PFC Lynch received the Bronze Star medal - for what? Being captured? Wrecking a humvee? Fighting the enemy? Was there anything extraordinary? I think the Army gives away too many medals in the first place - they are used as awards for doing well in a competition. This is a slap in the face to everyone who won this medal in the past. I could see it if she managed to escape on her own. It seems that nothing is sacred anymore.

Can we all say Public Relations? I agree, the few details released about what actually happened dont suggest anyone did anything worth a bronze star, as a matter of fact, most of what was originally released about them fighting to the death etc etc was greatly exagerated. Its all a PR stunt, hate to say it, but it is. However, I'm not at all saying i dont respect her or her fellow soldiers for what they went through, i just dont believe she did anything worthy of a bronze star.

What about the Purple Heart and the other medal she won? For being at the wrong place at the wrong time?

Stone

I can only speak for myself but i think InfX708 was also only talking ab the Bronze Star....Purple Heart is awarded for wounds received in combat, well she was wounded in combat. POW medal is received basically for being a POW and she was a POW...So the only thing i was disussing is the Bronze Star she was awarded.

It seems you get a medal for farting in the US armed forces.

She was part of the biggest "wag the dog" setup in recent history, It was filmed, there was no combat, it appears the Iraqi's had allready fled. Giving her a bronze star for that is a slap in the face to all servicemen who earned it adn deserve it.....disgusting if you ask me.

We will see a lot more of her, She will become a recruitng poster, after Oprah and Montel is done with her. Then comes the movie deal and whamoo she is now living in Hollywood only talking through her agent.

Remember Scott O'Grady?. Now there is a person who deserved ALL the credit he got.

Yeah... It's total bullshit. She doesn't deserve a Bronze Star.

There has been nothing but bullshit regarding this girl's story. The media (especially The Washington Post) have printed all sorts of lies about her story. The Pentagon has also been super secretive regarding her. Even to the point of a coverup ... almost.

The truth is she never put up a fight at all. Maybe she was raped by the Iraqi's. They would never want that to come out. The feminists at the Pentagon would do everything in their power to keep that secret. It would harm their agenda.

It's all about appeasing the feminists and the "women in combat" issue. It's a shame and yes it does devalue and cheapen the Bronze Star when it is awarded to a soldier who never put up a fight simply because she is a female.

It's out of control PC madness. The public will be treated to more lies when they make movies about her. The whole thing is a web of lies to protect and advance an agenda. That's it......

Bang on Madman, But all wars are like this, One must not forget the Goatfuck that got them into this mess in the first place. Some numbskull took a worng turn adn ended up in a hot zone, People got killed and the Army needed a morale booster thus pumping this woman. Propaganda is a part of all wars, it is only a pity when it is done at other people's expense (i.e the real hero's)

Imagine you being stuck in the shit fight in Mogadishu back in the 90'ties (Black Hawk down) being awarded a Bronze Star for saving your comrades only to read a story like this?. I would send that medal back.....

Well put Claus.

All I have to see is she is cute and thats why it was done.

Some things to remember there everyone.

You can get two types of Bronze Stars: meritorious service and valor. The extra "V" device is added if awarded for valor.

Blanket issues of the Bronze Star are not unknown, actually. At the end of the WW II, large numbers of guys in the 101st Airborne, for example, were issued the Bronze Star so that their point totals would be upped, allowing them to be repatriated faster.

I don't think Lynch is being singled out here and I think that some of the criticism of her is a bit unwarranted. She's not the one awarding herself the medal. She is not the one that submitted the recommendation for the award or the general officer who approved it. 10 other soldiers from the 507th were awarded medals for that action.

http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/july/m070303g.htm

Don’t criticize her as she is being used by both the military and our civilian leadership who feel the need to blow this out of proportion.

Not the first time nor will it be the last.

http://www.d-n-i.net/fcs/comments/c363.htm

I had a company commander when I was in the 25th that was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on Grenada. Basically, he walked off the back of the airplane with the rest of his company as the fighting was practically over. He had the citation on his office wall. I would have not showed it out of guilt for not doing anything to earn it. Even the Infantry has it's duds.

No one has an issue with this woman, The issue of this discussion is the awarding of medals to individuals who perhaps not deserve them, used in a way to boost morale or create propaganda in times where the whole campaign is under pressure and the overall approval is in question.

The Bronze Medal is given for the following reason:

. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United States after 6 December 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; or while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

c. Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star.

She got hit by an RPG. She passed out and got captured. Heroic??????.

Not when you compare it to this :

[url=Night Stalkers]http://www.nightstalkers.com/tfranger/memorial/smith/smith3.html[/url]

No kidding. Where is the B.S. (as I prefer to call it now ) for the homely looking black woman or the other clowns that made the wrong turn and ended up captured? We shouldn't blame them though as it takes an officer to put them in for the medal... :rolleyes: Typical military dog and poney bullshit.

Just another split-tail soldier with a built in fox hole.

I think it is bullshit that she received the medal, but definately disagree with Stonecoldchavez about her being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let's not forget that she did volunteer to be in the Army and she did go over to Iraq in the first place. She could have been a coward and went AWOL. That is not worthy of a medal, but it definately takes some courage.

Okay, you guys are totally wrong.

