Medals or just Ribbons

[Hobbsh1]

I've seen alot of posts with some folks showing their ribbons in their sig, and I have a question.  Does CAP give actual medals for the awards that are labeled as medals or is it just ribbons?  Like the Silver Medal of Valor, does it come with a medal or is just called a medal?  Not that it matters or anything, just curious. Thanks, Dave

[Hawk200]

CAP has a mini medal for each ribbon that is produced. A little spendy when you put a Mess Dress together. There are decs designated as "Medals" but even the ribbons have a ribbon holding a medallion for each of them.

[MIKE]

IIRC some awards do have full sized "presentation medals."  Medals of Valor and the Distinguished Service Medal, I think.

[Hobbsh1]

CAP has a mini medal for each ribbon that is produced. A little spendy when you put a Mess Dress together. There are decs designated as "Medals" but even the ribbons have a ribbon holding a medallion for each of them.

Thanks Hawk200, is there a site that maybe has the actual medallion shown in a picture?  I've seen the ribbons and read up on the descriptions and qualifications to receive them, but would like to see what the medallion looks like.

[MIKE]

http://www.civilairpatrolstore.com/store/store.php?page=3&cat_id=112
CAPR 39-3 Attachment 2

[Hobbsh1]

http://www.civilairpatrolstore.com/store/store.php?page=3&cat_id=112
CAPR 39-3 Attachment 2

Of course, the ONE place I didn't think to look 
Thanks

[ddelaney103]

http://www.civilairpatrolstore.com/store/store.php?page=3&cat_id=112
CAPR 39-3 Attachment 2

Of course, the ONE place I didn't think to look 
Thanks

No Worries - looking for pictures of CAP stuff at Vanguard is very counterintuitive...

[Hobbsh1]

http://www.civilairpatrolstore.com/store/store.php?page=3&cat_id=112
CAPR 39-3 Attachment 2

Of course, the ONE place I didn't think to look 
Thanks

No Worries - looking for pictures of CAP stuff at Vanguard is very counterintuitive...

Yes, I've noticed   
A whole bunch of "No Image Available" pictures

[jimmydeanno]

This is another area where CAP falls out of line for awards and decorations.  In the RM, 'ribbons' do not have medals associated with them, only medals do.  So if you earn the AF Training RIBBON, there isn't a medal.  If you earn the Congressional MEDAL of Honor, there is a medal.

In CAP, if you earn the recruiting RIBBON you get a medal, the 'FIND' RIBBON has a medal, etc.

Just weird IMO...

[SARMedTech]

This is another area where CAP falls out of line for awards and decorations.  In the RM, 'ribbons' do not have medals associated with them, only medals do.  So if you earn the AF Training RIBBON, there isn't a medal.  If you earn the Congressional MEDAL of Honor, there is a medal.

In CAP, if you earn the recruiting RIBBON you get a medal, the 'FIND' RIBBON has a medal, etc.

Just weird IMO...

Not sure I read you...in the RM if you earn...say...the Order of the Purple Heart, the medal hangs from a purple silk ribbon and then theres the "ribbon" which goes on your rack and looks like an extension of the ribbon from which the medal itself (that is to say the actual MEDAL heart) hangs. I knew I should have joined the army just out of high school...CAP would be so much easier for me.

Also...while we are on medals, etc. I know we have valor decorations, etc, but is there a medal analogous to the Purple Heart for a member who is injured while performing a CAP duty. I know about the whole risk to life and limb idea, but what about an actual injury, like breaking your arm while affecting a save. I know the Purple Heart is combat or forward area related, but do you see what I mean?

ANd does it bother anyone but me that anyone can wander into the local army navy surplus and buy a purple heart or for that matter any other medal? I worked in a surplus and we actually carried knock off copies of the Congressional Medal of Honor and never asked for any sort of varification that a person should have it. I refused to be part of selling them, but we had a National Guardsmen come in, ask to by the rack ribbon for the CMOH, teh manager sold it to him, he put it on his uniform and walked out.

