The American Legion to DoD: Nonaction Medal is 'Nonstarter'

[LeighAnn]

Source: PR Newswire

Calling a proposal to award U.S. troops medals for holding fire in a war zone "misguided," the head of the nation's largest veterans organization voiced concern that overly restrictive rules of engagement would ultimately cost lives.

"Nobody likes to see innocent civilians killed in a war zone but the blame for these tragedies lies with the terrorists who caused the war in the first place," American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill said. "The proposal to award medals for holding fire is troubling because it is symptomatic of a growing culture in the military that will punish troops for making split-second decisions while they are expected to defend themselves and their comrades. This proposal is an insult to our men and women in combat who already do an extraordinary job of exercising restraint. Too much restraint will get our own people killed."


Read more: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-american-legion-to-dod-nonaction-medal-is-nonstarter-93765764.html

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Couple of more paragraphs at link

[Oregone]

1. We need a "Get the fuck out" medal for politicians I think

[arcane1]

2. Their reasoning is crap

since it doesn't "punish" anyone

[wtmusic]

3. "The blame for these tragedies lies with the terrorists who caused the war in the first place"

Absolutely...if we'd prosecute Dubya for war crimes we'd be off to a great start.

[Vincardog]

4. Testify: Absolutely...if we'd prosecute Dubya for war crimes we'd be off to a great start.

[Captain Hilts]

5. The Legion is a bunch of whining weenies who never saw combat. nt

[Old Troop]

16. I belong to the Legion and I had 5 tours in combat.

[SoapBox]

6. Remember...There is no declared "war".

...There has never been a war actually declared.

And personally, a "war" on terror or drugs is not a true war.

[daleo]

7. Blessed are the peacemakers

In theory anyway.

[mikelgb]

8. I agree with the Legion:

"Nobody likes to see innocent civilians killed in a war zone but the blame for these tragedies lies with the terrorists who caused the war in the first place," American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill said.

The terrorists who started the war:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/a/ac/20090712041725!Rumsfeld_Bush_Cheney.jpg

[SoapBox]

10. Lololol!

...I was getting ready to make some snarky comment
about your post...then I looked at the pic.

LOLOL!

I agree!!! It's time for a trial.

[Scuba]

11. Nailed it.

Indict these three criminals.

[MisterP]

9. reminds me of how Hitler would always rant about how the Allies started WWII with the

Gleiwitz incident
btw, I don't think there's really any right to "self-defense" when you're an invader

[Lagomorph]

12. They've got....

The Army Commendation Medal and the Humanitarian Service Award. I think there are various Life Saving awards, as well. They can redefine the requirements for those awards, to begin with.

When I was in Vietnam, we had "free fire zones". You could shoot anybody you saw in these zones. That doesn't mean you HAD to, and most of us trigger pullers understood that if you didn't start something, it wouldn't come back around.

[happyslug]

13. It is clear the American Legion oppose the Medal, the VFW view is less clear

The American Legion web site:

http://www.legion.org/security/19375/hill-medal-proposal-misguided

The VFW web site has NO such comment, but it is all over the net that the VFW has also attacked the "Holding fire Medal" but the more I look at them it seems to be reports of a lot of people who do NOT know the American Legion and VFW are two DIFFERENT organizations, with the VFW being to the left of the American Legion. Just a comment I may be wrong but it looks like the VFW is holding off on taking a stand on this medal at the present time.

VFW list of recent news releases:
http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.levelc&cid=729&tok=1

[tabasco]

14. I agree that the VFW is more reasonable than the Legion.

I'm a VFW member but I would never join the Legion.

The Legion has a bunch of right-wing loons at the top. Including chickenshits who lied about their war records.

[catnhatnh]

15. VFW vs. American Legion...

In at least one your DD-214 has to show time in a combat zone....what a surprise that the one without that requirement is more "right wing"...

My DD-214 would allow me into the Legion....My stomach won't.