Connie Pollich; her rack is growing
Connie Pollich is a state representative in Ohio who spent eight years in the Air Force. It appears that her rack is growing. No, not that rack, get your mind out of the gutter. Her rack of ribbons.
Here’s what her decorations looked like in an Air Force photo;
And here’s what she looks like on the campaign trail;
Apparently, she’s earned 11 more ribbons since the Air Force uniform picture was taken. Here’s what she’s sporting today;
The only awards that I can identify are the NDSM, the Air Force Longevity Service Award and the Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon. Other than that, it’s all a mystery to me. I spent about an hour this morning trying to identify the ribbons – so I’m turning to the experts – my readers.
There’s more at Free Republic and Doug Ross.
Category: Phony soldiers
That looks ridiculous on a civilian blouse, other than that, sorry, can’t help with the Air Force bling…
It is amazing the sudden surge among Dems this election cycle for all things military. In my neck of the woods those that don’t have military service are trying to boost their street cred by hyping all the wonderful things they have done legislative wise for veterans and the military. They just hope you don’t look back a couple of years when they were sitting on phony Winter Soldiers panels, giving speeches chastising our role in Iraq and their long litany of criticism of all things related to Bush and the handling of the GWOT while at the same time scrubbing all references to their political party of choice from ads, websites and press releases.
Dems are in full desperation mode and when that happens nothing is off limits to them to their pursuit to maintain power. I say let’s throw the Dem incumbents out this time and in 2012 let’s get the rest of the incumbents out. At least that way whoever the new president is he will have a clean slate to start with and maybe we can get some of this entrenched cronyism out of DC.
As for the ribbons I can’t help you, but one of them is probably for Baggage Handler of the Year.
Here’s a chart one of the freepers had a link to…
http://www.pjsinnam.com/medals/USAF_Medal_Chart.htm
Upper left looks like AF commendation medal (3 awards)next to it appears to be Organizational excellence (3 awards) filling out the top is the Navy Occupation medal.
Next row; Nation Defense Service Medal, Over seas service ribbon-long tour, Longevity service award,
I really can’t tell on the rest, was she ANG for a time?
Next row; ?, Air Force training ribbon, ?
You can check ’em out here:
http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/airforib.shtml
I am about 99.44% sure that the 3rd one in her libo stack is the Army of Occupation Medal, which was last awarded during WWII:
http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/aoom.shtml
Which, if so, of course calls into question the rest of the stack. Let’s go FOIA-filin’!
Ah, disregard. I should never trust the internets on the first try; AOOM was also apparently awarded for service in Berlin during the cold war, but there is still rightful suspicion over how her awards seem to have expanded.
And hey, NOW she can claim the Congressional Medal of Honor, right? The court says its freedom of speech.
Why I sure remember when * I * received the MOH, posthumously, and the Navy Cross, for my actions in the Argonne Woods EST seminar battles.
I can’t say for sure, but I like to think that if I saw someone wearing ribbons on their civvies, that I am old enough and ‘don’t give a damn anymore’ enough to rip them off on the spot and tell ’em, these ain’t for clown costume wear, arsehole!
Military service speaks for itself. I find it a very questionable prractice to wear your service on your sleeve like that
“Air Force. Air Force Instruction 36-2903, paragraph 4-4 says that honorably discharged and retired Air Force members may wear full-size or miniature medals on civilian suits on appropriate occasions such as Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day. Female members may wear full-size or miniature medals on equivalent dress. As with the Army, medals should be placed in the approximate same location and in the manner they are placed on the Air Force Uniform.”
Somehow I don’t think this is what the Air Force had in mind as an appropriate occasion to wear medals with civilian dress.
I have never once thought of wearing my rack while campaigning. But I do carry a copy of my DD-214 with me to prove what I am entitled to.
Pretty sure at least half are foreign awards, since she’s got 10 ribbons after her AF training ribbon, which is, I am told, the lowest U.S decoration in precedence an Air Force vet can wear.
Don’t know of a good source to look them up though.
Do we know when the photo was taken in her uniform? If it was shortly before she got out, then this woman is a liar. However, I am suspicious just because 8 years in the AF and she has a 6 stack rack cookin’? Yeah, riiiiiight.
I would also like to point out that she would have to have been awarded at least 2 per year in her 8 year career, not including multiples of the same award, which it looks like she has, also. I wonder if she’s one of them there sooper troopers?