Since Im already asking dumb questions....and am not familiar with everything military, what are the ribbons that are worn on the opposite side as the rest of the rack...you know...the ones that often have the "toilet bowls" around them?

[bosshawk]

Those ribbons worn on the right side of the chest are Unit Awards.  You get one by having served in the unit that was awarded the award.  In some cases, in the Army, you get to wear the award while serving in the unit, regardless of whether or not you were in the unit when it was awarded.  When you leave the unit, you take off the award.

I happen to wear the Presidential Unit Citation, the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Republic of Viet Nam Unit Citation: all awarded while I served in the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, US Army, in Viet Nam.

[SARMedTech]

Those ribbons worn on the right side of the chest are Unit Awards.  You get one by having served in the unit that was awarded the award.  In some cases, in the Army, you get to wear the award while serving in the unit, regardless of whether or not you were in the unit when it was awarded.  When you leave the unit, you take off the award.

I happen to wear the Presidential Unit Citation, the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Republic of Viet Nam Unit Citation: all awarded while I served in the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, US Army, in Viet Nam.

Remind me not to p*&^ you off.

[Flying Pig]

I dont think its a big deal that you can buy military medals.  There are several lagit reasons for it.  I know many people who make shadow boxes for military members, etc. just to name one. 

As far as CAP....we dont have a need for full size medals.  And I personally dont feel like buying them to have them sit in a box.  Someday, I may look into the mess dress and spring for the mini's, but we dont have a uniform that requires full size medals.

[MIKE]

IIRC... The other Auxiliary is  pretty much in the same boat as CAP when it comes to mini-medals.  IIRC there is only one Auxiliary ribbon only award... Excluding USCG awards of course.

Full size medals are verboten.

[SarDragon]

Multiple response:

MOH - by law, sale of the medal or ribbon is prohibited, as is reproduction by unauthorized sources.

Ribbons on the right - the Navy wears ribbons on the right in full dress uniforms when there is no corresponding medal. Combat Action Ribbon, and Navy 'E' come immediately to mind. There are others.

[Hobbsh1]

Multiple response:

MOH - by law, sale of the medal or ribbon is prohibited, as is reproduction by unauthorized sources.

Ribbons on the right - the Navy wears ribbons on the right in full dress uniforms when there is no corresponding medal. Combat Action Ribbon, and Navy 'E' come immediately to mind. There are others.

Correct, I'm prior service Navy (7yrs).  When I would have to wear my "working blues (Johny Cash outfit) or my "working whites" (icecream man suit) we wore our earned ribbons over the left breast pocket.  In the dress blues or whites, we would wear our ribbons the same way unless it was a formal inspection or special occasions, then it was medals on the left and the ribbons that didn't have medals on the right.

I'm looking to join a local CAP unit here in Pittsburgh, Pa.  A friend of mine has been in CAP for a while now and was a squadron commander, he wants to start another unit in Washington Pa just south of Pitt.  I've been lurking about here, Cadetstuff.org and on Military.com, reading up on anything and everything that I can find.

I'm also trying to get back into the ANG at the moment.

[Hobbsh1]

Those ribbons worn on the right side of the chest are Unit Awards.  You get one by having served in the unit that was awarded the award.  In some cases, in the Army, you get to wear the award while serving in the unit, regardless of whether or not you were in the unit when it was awarded.  When you leave the unit, you take off the award.
This just doesn't make sense to me.  To me if you didn't help the outfit achieve the recognition, I don't feel you should wear it. But that's just mho.

I happen to wear the Presidential Unit Citation, the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Republic of Viet Nam Unit Citation: all awarded while I served in the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, US Army, in Viet Nam.

I have earned or helped earn the Battle "E", Joint Meritorious Unit Commencation and the Navy Unit Commendation.  Along with a few other medals and ribbons and I'm [darn] proud of them all. 