First off there are 2 bronze stars, with valor and without. PFC Lynch was awarded a bronze star without valor. Which basically amounts to a wartime meritorious service medal. The bronze star is given out for:

a. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the military of the United States after 6 December 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

b. Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star.

c. Awards may be made to recognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. The required achievement or service while of lesser degree than that required for the award of the Legion of Merit must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction.

Seems to me, she fit the critera of C perfectly. Now if she had gotten the bronze star with valor she would have had to demonstrate some type of heroics. Which she didn't. She did however achieve a single act of merit/meritorious service (engaged in a firefight and fought hard).

Lets not take credit away from her. She did her duty, she did it well. It's a shame that some other guys who saw combat didn't get put up for a bronze star.

Now, I'm a military guy (currently serve on AD) and I have a good friend who was awarded a bronze star for serving in Afghanistan. He was the officer in charge of a 44 man team who saw combat. He never discharged his weapon, never killed an enemy, never got shot. However he did his job well in combat and none of his guys got killed (meritorious service). He was one the first U.S. troops on the ground and went in with Army Special Forces (he was AF Security Forces).

I have four and a half words for you folks...
Why weren't you there?
I seriously doubt I need to stand up for her or any other person in our military as their actions speak for themselves. If I do, then you have a serious lack of grasp about the military and the people that protect our asses every fucking day.
A marketing tool for the armed services? Sure.
A reason for you retards to bash her for it? Despicitable and embarassing.

Ok everybody who was sitting on their fucking couch through the war shut the fuck up. You bunch of ball licking chicken shit pansies. She was in a foreign country in the middle of a war. Through no fault of her own she ended up involved in a live fire exchange with the enemy. She was seriously wounded and was behind enemy lines as a POW. What the fuck have any of you pieces of shit done to give you the right to criticize her. I would wager that you would have all shit your pants and died in the same situation.

Dumbasses.

you and Bin300000 takes the Moron posts of the month. Again NO ONE is questioning her and her service to her country, We are talking about awarding of medals. I have actually learned a thing or 2 and so should you. Read the first page again slapnuts....

Her 5 other fellow servicemen were ALSO POW's they were beaten and behind enemy lines, where is their Air time where is their home coming parade, their Bronze Stars. I am trying to understand WHY she was awarded that medal for being wounded or for being a hero????,if you say hero then I say start making 400.000 other Bronze stars and call them campaign medals as I am sure there are soldiers earning it as I type this. She did nothing out of the ordinary to earn a recognition other being captured at no fault of her own. Compare it to Mogadishu, Peole got wounded and killed trying to save other people, that is the point, not who she is or where she was,

No one has more respect for the people in the shit over there, being shot at without knowing who is friend or foe. Having the feeling they are doing their duty as called for but seeing the very people they liberate shoot and kill your friends.

Please refer to my post. The bronze star she was awarded is given for MERITORIOUS SERVICE DURING WARTIME. That's it! She fit the bill. As a matter of fact, other members in her convoy got bronze stars as well. In fact, 1 got a Silver Star.

Then it fits our conversation, hence the title of the thread.....

Can you define Meritorius for me?

Deserving reward or praise; having merit.

Basically, a Meritorious Service Award is given out every three years for just serving your country well. Now, a Bronze Star is a Meritorious Medal given ONLY during engagements with enemy (wartime). So, the definition is basically doing your job and doing it well when egaged with the enemy. Then you are eligable for a Bronze Star (without Valor).

You guys have it all wrong. A Bronze Star with Valor is the money maker you don't see many of those. However, just about everyone I know that has EVER been in some type of live fire exchange with the enemy has a bronze star. Unless they totally fucked up or froze, ect. Do what you were trained to do when the bullets fly and you have the makings of a Bronze Star. That's basically it!

Just gave you a 5 rating for that one , now stop slacking off at work (I assume you must be working).

Nah, I'm home right now. Work Swings and Mids... had one hell of a night though. Damn military guys always beating their wives. It never ends.

I just wanted you guys to realize a Bronze Star isn't "that" special. What PFC Lynch did was definatly deserving of a Bronze Star (without valor). Like I said... I have yet to meet anyone who was in a live fire exchange with the enemy who did not have a bronze star.

What gets me are the guys who "supported" wartime ops and never held a rifle, let alone fired, let alone were never directly engaged with the enemy walking around with Bronze Stars. Yes, that does happen and IMO it is what gives certain medals a bad wrap.

I served in the Danish military for 6.5 years, Never got a medal from my country. Got shot at twice, I have 2 UN service medals and a South African Defence Force medal (for providing first aid to a car accident involving SA personnel). It seems like medals are awarded freely in the US forces understanding the background of awarding the medals helps. thanks again.

Yes, certain medals in the U.S. are awarded without much consideration. Mainly because the enlisted ranks get promotion points for medals. Over the years they have just gotten easier to get... Now officers on the other hand hardly get medals. Mainly because they do not get promotion points for them, so the need to have medals is not as high.

I'll give you a great example. I am an officer in the military and about 6 months ago I had several troops (with myself) who went above and beyond the call of duty. They ALL got medals for it. I didn't. :shrug: Not that I care because I'm not in it for the medals but my point is they need them to promote and over time, it has gotten easier.

Same goes for performance reports. Years ago a 5 rating (max) meant you were shit hot. Today, if you don't have a 5 rating and have a 4 you are considered a shit bag. God help you if you have a 3 rating (avg) you'd be getting booted out of the service. It's funny how things evolve.