I've been in for Five years and 10 months.....

Army Service Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (same as Good Conduct) (soon to be x2!)
Army Achievement Medal
Expert, Machine Gun (m-249)

Here is my accumulation from 16 years and 1 month of army service (12 years as a traditional weekend National Guard soldier, 4 years as an Active Guard/Reserve soldier).

Federal Awards:

*Army Commendation Medal (2nd Award) (First one was awarded for outstanding performance and
instruction of small unit tactics, techniques and procedures somewhere around 1998. Second
one was awarded for my "exemplery resourcefulness and management of government money"
while functioning as a field ordering officer for my company while operating in Iraq. Basically, the
supply system was broke when we arrived in Baghdad during OIF 1. The US gave me cash, I
would assemble a 3 or 4 vehicle convoy and roam Baghdad looking for Iraqi shops to purchase
needed supplies. I spent about $385,000 dollars of tax payers money supporting the operations
of a combat engineer company.) I don't remember what the first one was for.
*Army Achievement Medal (Received for supervision and coordination of return of forces from Iraq)
*Good Conduct Medal
*Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal
(3rd Award)
*National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award)
(1st Award-Active duty during Desert Storm/2nd Award-Iraq)
*Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (Active Duty after September 11, 2001)
*Iraq Campaign Medal-Completed an operational deployment in Iraq
(OIF 1March 2003 to July 2004)
*Humanitarian Service Medal (Awarded for duty performed during the 93' floods in Missouri)
*Armed Forces Reserve Medal with
"M" device and hourglass
*Noncomissioned Officers Professional Development Medal
(1st award- Primary Leadership Development Course/2nd award Basic NCO Course)
*Army Service Ribbon (Awarded for completion of basic training and Advanced individual training)
*Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon(2nd Award) (Panama, Germany)

Missouri Awards:

*Basic Training Ribbon (Awarded to Missouri National Guard members that successfully complete
basic training and advanced individual training)
*Expeditionary Ribbon (Awarded for combat duty in Iraq)
*Commendation Medal
*Emergency Duty Ribbon (awarded for emergency service during the floods of 93' the devestated
several communities in Missouri)
*15 Year Service Ribbon

My biggest satisfaction is putting the uniform on each day and thinking about the privelage to follow in the footsteps of the great soldiers that served before me.

Hello

Wow is there something you americains don't get a medal for??? I guess you even get a medal for cleaning your rifle ore something :-) The don't come that quick in the belgian army...
I got my first 2 last year for a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. A Nato non artical 5, and one in memory of that mission from the Belgian governement. The next one will be afghanistan or my medal for 10 year service after 4 years

Greetz Roel

Roel
Sometimes it does seem we get a medal for damned near everything. But depending upon your unit, you can go years without any recognition. I pretty much care about awards insofar as they count for promotion points. In fact, the last time I wore anything other than a camouflaged uniform was five years ago when I got married.
We recently had a formation for five guys who were put in for Bronze Stars three years ago, but because of "complications" (some foreign weapon related thing) did not receive them until last week. It took nine months for mine to go through. I'm the dude in the front here:

So I assume you will be part of ISAF in Afghanistan? We have told we can wear the Afghan Campaign Ribbon, although I've not yet even seen it, nor two others we supposedly "earned" while there. I wonder if it will be the same one?

hey

That is really
But things are everywhere the same I guess.
Wile there are american soldiers arround here somebody might help me......
I am looking for an american soldier who served in Belgium till beginnig 2000. He was a captain in the american unit in Kleine Brogel. He left for the states but I don't have an adress or something just a name
Is there somebody who can help me track him???

Greetz Roel

If you send me his name via PM, I can look him up for you.

Tom

In the elevn years of service (and im still going) i have the following:

Northern Ireland G.S.M
Kosovo
Op Telic with Rosette
Queens Jubilee

After 8 years faithful (well reasonably faithful... Well, I wasn't caught..) service in quite a few countries I left the British Army with the NI GSM for surviving 2 years of murder and murderous bloody chaos.


Oh, and apparently we were refused the Falklands Medal "'cos we didn't do enough"!

That only leaves one medal to polish... If I could find it.

Yes, I know where it is!

Greetings, my friends...
I just wanted to pop in a quick message to all the gentlemen that have responded to this thread, one which to my amazement, has been active in this forum for over a year now...It's been a true pleasure of mine to read your stories of your decorations of valor, and I hope that this thread will stay as active as it has been...Thank you again, for the interest and participation in sharing your decorations with us all, and most importantly, thank you for your service for our freedom...my hat is off to you all, and this one's on me.
Gunny

Wow, I am humbled by so many of the vets here. If you don't mind, I will add my meager bit to the post:

Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal (4)
Army Achievement Medal (6)
Good Conduct Medal (6)
National Defense Service Medal (2)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal w/2 bss
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
NCO Professional Development Ribbon (2)
Army Service Ribbon (what a "gimme")
Overseas Service Ribbon (4) (all for Germany
NATO Medal (IFOR and SFOR)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)(should've smoked 'em when we had a chance)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) (ditto)
Army Meritorious Unit Commendation (Bosnia)

Most proud of:

Honorable Order of Saint Barbara
German Army Schutzensnur in Gold (4)
German Army Sports Abzeichen (Bronze)

Other "bangles:"

Expert Rifle
Expert Pistol
Expert Grenade
Driver Badge - Wheel & Track


Rock on! to ALL the Armed Forces out there.

Mike

My first Ribbon...and i didn't get it when i was in the army. Its from fire fighting..