There used to be a ribbon guide on the back of the PFE (large, 1 inch thick promotion study manual) but they took it off around 2007 when they switched over to the new manual. Going through the published AF manuals, they even pulled the ribbon graphic out of the guide, they list ribbons, but that is useless with a picture. I used to have a dozen of those damn things laying around, now, when I need one, I can’t find one.
WTF? I am so tired of poseurs.
well, one thing is for sure. All non AF ribbons have to go under the AF ribbons, starting at the basic training ribbon. That’s ten ribbons under the basic ribbon that would have to be given from non-AF sources. I haven’t seen anyone who didn’t liberate the Phillipines with that many under the basic ribbon.
The second highest on her rack is the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
Actually, she has most of them listed on her campaign website-now the questions is whether she earned them and why the heck she is wearing them in civvies while campaigning.
http://www.conniepillich.com/index.php?code=biography
There’s nothing particularly exciting about her ribbon rack, just a whole lotta atta boys. 8 yrs as an AirForce officer with a cold war posting to Germany? Not that tough for her to accumulate what she’s got if that’s what she was focused on.
The Army Of Occupation Medal (AOM) Top right, not handed out since Korea.
Going through the list the top ones from the basic ribbon look ok, outside of the AOM, but theuy are all in the wrong order. Then, it looks like she went to a military suplus store and added ten underneath. Can’t find one of those, and a MSgt I showed the pic to just laughed, asked it it came off a costume.
They’re commemorative medals, check the medals of America website. A quick look shows expert marksman commemorative, overseas service commemorative, etc.
From the top:
Three Commendation medals in eight years – plausible
Three Outstanding Unit Awards in eight years – plausible, but starting to push it.
Occupation Medal – she could have “earned” it. She was stationed in Berlin and that time counts. – plausible
NDSM – a gimme if she served between Aug 1990 and Nov 1995 – plausible
Overseas Long Tour – probably for her Berlin time – plausible
Longevity Ribbon should have an Bronze Oak Leaf if she did the full eight years. The ribbon is for the first 4 years and a Bronze Oak leaf for the second 4 years.
Marksmanship ribbon – plausible
Training Ribbon – plausible
Everything after that does not match any of the Air Force ribbons of lower importance than the Training Ribbon. In other words, I call Bullshit!
Apparently these exist to ‘commemorate’ one’s service . Next they’ll come up with commemorative badges…
I wish I could make my rack grow! (_o_Y_o_)
Liverdoc, that is a fun website, knick knack heaven.
I’ll ask about which AFI governs commemorative medals. If you could just buy and mount ribbons for the cost plus shipping and handling, Air Force workcenters would be populated by people in blues wearing Klingon sashes of ribbons , going over the shoulder and coming around the hip back up.
Ozzie – the Occupation Ribbon was awarded up through 90 or 91 for time in Berlin.
As liverdoc says above, the new ones are all “commemorative” (read-“vanity”) medals from the Medals of America company. These are unoffical awards essentially made up by this company. medalsofamericaDOTcom
Based on the picture, here’s what she’s sporting:
REAL:
AF Commendation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
AF Overseas Tour Ribbon (long)
AF Longevity Service Award Ribbon
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
AF Training Ribbon
UNOFFICIAL
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Commemorative Medal
American Defense Service Commemorative Medal
Liberation of Kuwait Commemorative Medal
Cold War Commemorative Medal
Overseas Service Commemorative Medal
NATO Service Commemorative Medal
Air Force Commemorative Medal
Honorable Service Commemorative Medal
National Guard and Reserve Commemorative Medal
Armed Forces Expert Marksman Commemorative Medal
Duplicative- yes, Puffery- yes, Illegal, no.
What I fail to understand is why she just wouldn’t go with the real thing. Adding the extra ribbons ruins what could have been a simple statement of “I served honorably” to something ugly.
This is easy- she lists every one of them on her page: In order of precedence, under the Basic Training Ribbon:
*Greater Sycamore Soccer Association – Board of Trustees, Coaches Ribbon
* National Soccer Association Ribbon
* Girl Scouts – Great Rivers Council Participant Award
* Coffee Please Runners- Fastest Coffee Award
* Clifton Track Club – 3d place ribbon
* Friends-A-Foot Running Club – Longevity Ribbon
* Linguini Group – Founders Award
* Ault Park Independence Day Ribbon
* Kennedy Heights Montessori Center – Best Coloring (5 awards)
* Sycamore Schools volunteer and band booster – best sales ribbon
* Law Women – President, Chair of Law Moms Committee Ribbon
* University of Cincinnati Student Court – Chief Justice, student prosecutor ribbon
KM-
If they are ‘unofficial’ how does she then get to wear them? Just by fact she’s in ‘civilian’ status?
