Another Award for heroism in Afghanistan
AverageNCO writes to tell us there’s a Air Force Cross being awarded today at the Pentagon to Air Force Capt. Barry F. Crawford Jr. for his service in Afghanistan;
Crawford exposed himself to insurgent fire in an open field to guide in a medical evacuation helicopter and twice again exposed himself to launch attacks on militant positions with his assault rifle. This was all the while controlling 33 aircraft and well over 40 strafing and bombing airstrikes during a 14-hour ambush and battle in eastern Afghanistan.
“Capt. Crawford braved effective enemy fire and consciously placed himself at grave risk on four occasions,” the citation from President Barack Obama says. “His selfless actions and expert airpower employment neutralized a numerically superior” insurgent force.
There’s more from his citation at Blackfive.
Category: Real Soldiers
Hats off to the tip ‘o the spear!
Sorry I do this all the time and double post, but there’s no edit button. I heard (on the opposite end here) of a finance troop being given a bronze star for doing her job in a deployed location… and nothing more… anyone got any more info on that one? I don’t but I suppose I could find it. It’s embarrassing to be honest.
Again sorry, but here’s the first article I found on google:
http://thelittlep.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/seriously-air-force-finance-nco-earns-bronze-star-for-doing-their-job/
It’s got to be the beard!!!
@ #3(Sigh) Yes I saw that article too 3c0
(Double Sigh)And then I saw they did it again
http://www.dyess.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123296425
Thank God for airmen like Capt. Crawford who fight the Chair Force label….no matter how hard we try to give it to ourselves.
@5 yeah it’s truly disgusting. Yet we wonder what’s wrong with the WAPs system. I honestly think PT scores should be equated. It would at least balance the WAPS. But the CMSAF would not agree to that, which is a shame.
Well, some things just never change. The USAF is primarily the reason that Federal Law changed in 2000 to require receipt of hostile fire or imminent danger pay for award of the BSM (the Navy also helped out a bit).
http://www.dnipogo.org/fcs/comments/c363.htm
“That was my first experience in a special operations environment, so I didn’t really know what to expect,” Haynes said.
“She fought through long days and expended every ounce of her expertise to develop the financial processes for the command,” George said. “She sought no personal benefit from her hard work, but she knew that she could improve the situation for special operations troops and the Afghan local police they partner with.”
Yeah, I thought I didn’t deserve my BSM, but this makes me feel less guilty about it.
Hey guys I’ve been drinking but I wanna say… I love you :*
Hats off to ya Capt. Crawford…..will raise a glass to you & Sgt. Pereira this evening!
Jesus, what’s next? Purple Hearts for paper cuts? I mean, the PN’s/YN’s/DK’s always got awards in far greater proportion to the rest of the enlisted Navy pukes, but a BSM? Seriously?
I haven’t given a shit for my awards since my BDE Legal NCO got a BSM; she never left the wire except for R&R.
A bit of history about the MSM and BSM: ever since the MSM was instituted in Jan 1969, the BSM without V device has been the combat-zone equivalent of the MSM (and vice-versa). Indeed, at one point some of the various service award regulations outright prohibited award of the MSM in a combat zone; the Navy/USMC reg at one point specifically indicated the BSM was the combat-zone equivalent of the MSM. That was the case from the MSM’s creation during Vietnam until the BSM fiasco in former Yugoslavia in 1999. There, a bunch of USAF and USN types in CONUS and Germany/Italy got BSMs without ever setting foot in or flying over the designated combat zone in the Balkans. That’s why Federal Law now requires a recipient of the BSM to draw hostile fire or imminent danger pay in order to be eligible for that award. However, that 2000 change in Federal law led to a bunch of “cheapie” BSMs getting handed out for duty in Kuwait and Qatar in 2001-04. The result was another change, this one in service award policy, allowing award of traditional peacetime decorations (MSM and Achievement Medals) in a combat zone. This happened in the Army in 2004, but the change was made retroactive to 11 Sep 2001; I think the same is true for all services. The bottom line is that all services can now award both wartime and peacetime decorations in a combat zone. The distinction is supposed to be whether the individual’s service can be legitimately considered “noncombat service” (whatever the hell that means in a real combat zone) or not. And yes – both classes of awards (peacetime and wartime) are still abused like hell. Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar are still designated “combat zone” locations. I have seen folks leave Iraq with a CAB and an MSM, and I have personal knowledge of at least one individual serving in Kuwait getting a BSM. Seems to me the old saying “It’s not what ya know, but who ya . . . .” is still obviously in effect. I don’t really have much… Read more »
Seems like in another topic it was pointed out that one should not worry about what someone else is doing – that the standard is what it is and whether we ourselves alone meet it or not is what matters.
