New ribbon ideas?

[flyboy53]

The Air Force has their fair share of medals that should be eliminated.  The Air Force Good Conduct Medal is a good example.  This is a medal given to enlisted troops every three years for not getting in "too much" trouble.  It was actually stopped a few years ago but recently made a comeback.  I have a large amount of ribbons from my Air Force career but most are not much more than "participation ribbons."  Those can be greatly reduced for sure and the ones that are actually earned will take on a more prominent role.

That's not really true. Besides CSAF eliminated the AFGCM. Then it was brought back by popular demand by the AF enlisted corps.

If you're going to eliminate it, the medal should be eliminated from all services -- but before you do, remember that the Good Conduct Medal had it's start with George Washington and what was then called the Honorary Badge of Military Distinction -- or something like that. It was started as a white cloth chevron and the ribbon design of the current Army Good Conduct Medal incorporates 13 white and scarlet stripes  in recognition of those original chevrons and, of course, the 13 original colonies. Cite your source, you say: a long out-of-print book, United States Military Medals and Ribbons written back in the 1960s by Philip K. Robles. It was meant as a decoration. In WW II and up until the early 1960s, the medal is/was presented with a lapel pin, published orders and at one point, even a citation certificate.

In 1980, when I got my first AF Good Conduct Medal, I was called to the squadron orderly room and presented the medal by my first sergeant and squadron commander. It came with a stern warning that the medal was the easiest one to loose and was shown a roster from the wing's Director of Personnel requesting certification of eligibility with a lot of names red-lined. Award required the squadron commander's approval. Years later, on my second tour of active duty, in a similar ceremony, this time involving two chief master sergeants, I was presented my final AF Good Conduct Medal but this time in a decoration set with orders, lapel pin, ribbons, the medal and the appropriate devices.

The  point here is this medal that people think is so easy to earn was far from that and there was a level of prestige given to it to make it meaningful. CAP awards and decorations don't mean the same to me because they're handed out sometimes like candy.

Our system has to really mean something and the more ribbons you add, the less they mean. I wish someone from NHQ really read this site and then took the hint that something should be studied. As I stated before, I would start by eliminating all of the PD ribbons -- leaving one -- and then I would explore the award of one or two federal medals: The Humanitarian Service Medal when CAP is involved with all those DoD operations that we all know about over the past decade and the Air Force Commendation Medal.  The original intent of the AFCM was to be awarded to ANY one serving in ANY capacity with the U.S. Air Force.

I am a former CAP-RAP NCO and base liaison. During one of those tours back in the 1980s, Ohio Wing CAP personnel were allowed to fire M-16s and earned the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon. The base kept the marksmanship records and gave each qualifying CAP member a ribbon and the wallet card to certify completion of the training program. Imagine if a cadet were allowed to do that now.

[PHall]

I am a former CAP-RAP NCO and base liaison. During one of those tours back in the 1980s, Ohio Wing CAP personnel were allowed to fire M-16s and earned the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon. The base kept the marksmanship records and gave each qualifying CAP member a ribbon and the wallet card to certify completion of the training program. Imagine if a cadet were allowed to do that now.

You and I both know that what the base did in awarding those SAEMR's to CAP members was not allowed by the regulation.
But it was a nice thing to do and it wasn't going to hurt anybody and I'm sure those records disappeared whenever a SAV, SUI or ORE inspection team was in town.

BTW, I was the weapons qualification NCO for my squadron in the USAFR.

[JK657]

I may have missed it but did anyone mention a military service ribbon? CAP specific to denote you served.. This could be worn on the G/Ws since military ribbons aren't authorized on it? I remember it coming up on here a few years ago...

[arajca]

As the author of that particular award, it has been submitted twice and both times went into a black hole somewhere.

[JC004]

I may have missed it but did anyone mention a military service ribbon? CAP specific to denote you served.. This could be worn on the G/Ws since military ribbons aren't authorized on it? I remember it coming up on here a few years ago...

I don't think so.  I wouldn't be opposed to a ribbon for those who can't wear their military ribbons.  Perhaps do it as only authorized if you don't wear military ribbons (otherwise it's redundant). 

[James Shaw]

As the author of that particular award, it has been submitted twice and both times went into a black hole somewhere.

it was a great idea. Very nice design as well. We made multiple attempts to get the uniform committee to pass.

[JC004]

any chance of trying it again?

[James Shaw]

any chance of trying it again?