Hell- my rack would make Petraeus’ look bleak comparatively if that’s the case. And with OLC’s and Roman numerals, to boot…
I have to wonder why the Navy Uniform Regs are so much different??
7. WEARING AWARDS ON CIVILIAN CLOTHES
a. Miniature Medals and Miniature Breast Insignia. You may wear miniature medals and breast insignia on civilian evening dress (white tie) or civilian dinner dress (black tie) in the same manner as for dinner dress jackets.
b. Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor, for which there is no miniature, may be worn with civilian evening dress (white tie) and civilian dinner dress (black tie) in the same manner as for military uniforms.
c. Miniature Replicas. You may wear miniature replicas of ribbons made in the form of lapel buttons, or ribbons made in rosette form, on the left lapel of civilian clothes except civilian evening dress (white tie) and civilian dinner dress (black tie).
d. Miniature Distinguished Marksmanship and Pistol Shot Badges. You may wear miniature distinguished marksmanship and pistol shot badges as a lapel pin or as part of a tie clasp on civilian clothing.
e. Honorable Discharge and Service Buttons. You may wear honorable discharge and service buttons on left lapel of civilian clothes except civilian evening dress (white tie).
http://www.npc.navy.mil/CommandSupport/USNavyUniforms/UniformRegulations/Chapter6/61001.htm
One would THINK that ALL of the services would have the same standards when it comes to the wearing of awards on civilian attire.
The Air Force regulations cited (#8) allows the wear of MEDALS with appropriate civilian clothing in an appropriate setting. What she’s wearing are ribbons, which are not authorized for wear on civilian clothes, ever.
“I’ll only wear it, just this once…”
[…] the good folks at This Ain’t Hell comes yet another possible Stolen Valor case this time involving a Congressional candidate by the […]
Mister WOLF –
Best post of the day, sir.
I doff my Horatio Caine shades in your honor!
“#22 Amy Says:
August 31st, 2010 at 10:12 am
I wish I could make my rack grow! (_o_Y_o_)”
Rub em with toilet paper. I mean, it worked for my wife’s a$$, so I’m guessing it’s got some merit to it.
8^)
AFI 36-2903 http://www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/afi36-2903.pdf
“4.4. Wear of Awards and Decorations by Retirees and Honorably Discharged Veterans. Honorably discharged and retired Air Force members may wear full-size or miniature medals on civilian suits on appropriate occasions such as Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day. Female members may wear full-size or miniature medals on equivalent dress.”
Honorably Discharged – yes
Are they medals? No – violation. If it does not say you can, you can’t.
Appropriate occasion – appears not to be – violation
Appropriate dress – Nope – violation.
Plus, if you can’t wear it on a real uniform, you certainly don’t mix real with fake on a civilian uniform…
I went to her website and I can honestly say she’s a fricken douche. In many of the photos, she’s wearing the 6 stack rack on her civvies and continually mentioning her 8 years in the AF. I’m sorry, but she just oozes too much slime for me.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by PETULANT SAGE, Nick Dubaz. Nick Dubaz said: So dumb. A politician wearing USAF ribbons on her suit while on the campaign trail. http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=20316 […]
Sponge
Dayum!!
BTW, nice rack Amy!
Commemorative medals? Connie musta been one of those kids who decorated her bedroom with “Participant” ribbons.
State Rep. Connie Pollich’s rack with both official military awards and commemorative medals is authorized for wear on civilian clothes. Yes, I agree that wearing all of these ribbon on every outfit she wears on the campaign trail is distasteful, she isn’t doing anything illegal. Commemorative medals have been around in the United States for a long time, even longer than medals authorized for wear on military uniforms. The first commemorative medal established by Congress to was awarded to General George Washington for his recovery of Boston on March 17, 1776. A second commemorative medal was struck to honor General Horatio Gates. These early medals were shaped like coins and bore the image of the person it was to commemorate. Awards for service members en mass that could be worn on uniforms, came later. Commemorative medals today are generally used for display purposes on the wall and for the few who want to wear them on civilian attire. Many medals in recent years were created to fill in gaps where it was felt the military had failed to recognize its members properly. Today it has become an area where companies have more interest in making a profit from service members, than in honoring service members. For the most part, her legitimate Air Force ribbons are correct. As far as the Army of Occupation Medal goes, this award is a military decoration of the United States military which was established by the United States War Department in 1946. The medal was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to recognize those who had performed occupation service in either Germany or Japan. The original Army of Occupation Medal was intended only for members of the United States Army, but was expanded in 1948 to encompass the United States Air Force shortly after that service’s creation. To be awarded the Army of Occupation Medal, a service member was required to have performed at least thirty consecutive days of military duty within a designated geographical area of military occupation. The Army of Occupation Medal was presented with a campaign clasp, denoting either… Read more »
stingerwooten see my post #34 – her wear of the ribbons is clearly inappropriate and in violation of AFI 36-2903
Arby – WoW. Thanks for the correction. I imagine ribbon hunters were trying to trade for that assignment. That is the ONLY case though, I am assuming from all the previosu posts. Hilarious you can do 30 days going to a cafe in West Berlin to get that. Kind of denigrates the service of WW2 troops shot at my Nazi sympathizers for 4 years, or a variety of things the Korean vets went through. /shakehead Still you have to excuse it, outside of her wearing it on her Paris Hilton bikini she ‘earned’ it.