Kudos to Capt Crawford. That someone else may not have really earned theirs does not devalue what you did to earn yours.
OWB’s comment 13 reminds me that I am remiss in not congratulating Captain Crawford.
Well done, Captain. Truly a sterling example of military heroism, deserving of honor and emulation by those of all services.
Corretion: OWB’s comment 14.
Hondo…I’ve seen guys pull 72 hours without sleep to keep a billion dollar submarine on station on Spec Op and risking death or great bodily harm in the process…live steam, 3600 rpm turbines, and 480-volts will kill you just as dead as a bullet or IED. And what did they get for it? As the XO in one case said, “That’s why you get sub pay.”
And they wonder why they have such shitty retention, even in this O-conomy.
For the record, I don’t remember ANY nuke, sub or surface, getting an MSM unless they were at least an E-8.
But to keep this on track, good on Captain Crawford. Would that we have like him.
Thank god for good men like Cpt. Crawford.
I will remind everyone that many times the E-5 that gets the award isn’t the person who puts in the paperwork. I don’t shame her, but it does piss me off when I see an e-9 or an o-8 wearing a CAB or a BSM. Most likely they are gimmie awards that someone much lower would never have gotten.
Pics from today’s ceremony……..looks like he had to lose the beard to pin the medals on.
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123297774
NHSparky: Not arguing the fairness aspect per se – it’s obvious that military awards, like life, are not always fair. And the XO you reference needs an attitude tune-up, IMO. Outstanding performance always merits appropriate recognition, regardless if performed while receiving special pay. The key question is how to do that. The Navy has a reputation, IMO well-deserved, for being overly chintzy regarding awards. To me, that sounds like a perfect candidate for a formal Letter of Appreciation in the file, or maybe more.
That said, the history of military awards makes it clear that level of responsibility plays a huge factor in awards for service – and, to a lesser degree, in awards for specific acts as well. Higher rank implies generally more responsibility, and thus more impact – positive or negative – on one’s unit. Accordingly, an award for exemplary performance will simply tend to be higher for higher ranks. It’s the system that exists, fair or not.
As an example: you’ll find precious few DSMs of any type awarded below the GO/FO level these days. LOMs, generally to O6s, W4/W5, and E9s. No, there aren’t hard and fast rules. But history shows what to expect.
Awards for valor seem more equitable, but may be somewhat skewded with rank as well.
I can live with all of that provided the system in use is managed fairly. No human system is perfect, and military awards are no different. But what always absolutely galled me was seeing a HQ play obvious favorites and ignore clear regulatory or policy guidance while doing so. And as I noted in comment 13 above, IMO I’ve seen some really blatant examples of exactly that.
NO MORE CHAIR FORCE!! Thank you Capt Crawford, showing them what’s what!! What an extremely confident and capable officer! Congrats to you and your service to this wonderful country!!!
Cpt Crawford, you are definitely ‘hard corps’. Semper Fi, Sir.
I’m with OldTanker in #4, had to be the beard. They were like “We wuzn’t gonna give you no award Mr. Zoomey, but you got a purty beard, sooo…here ya go!”
Or maybe he should get the award, and then hold a seperate ceremony for a COA made out to his beard,….
First – don’t let the Bronze Star story diminish Captain Crawford’s. That said – a few words to the wise on awards.
The Bronze Star (without V) is indeed an “MSM equivalent” for war zone duty. But while MSM stands for “Master Sergeants and Majors” – on the USAF enlisted side the BSM is generally awarded only to worthy E8’s and 9’s. (Master Sergeant is USAF E7.) How tough it is to justify one for a Master Sergeant depends on various factors, about which those who’ve ever written up more than a few award packages are painfully well aware.
The individual who got the BSM (no V) is a USAF Tech Sergeant – an E6 (not E5) – indicating someone who believed strongly she was deserving of it had to push very hard for that award. It’s not common by any means. Again, those who’ve handled award packages will understand.
But again, none of that makes any difference to Capt Crawford’s story. They happened on very different worlds.
On a side note, medals are also promotion points in the USAF system, with MSM/BSM worth 5, Coms 3, and Achievement 1. You need a lot more to be a contender, but fractions of a point separate those who are promoted from those who aren’t.
Greyhawk: my bad on the rank-to-grade translation. Thanks for catching and correcting it.