I am no longer part of that group. I depleted my usefulness 

[ColonelJack]

any chance of trying it again?

I am no longer part of that group. I depleted my usefulness 

Well, somebody needs to try it again.

Jack

[BuckeyeDEJ]

As the author of that particular award, it has been submitted twice and both times went into a black hole somewhere.

it was a great idea. Very nice design as well. We made multiple attempts to get the uniform committee to pass.

Wow... a CAP medal proposal that isn't round. 'Bout time....

[arajca]

I may have missed it but did anyone mention a military service ribbon? CAP specific to denote you served.. This could be worn on the G/Ws since military ribbons aren't authorized on it? I remember it coming up on here a few years ago...

I don't think so.  I wouldn't be opposed to a ribbon for those who can't wear their military ribbons.  Perhaps do it as only authorized if you don't wear military ribbons (otherwise it's redundant).

That waspart of the suggested policy - either the HMSA or military ribbons. Not both.

[JC004]

any chance of trying it again?

I am no longer part of that group. I depleted my usefulness 

Well, somebody needs to try it again.

Jack

Agreed.

I may have missed it but did anyone mention a military service ribbon? CAP specific to denote you served.. This could be worn on the G/Ws since military ribbons aren't authorized on it? I remember it coming up on here a few years ago...

I don't think so.  I wouldn't be opposed to a ribbon for those who can't wear their military ribbons.  Perhaps do it as only authorized if you don't wear military ribbons (otherwise it's redundant).

That waspart of the suggested policy - either the HMSA or military ribbons. Not both.

Sounds perfect.

[AirDX]

One could also put forth a request for those DOD civilian employees to be eligible to wear military unit citations, campaign ribbons, etc. earned in a civilian capacity. At present these are not authorized for wear with CAP ribbons.

I'll second that.  I'd like to wear my MUA and AFOUA.

[Private Investigator]

As the author of that particular award, it has been submitted twice and both times went into a black hole somewhere.

it was a great idea. Very nice design as well. We made multiple attempts to get the uniform committee to pass.

Well the design, the ruptured duck, was well thought out in my opinion.

But really I do not see a need for it. 

[Shuman 14]

That's the whole problem with comparing CAP cadets with anyone else but CAP cadets...or CAP SM, or ARMY personnel, or USAF personnel.

Which is why only CAP ribbons should be allowed on CAP uniforms, and/or CAP ribbons should be required on
CAP uniforms >before< any military ribbons are worn.

The USCGAux does something like that... except that the Awards are intermingled.

For example an Auxiliary Commendation Medal goes before a Coast Guard Commendation Medal but after an Meritorious Service Medal in their awards precedence. 

Now if CAP's awards were more in line with the USAF's awards that could be an option.

[usafcap1]

Someone had asked me "What ideas do I have?" Well think maybe the Good Conduct ribbon.

[usafcap1]

Someone had asked me "What ideas do I have?" Well think maybe the Good Conduct ribbon.

Wow! The photo is bigger than I thought. Sorry about that.

[GroundHawg]

One could SHOULD also put forth a request for those DOD civilian employees to be eligible to wear military unit citations, campaign ribbons, etc. earned in a civilian capacity. At present these are not authorized for wear with CAP ribbons.

I'll second that.  I'd like to wear my MUA and AFOUA.

Until just now, it never dawned on me that civilians would/could earn unit awards. I knew they could earn the DOD and agency civilian awards, but never thought about when the unit they worked for earned a unit award. Learn something new everyday!

[jeders]

Someone had asked me "What ideas do I have?" Well think maybe the Good Conduct ribbon.

Do you mean that we should be awarded the AF GCM, or do you mean that CAP should develop its own?

In October 2005, the 97th Air Force Uniform Board met and considered discontinuing the Good Conduct Medal with the rationale that good conduct of Airmen is the expected standard, not an exceptional occurrence worthy of recognition.

Even though the medal is still in use in the Air Force, I think the words above tell us why we really don't need this.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

IF, and this is a really big IF, we were eligible for such an award, the GCM awarded to Air Force Reserve Components would be more apropos:



AND, if we were, it would properly only be awarded to our NCO's, since it's not a medal officers receive.

That said, we're not, so it's an exercise in academia.

However...I distinctly remember one of our dual CAP/AFJROTC cadets in my first unit wearing a ribbon identical to the active-duty AF GCM.

I called him on it and he said it was an AFJROTC ribbon.