Mr Wolf-
Not defending her at all- I think what she’s doing is crass and says a lot (negative) about her character. I don’t get the whole idea of commemorative medals. I can see how someone might like to buy a commemorative medal for grandpa as part of a wall display although I suspect most of us veterans would consider them to be a bit ridiculous.
I wonder how big her “I love me” wall is in her office?
KM-
What I was asking was, how does one get ‘unofficial’ ribbons? Never heard of such a thing. I mean, can I wear them to a promo board, if they are ‘authorized’ and under the BT ribbon? I have ‘official’ state ribbons from Ohio that Colorado won’t let me wear as I didn’t earn them in CO. Which seems to be a crock to me. They were earned on state active duty.
Just. wow.
Wolf
Well screw it……. I fired off a letter to her campaign:
“Dear Ms. Pillich;
I would appreciate it if you would comply with AF uniform regs.
“4.4. Wear of Awards and Decorations by Retirees and Honorably Discharged Veterans. Honorably
discharged and retired Air Force members may wear full-size or miniature medals on civilian suits on
appropriate occasions such as Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day. Female members may wear
full-size or miniature medals on equivalent dress.”
http://www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/afi36-2903.pdf
It clearly states that ribbons are not authorized for wear on civilian clothing, only medals and even then, for “special occasions”. You campaigning does NOT qualify as a “special occasion”. While you are not wearing your uniform while campaigning, you are wearing a uniform item. Furthermore, you look like an idiot!! If a person can’t run on their military record, alone, without advertising the “fruit salad”, then I’d be apt to question that person’s military record.
Regards
“Thor”
USN(ret)
For the record: http://www.conniepillich.com/index.php?code=contact
I agree with the comments here. Eight years of service and all those medals? Remotely possible, but not likely. There’s something crude and tasteless about parading around in a political campaign and pushing those medals in everyone’s face. It’s obvious the reaction she wants is to have people say.”Oh what a hero you must be. You’ve sure got my vote.”
I hope Stolen Valor gets involved in this. They’ll get to the bottom of it.
Wrecker,
I don’t think there is any stolen valor here as she only claims about half the salad bar she’s wearing (seems reasonable in 8 years) She piled “commemorative awards” on her rack clearly with the intent to deceive or she wouldn’t be wearing them like pasties at a burlesque show. You’re absolutely right that she wants people to ogle them and use them to get a vote…pretty damn shifty…
She looks like one of those grizzled old Soviet WWII vets with the 400 “medals” they get rolled out to wear every May Day Parade.
Just sayin, Connie. And NO, I haven’t bothered to pull out my medals more than a handful of times since I got out 11 years ago. You remind me of Damon Wayans in “I’m Gonna Get You Sucka”…”I got this one for typing, and this one for collating…”
Well, according to her shirt, she handled the ANGLICO coordination at San Juan Hill…
She should’ve not gone in for the “commemorative” additions crap and put any emphasizing the physical “rack” proper (_o_Y_o_) (call me sexist, but honest ribbons plus that would’ve been more impressive).
Mr Wolf-
To my knowledge, the commemorative ribbons are not authorized for wear with a uniform. That’s the whole rub- they don’t really mean anything, they’re just for showing off to folks who don’t know any better.
I like Stingers characterization of the whole thing as distasteful. It feels like she’s trying to use them to make her service record more prestigious, which is ironic since I’m not sure that an Ohio State Rep has any official relationship with the military.
On the other hand, maybe she’s bucking for a position on the mythical Ohio House Armed Services Committee so she can drill the AG on why he isn’t doing a better job against the “Al-Hoosier” and “West Virginia Jihad” threat.