Posted on Feb 18, 2016
Is it common for a person with 17 years in the military to not have a personal award?
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I did 8 years active duty in the Marines as a 0311 with 3 combat deployments. I am currently serving in the National Guard as a cook (E-7) and have 3 years till my 20. I have never had a bad fit rep or NCOER and my PT scores are high 280-300. I have never received a personal award, or letter of recommendation. I just don’t want to leave the military with a bitterness in my mouth thinking my years of service were not good enough.
After following this post, I have gathered some interesting opinions. 1. The awards system is "jacked up" 2. I should speak up and let my command know and ask how I can stand out.(the most constructive answer) 3. People get awards based on rank, mos, duty, unit, timing, and mission. (not always based on personal effort) 4. Don't worry once you retire they don't mean anything anyway. (which I don't believe) 5. Not all believe they deserved an award even if one was given, some believe they deserved more than what they got, then you have the haves telling the have nots why they are not worthy.
Thank you all for the advice and service.
Best,
Jason Sakowski
After following this post, I have gathered some interesting opinions. 1. The awards system is "jacked up" 2. I should speak up and let my command know and ask how I can stand out.(the most constructive answer) 3. People get awards based on rank, mos, duty, unit, timing, and mission. (not always based on personal effort) 4. Don't worry once you retire they don't mean anything anyway. (which I don't believe) 5. Not all believe they deserved an award even if one was given, some believe they deserved more than what they got, then you have the haves telling the have nots why they are not worthy.
Thank you all for the advice and service.
Best,
Jason Sakowski
Awards
Marine Corps
0311: Rifleman
Army National Guard
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 49
I've seen this happen, and sometimes those service members have much higher awards but not a NAM/AAM. I think it's because unfortunately awards are often associated with rank (which I highly oppose, but it's the reality). Therefore once you make it to a certain level, people will not look to give you an AAM. For example, a Sergeant Major is much less likely to receive an AAM than a Specialist in my experience.
If you make it past your junior years without an AAM/NAM, most leaders may assume you already have it, and wouldn't think of awarding it to you. They may notice it at a ball or a time when you wear a formal event, but their mind is often not on professional development at that time. I believe they would look to remedy it however if they knew about this gap when they were in the right mindset. Then again, who's going to be the guy to go to his unit leader and say "you know, I've never received this award. Can I have one?" That's obviously a no-go for many reasons.
My suggestion would be to speak with your Sergeant Major and have a conversation like this:
"As you know, I did 8 years of active duty with 3 combat deployments and have a total of 17 years. I've been looking back at my career, and I've never had a bad FITREP/NCOER, which is something I'm very proud of. As I look at my next few years before retirement, I want to make sure I give the military everything I can give. As I've never even received an AAM during my service, so I'm concerned that perhaps there is more I can do. How can I approach the next few years to make sure I perform at my full potential?"
If you make it past your junior years without an AAM/NAM, most leaders may assume you already have it, and wouldn't think of awarding it to you. They may notice it at a ball or a time when you wear a formal event, but their mind is often not on professional development at that time. I believe they would look to remedy it however if they knew about this gap when they were in the right mindset. Then again, who's going to be the guy to go to his unit leader and say "you know, I've never received this award. Can I have one?" That's obviously a no-go for many reasons.
My suggestion would be to speak with your Sergeant Major and have a conversation like this:
"As you know, I did 8 years of active duty with 3 combat deployments and have a total of 17 years. I've been looking back at my career, and I've never had a bad FITREP/NCOER, which is something I'm very proud of. As I look at my next few years before retirement, I want to make sure I give the military everything I can give. As I've never even received an AAM during my service, so I'm concerned that perhaps there is more I can do. How can I approach the next few years to make sure I perform at my full potential?"
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CPL (Join to see)
I'm just a PFC but I might have another, round-a-bout way. Do you have a really close friend that's in a different unit that's under the same chain of command? For example: if you are 1 PLT, do you have a friend in 2 PLT?? Both units report to the same senior enlisted staff. You could go to that friend and have him suggest it. Then your friend could go to them and say "Hey, Did you know SSG Sakowski hasn't ever gotten a AAM? It's weird how some people fall through the cracks..." Or something to that effect. I know I've petitioned senior enlisted for awards for others before. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it doesn't come across as "Hey, I need this..."
