Awarding Six Medals to the Three Released POW S :: Free Essay Writer

Awarding Six Medals to the Three Released POWS The military has lost its mind by awarding six medals to the three released P.O.W.s. I do not mean to rag on the three troops -- although one did write a "Thank You" note to his prison guards for his swell Motel 6 treatment, but more to the point is the damage such giveaway policies do to our military awards programs. Remember what Napoleon said about awards: "Give me enough ribbon and I will conquer the world." So that all of you have a complete list of the awards the three "heroes" got, I will list them for you: Purple Heart Army Commendation Medal P.O.W. Medal Armed Forces Medal United Nations Medal NATO Medal The Purple Heart is awarded for wounds suffered while in armed combat with an opposing force, for wounds received while in combat "operations" in a combat zone or for wounds received from terrorist acts while in the military. It is also awarded to the next of kin when someone is KIA or dies as the result of wounds received. How can the Pentagon give out Purple Hearts for injuries received that are no worse than those received in a H.S. football game? Yes, they were soldiers; yes, they were on a mission and yes, they were "treated roughly" -- broken noses, cracked ribs, chipped teeth, cuts and abrasions. Is the Army telling me that the same award for being killed, maimed or shot-up in a firefight is the same award for taking a fist to the chops -- "treated roughly"? I propose a new award -- the "Black & Blue Device." It would resemble the old W.W.II ruptured duck or just be a plain Red Cross on a white background the International Sign for First Aid. And by the way, it was the President himself who referred to them as detainees and stated that they "weren't in a war zone." Now they're hailed as conquering heroes and given combat awards for sterling performance in a war zone.