Subverting curse filter.  Just type it and let the filter catch it. - MIKE

[Flying Pig]

There is no problem with wearing awards that are unit specific.  When I was in the Marines I was with the 6th Marine Regiment.  The 6th and 5th Marines are the only two Regiments in the Marines who wear the French Fourragere. (green and red shoulder cord).  It was awarded to the regiments by France during WW1 for their bravery.  Of course I didnt have any part in earning the award, but keeping the decoration remembers the Marines who came before us.  When you leave the unit, you no longer wear the shoulder cord.  It does look pretty sweet on the dress blues though!


                                                              The French Fourragere

The Fourragere is a combat decoration instituted by Napoleon for units that distinguished themselves in battle. In 1918, Marines of the 5th and 6th Regiments, by their deeds of valor, inscribed the names of momentous and brilliant battles on the pages of Marine Corps History. They have the single honor of being the only two Regiments in the A.E.F. to receive three citations, two in the Order of the Army and one in the Orders of the Corps. The Fourragere and the Croix de Guerre with two palms and one Gilt Star. The first award of the Croix de Guerre came after the Battle of Belleau Wood. The second award of the Croix de Guerre followed shortly after the Battle of Soissons. The final award came after the Battle of Champagne, which opened the western approaches to the Argonne.

Just as individuals are decorated for courageous conduct in battle, so are the colors of an organization decorated to commemorate the deeds of the unit as a whole. American units so decorate are authorized by our government to place on their colors a streamer, one for each award. A unit twice cited with the French Croix de Guerre with Palm is entitled to a braided and knotted cord called the Fourragere in the green and red colors of Croix de Guerre. The Fourragere in the green and red colors of Croix de Guerre. The Fourragere becomes apart of the uniform of the unit so cited, and all members of the organization are authorized to wear the decoration on the left shoulder of the uniform, so as long as they remain a member of that organization. Individuals attached to the organization on at least two occasions on which it was cited in Orders of the French Army are entitled to wear the Fourragere at all times, regardless of whether or not they are serving in the unit decorated.

[jimmydeanno]

This is another area where CAP falls out of line for awards and decorations.  In the RM, 'ribbons' do not have medals associated with them, only medals do.  So if you earn the AF Training RIBBON, there isn't a medal.  If you earn the Congressional MEDAL of Honor, there is a medal.

In CAP, if you earn the recruiting RIBBON you get a medal, the 'FIND' RIBBON has a medal, etc.

Just weird IMO...

Not sure I read you...in the RM if you earn...say...the Order of the Purple Heart, the medal hangs from a purple silk ribbon and then theres the "ribbon" which goes on your rack and looks like an extension of the ribbon from which the medal itself (that is to say the actual MEDAL heart) hangs. I knew I should have joined the army just out of high school...CAP would be so much easier for me.

This is what I was saying.

CAP considers everything to be a 'medal' in terms of decoration.  Therefore they make a mini medal for EVERYTHING (well, they've been approved but not manufactured yet).  The RM has different classifications for their decorations.  The lower ones like the AF training ribbon do not have a medal (ribbon with metal medal hanging off it), there is only a ribbon.

Only certain decorations in the RM rate having a medal.  In CAP they all do.  So when you see an AF Captain in mess dress, he may only have 1/2 of his decorations on because those are the only ones considered medals (maybe 4 or 5 of 10).  The CAP captain on the other hand usually can put all his decorations on (usually 10 or more).

So in the RM, every medal has a ribbon associated with it, but not every ribbon has a medal associated with it.

[DeputyDog]

CAP considers everything to be a 'medal' in terms of decoration.  Therefore they make a mini medal for EVERYTHING (well, they've been approved but not manufactured yet).

Not all of them. My highest cadet award that I wear as a senior member (officer) is the Doolittle. There is no mini-medal associated with it.