Posted on Jul 17, 2017
Does accepting and/or expecting a reward for a good deed diminish the value of the deed performed?
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I picked up someone stranded on the side of the road and helped them get gas. I helped him in the hope if I was in a similar situation someone would help me. It got me thinking about things like the Volunteer Service Medal and Commendatory FitReps. I know people who go out of their way to perform good deeds, but only because a reward is attached. Good deeds are still being performed though.
Posted in these groups: 
Charity
Volunteering
Charity Volunteering
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 9
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To me, this has two different answers. Doing charitable work and being rewarded and accepting it is far different than doing charitable work and expecting a reward. I volunteered for several years for the USO and United States of America Girl Scout Organization-North Atlantic Division when I was stationed at Sembach, Germany the second time. My wife was the Overseas Committee Chair for the base that oversaw 5 troops. I wanted to help her out because I wanted to take some work off her plate and it was one of the best things I've ever done. Those girls were nothing short of amazing. During my time, the girls did a lot of work, earned hundreds of badges, and I helped oversee Gold and Silver Awards projects. My wife was also a USO tour guide and I have some time at the local office and passenger terminal at Ramstein Air Base. Word got out from all this donated time, plus being in my yearly evaluations, my supervisor wanted to submit me for the MOVSM. I wrote it up and it was approved fairly quickly by Air Force standards...about 3 months. What I did expect in that was for the commander to present it to me, even if it was one on one. It just appeared in my records one day. I have no certificate and wasn't even given the medal. Point is, that kinda bummed me out briefly, but it wasn't for that, it was for the girls and the troops...THAT'S what matters at the end of the day!
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
That was along the lines of my original thought processes. I do good deeds for those in need in the hope that if I was ever in need, someone would do a good deed for me. It's just something I've been pondering all day because I came across an old man literally in the middle of nowhere stranded on a seldom traveled road. As I frequent traveler on this road, I know how inconvenient a car breakdown would be. So I helped him hoping someone would do the same for me if I were in that situation. But after I finished helping him, he slipped me 20 bucks and went on his way.
So that's what got my thoughts brewing. I wasn't asking for money or even expecting a reward (other than the hope someone would do the same for me). So I wasn't sure if it was even right to accept the money.
That's what got me thinking about things like the Volunteer Service Medal. Good on you for having the right intentions. But I do know people who legitimately chase volunteer opportunities in order to get another ribbon to add to their stack.
It made me start questioning the value of the good deed performed if the intentions are less than selfless.
So that's what got my thoughts brewing. I wasn't asking for money or even expecting a reward (other than the hope someone would do the same for me). So I wasn't sure if it was even right to accept the money.
That's what got me thinking about things like the Volunteer Service Medal. Good on you for having the right intentions. But I do know people who legitimately chase volunteer opportunities in order to get another ribbon to add to their stack.
It made me start questioning the value of the good deed performed if the intentions are less than selfless.
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MSgt Jason McClish
Excellent reply. Do what you want. By that I mean, if you want to volunteer some off duty time to something charitable, do something you're interested in. That'll likely keep you motivated to sustain it for the remainder of the assignment and perhaps at future duty stations. Don't do it for a medal or ribbon. Do it for them, but it's ok to do it for you too. That's not selfish.
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A person who gives and volunteers without expecting anything in return will always help by nature. However, if a person does a good deed and expects an award, he may not always volunteer his services in the future. The result may be the same but the motivation for volunteering is different.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
I find that to be an agreeable answer. It's just something I've been pondering because after I helped the person, he gave me 20 bucks and went on his way. I wasn't asking or expecting money, but I wasn't sure if it was wrong to accept it.
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Cpl Justin Goolsby: The whole point of doing a good deed is that- the Reward is in the Giving. The Benefactor feels as though he/she is more rewarded than the Beneficiary.
Hope this helps you, Corporal.
-Most Sincerely, Margaret C. Higgins U.S. Army Retired
Hope this helps you, Corporal.
-Most Sincerely, Margaret C. Higgins U.S. Army Retired
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
It's a good response. I just wasn't sure if it was right to be compensated for doing the right thing if you weren't expecting compensation.
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