of valor unless it has a "V". It is handed out like a Navy Commendation Medal.

I have never heard of a Marine getting the Bronze Star for anything other than valor.

A National Guard Lt that I know said that half of his platoon got them in Afghanastan.

I have seen plenty of Marines get the Bronze Star without a "V". They don't give them out as liberally as the Army, but the Marine Corps has the same distinction between a Bronze Star with "V" and a Bronze Star without (one is for heroic service, one is for meritorious service in a combat zone).

quote:

Originally posted by Deanosaur:
This is the Infantry where medals only serve to remind Grunts of bad times in hard places where good Brothers were killed so you won't find any heros here because we lost them all in war. We're merely Marines who lived to tell their tale.

Semper Fi

Well said.

quote:

Originally posted by MN3RESCUESWIMMER:

quote:

Originally posted by ABVGunns:
From this weeks Marine Times:

Medals awarded for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom

MOH: Army 1, Marine Corps 1

DSC,AFC,NC: Army 8, Marine Corps 17**,Navy 1

Silver Star: Army 385, Air Force 11, Marine Corps 77**, Navy 40**

Legion of Merit: Army 59, Air Force 3, Marine Corps 28**, Navy N/A

DFC Army 96, Air Force 269, Marine Corps 24**, Navy N/A

Bronze Star Army 58,877 (1,843 for valor), Air Force 1,881 (91 for valor), Navy 2,258***, Marine Corps 1,940**,***

* Navy figures only include Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Navy Cross
** Includes awards for OIF and OEF, breakdown unavailable
*** Breakout of Bronze Star for Valor unavailable

Its missing the MOH that Navy SEAL LT Murphy was awarded.

Roger, the LT was awarded the MOH for duty in Afghanistan. Only the Marine Corps included their awards for OEF.

And and now another SEAL is getting a MOH for actions in Iraq....

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=130733&highlight=SEAL

quote:

...because I wear it for the men that did not get it that did much more than I ever did!

Your thoughts were echoed by a number of Senior Marines I served under. My Regimental CO considered his MOH a unit medal for the Marines of Echo 2/4.

heres a guy from my National Guard Unit.
remember statistically the number of Army vs. USMC in theater..there is easily 4x the number of soldiers
Chad earned his in great style
*MALMBERG, CHAD A. (KIA)
Synopsis:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Chad A. Malmberg, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Convoy Escort Team Commander, assigned to Company A, 2d Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment (AASLT), assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, near Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq on 27 January 2007 during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 06-08. Staff Sergeant Malmberg's personal bravery and selfless actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 34th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.

NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
For gallantry in action against an armed enemy of the United States as a Convoy Escort Team Commander, while assigned to Company A, 2d Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment (AASLT), assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, near Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq on 27 January 2007 during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 06-08. Staff Sergeant Malmberg was the Commander of a Convoy Escort Team that departed Baghdad International Airport on 27 January 2007, with five gun trucks and 20 logistical vehicles. At 2232 hours, as Staff Sergeant Malmberg's convoy was traveling south on MSR Tampa near Checkpoint 30A, a convoy driving in front of them was struck by an improvised explosive device, requiring him to stop his convoy. A cordon of the area was established by the local route security team and Staff Sergeant Malmberg moved his convoy into a defensive posture to await clear passage of the route. Unbeknownst to Staff Sergeant Malmberg, an Anti-Iraqi Force of 30-40 fighters had established an ambush to the southwest of the IED cordon site. The area selected by the insurgents consisted of a well defined kill zone with berms running parallel to MSR Tampa at 100-200 meter intervals and canals running perpendicular to the MSR to allow for covered movement up to the MSR. Additionally median rails prevented any vehicles from crossing the MSR and exiting the kill zone. The enemy had established support by fire positions and were well drilled in fire and maneuver tactics. The warm dry night aided the enemy in concealing their ambush. The enemy initiated their ambush by firing RPGs and small arms at the Route Security Team's cordon directly to the front of Staff Sergeant Malmberg. Staff Sergeant Malmberg immediately directed his truck forward to support the route security element, engaging four to five enemy support by fire positions. Staff Sergeant Malmberg, while under enemy small arms fire, dismounted his truck to attempt to clear the road and allow his convoy to exit the kill zone. When unsuccessful in clearing the road, Staff Sergeant Malmberg coordinated fires, situational reports, and communications between the three units on the ground, air support, and sheriff net. Shortly after the execution of the ambush, Staff Sergeant Malmberg learned that the enemy had begun to mass fires at the rear of his convoy. He immediately directed his truck and an additional gun truck to the rear to support and safeguard his element. After several minutes exchanging gunfire, and unable to gain fire superiority, Staff Sergeant Malmberg identified the largest concentration of enemy fire and while under direct enemy fire, he dismounted his vehicle and engaged that position with an AT-4, eliminating any additional enemy fire from that location. Staff Sergeant Malmberg coordinated AH-64 Apache air support, directing his elements to mark enemy positions with infra-red lasers; however when they arrived on scene the enemy fire was so heavy that they were unable to remain on station. Over the next 35 minutes, Staff Sergeant Malmberg directed the actions of his five gun trucks and continually moved his truck to the area of heaviest fighting. On three separate occasions he dismounted his vehicle, under heavy and direct enemy small arms and RPG fire, in an attempt to coordinate passage of his convoy through the cordon element. Almost 40 minutes into the fierce battle and with his trucks low on ammunition, the enemy had closed to within 20 meters of the rear gun truck. The gunner was unable to depress his crew served weapon to engage at the close range. Staff Sergeant Malmberg immediately responded to the call for help and again, under direct and heavy enemy fire, selflessly exposed himself to deploy a hand grenade, engaging six enemy fighters positioned in a ditch and preparing to assault the convoy. His actions killed estimated 7-9 Anti-Iraqi Forces fighters and eliminated the threat of his convoy being overrun. Staff Sergeant Malmberg's gallant actions and determined leadership allowed his convoy, trapped in an enemy ambush for nearly 50 minutes, to dominate a numerically superior enemy fighting from prepared positions, without a single member of the convoy being wounded or killed in action, or loss of a single vehicle. His actions undoubtedly saved lives, at great risk to his own.
Born: at St. Paul, Minnesota
Home Town: St. Paul, Minnesota
If you can help us locate S/Sgt Malmberg's Citation, Please E-Mail us.

MANGELS,

My last platoon Sgt killed 50+(everyone else says he was in triple digits) people in fallujah... He got a bronze star, for charging into an insurgent stronghold by himself.. and killing 9 guys with his rifle.. all armed with assault weapons, and i believe these ones were all chechnyans.

From what they tell me, from the stories i heard.. that ****er should have gotten a CMH.

my post is from the Silver Star site,the exact citation.

Bronze Star Army 1,843 for valor
Marine Corps 1,940

Am I missing something here? You guys are saying the Army(or the others) gives away Bronze stars(or other Medals of valor) but the Marine Corps who has a much smaller force deployed has 100 more for valor?

quote:

My last platoon Sgt killed 50+(everyone else says he was in triple digits) people in fallujah... He got a bronze star, for charging into an insurgent stronghold by himself.. and killing 9 guys with his rifle.. all armed with assault weapons, and i believe these ones were all chechnyans.

50+ possibly triple digits during the entire campaign or on one day one week?

I wasn't there but that is alot of bodies, and with a M16? on drugged up insurgents?

quote:

Originally posted by TRIGG1231:
My last platoon Sgt killed 50+(everyone else says he was in triple digits) people in fallujah... He got a bronze star, for charging into an insurgent stronghold by himself.. and killing 9 guys with his rifle.. all armed with assault weapons, and i believe these ones were all chechnyans.

From what they tell me, from the stories i heard.. that ****er should have gotten a CMH.

If this sgt. was in another branch, he'll definitely have gotten the MOH!

quote:

Bronze Star Army 1,843 for valor
Marine Corps 1,940

Am I missing something here? You guys are saying the Army(or the others) gives away Bronze stars(or other Medals of valor) but the Marine Corps who has a much smaller force deployed has 100 more for valor?

Actually that 1,940 number is both for valor and for meritorious service (the last time I saw the breakdown was about 350 of them were for valor). So yes, the Army gives out a lot more bronze stars than the Marine Corps (58,577 compared to 1,940). As should be evident by the numbers the Army awards the bronze star for non valor at a much higher rate than the Marine Corps does. The bronze star for valor seems to be pretty close in both services (when you compare the number of boots on the ground).

No, the argument was that the other branchs "give away" Valor medals....Comments like "If the Corps gives it I know he earned it"...Pretty much invalidates what someone else did in another branch, or maybe it's jealousy because they have a Bronze star or Silver Star and they don't.