OSM Overseas Service Medal (Indonesia forest fire 2005)

Lets see



Combat Action Ribbon
Good Conduct Medal w/bronze star
Southwest asia w/bronze star
Armed Force Expeditionary Medal w/bronze star
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/3bronze stars
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait
Rifle Marksmanship Medal w/E
Pistol Marksmanship Medal w/E
National Defense Service Medal
*Gold Star-
Denotes each subsequent award of the same Navy decoration.
*Silver "E"
Denotes Expert Marksman qualification.

GREETINGS ALL !!

I KNOW that this thread has been going on forever, but I just actually saw it for the FIRST TIME this evening and decided to share a story.

After having a long career in the US ARMY and thinking about all of the various US and Foreign bells & tinsel that I have gathered for my uniform from my time in service within the last 27 years, the one thing that I TRULY CHERISH beyond everything else would be my " BLOOD WINGS " that were pinned on me by my older brother David, during my graduation from Jump School at Ft. Benning in 1979.

He did 3 tours in Vietnam as an "A -Team" leader with both the 5TH SF / 82ND ABN. The wings I received were actually the very same ones from HIS graduation from Jump School back in 1962. Not counting the standard weapon "BOLO" badges that everyone gets from Basic Training, they were actually the first REAL MILITARY AWARD that I ever received.

I still have them tucked away inside of a little box of stuff along with my original CIB, SS, BS, & PH medals. I figure that if my son ever decides to enlist in the Army and goes through Jump School, and if I am still around, then I will pin them onto his uniform and tell him the history of where they came from and what they mean.

I'm just as proud of my C.I.B. that I earned in Grenada back in 1983, but that particular award came at a VERY HIGH PRICE and at the expense of losing TWO VERY GOOD FRIENDS who didn't make it back from the mission.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about them, this coming 25 OCT 06, will be 23 YEARS since Operation URGENT FURY...


Thanks As Usual,

ABD

I received two recognitions in my 7 years active in the Marines that I take particular pride in. The first is the Eagle, Globe and Anchor of a United States Marine. Just to be accepted into that brotherhood was a great honor for me. (My father was a Navy Pharmacists Mate (Corpsman) with the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal.)

The second recognition that i am proud of is my Combat Action Ribbon, which signifies that I fought for my country in combat.

The rest of the personal and campaign medals pale in comparison with those two.

I am truly frateful to live in America and to have ahd the privilage of defending her.

Dave (Whiskey6)

USMC. My Title,
USNR USN / MC Gold jump wings
US Army CMB, Arcom with Combat V
British para wings

And was proud to pass on my wings to my oldest son.




All else is not even worth mentioning.

My time in the Army resulted in the following awards:
Expert Marksman Badge with
Rifle Bar
Pistol Bar
Machine Gun Bar
Small Bore Rifle Bar
Small Bore Pistol Bar
Expert Driver Badge with
Wheel Bar
Tracked Vehicle Bar
Parichutist Badge
18th MP Brigade Combat Unit Patch
Liberation of Kuwait Medal
Saudi Arabian Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait
Overseas Service Ribbon
Army Service Ribbon
NCO Professional Development Ribbon
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Humamitarian Service Medal w/ 2 service stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 2 service stars
National Defense Service Medal
Army Reserve Components Achievment Medal
Army Good Conduct Medal
Army Achievement Medal w/ 3 olc
Army Commendation Medal w/ 2 olc
Joint Meritorious Unit Award

Well, I hope this is appropriate as I have not earned anything yet. I still have two semesters left in college before I ship out to OCS or boot for the Marines. (keeping my fingers crossed for OCS).

I am very proud of my family's military heritage. We have had someone serving somewhere (most recently my cousin Sean with the USAF) for the last two hundred years. The two I know most about are my grandfather and great uncle who both served in WWII and Korea. There are some gaps with their awards as they did not speak of them often, nor show them often.

My grandfather: An Navy F6F Aviator
WWII:
DCFC- For destroying a Japanese submarine while engaged in air-to-air combat.
Air Medal(x4)
Purple Heart(x2)- for being shot down and wounded twice
WW2 Service
Pacific Service
American Campaign
Korea:
Naval Reserve Faithful Service
Air Medal
Korean War Service

Great Uncle: He was an infantryman with I believe the 87th ID.
DSC- for leading the remnants of his platoon out of a killzone and destroying two machinegun nests.
CIB
Silver Star- for pulling a crewmember from a burning M4 while severly wounded himself
Bronze Star with "V"- for basically, according to him, surviving the Normandy landing
Purple Heart
Presidential Unit Citation
WW2 Service
European Service

Thank you all for your service. I hope to be amongst you in the near future.

-Mike

My time in pales in comparison with most of you. I serverd 4 years in Marine Corps, and like has already been posted just earning the right to wear the Eagle Globe and Anchor was and still is my proudest acheivement. As for actual ribbons I didn't get much, I served from 1994-1998 and fortunatly or somtimes I feel unfortuatly there wasn't alot going on in the world during that time.

National Defense Medal
Good Conduct Medal
Expert Rifle Marksmanship 2nd Award

After 8 years in the army the decoration that I cherish the most is my RANGER tab the blood and sweat that I shed for that black and gold ribbon is something I'll always look at with pride. Everything else I earned was part of the job. The tab I did for me

Have recieved a few of these,




cheers from the sandbox

sauceman got to say that was funny

I have to say that i think by issuing ribbons for mere training exercises and shooting awards degrades the true reasons for being decorated. Doing something in the face of the enemy and hostilities, Or serving in a hostile environment. All soldiers should have an expert skill in all firearms they operate with and should not need to wear it on their chests. I have served 3 tours in Iraq and Northern ireland, 1 in Sierra leone during hostage rescue, Kosovo with Nato 99 and Afghanistan. I got one medal for each location not for every deployment. Never been awarded for any training conducted.