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3 combat deployments and no personal award?!?!? I know the Marines are a bit more austere in their philosophy when it comes to giving awards, but that is taking it to the extreme IMHO.
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GySgt Bill Smith
GySgt John Olson - I can say there was no "lack of action" I was the forward force of invading Iraq 2003, Korangal Valley, Afg 2005 and Hadiatha Iraq 2006. Plenty of "Action" to go around. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1656736/posts
Lieutenant Risks Life to Save Another in Iraq
Can't imagine any of our illustious senators or congressmen/women doing such a feat. They'd cut and run. Saluting U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Rick Posselt and Cpl. Michael Estrella.
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LTC Paul Labrador
GySgt John Olson - just because you didn't shoot at anything doesn't mean you didn't do your job and do it well. It means you were prepared to, but just never got the opportunity.....which is what service awards are meant to recognize: doing a good job and getting the mission done. Now the example you used of the Lcpl who did everything wrong, he is perfect example of someone who didn't do his job well.
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Sgt Ruth Ickert
Capt Jeff S. - We'll said "Do your best-not for others to see, but for yourself." Definitely defining
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
GySgt John Olson - Well put. When I served in a joint assignment I was always amazed at how austere the Marines were compared to all other services when It came to giving out awards. But that's what makes a Marine a Marine.
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I was a GySgt before I got my first NAM. Not for nothing though, the Combat Action Ribbon you're wearing is a personal award, and personal awards just make service/dress uniforms more expensive. Ribbons alone run me almost $50.00........I miss being a LCpl with only a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
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GySgt Bill Smith
Would you say you did not receive your first award until GySgt because of your own lack of actions or lack in your leaders/ units actions? Hence do you believe credit was not given when credit was due.
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GySgt (Join to see)
Personally I don't think I should have gotten that NAM in the first place, I was just doing the job I was assigned. Sure it was a lot of work, and holding a billet two pay grades above mine, but it was the billet I was assigned and even though I was successful I still struggled at first. I was a FAST Company Operations Chief, as a SSgt. Basically responsible for training, readiness and deploying 8 FAST platoons(approx. 400 Marines). They also tacked on the time I spent as a FAST platoon sergeant, forming and training my own platoon, deploying to FASTEUR and forward deploying from there in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. All that said, I was still just living up to my billet description.
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Cpl Elizabeth Koeneman
I also was in a position where I had to fill a billet I was technically not the right rank for. I got shoved in as platoon Sgt as a LCpl. I did it because there was no one else. Well, there was, but I was next senior after our SSgt because all the NCO's in the shop got transferred back stateside. Plus, since I was pregnant, SSgt didn't feel comfortable with me soldering (which was the bulk of the work we had in the shop) even with a mask and gloves due to lead so he felt I was better employed with the paperwork. Didn't get an award, didn't expect one. I just did what needed to be done. Thought I was going to get busted down at one point at our company's weekly plt Sgt meeting because one of the shop's usual guy was on leave so they sent a different Sgt and he started talking down to me because he complained about a policy the company had that a representative from the maintenance shop had to inspect 1/3 of every shop's gear each month so all the gear was checked each quarter to make sure everything was accounted for and anything that should be in maintenance was. I pointed out it was his shop's screw up that caused the policy to be put in place (one of their Cpl's had packed nothing but damaged 26 pair cables for UFL) and he told me to shut up and let the grown ups talk. I have a bit of a temper, plus pregnancy hormones, so I went off on him right in front of 1st Sgt. 1st Sgt just laughed and told him "she's right, you know."
What did piss me off about awards, though, was when the Cpl mentioned above got a freaking NAM for inducting all of those cables she mistakenly packed into maintenance. Over 11 years later and it still pisses me off that she got a NAM for incompetence.
What did piss me off about awards, though, was when the Cpl mentioned above got a freaking NAM for inducting all of those cables she mistakenly packed into maintenance. Over 11 years later and it still pisses me off that she got a NAM for incompetence.
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