Should Commanders be able to restrict Soldiers from certain awards due to rank?

You want to potentially tell an E-1 MoH awardee that s/he doesn't deserve it? I wouldn't.

The award is for an action or a history of service. Not rank. I put one of my junior sailors in for a Navy Commendation medal. I was looked at like I had 3 heads. Then I reminded people that we (the newest brightest DDG in the Fleet) would have looked like an idiot if we couldn't participate in the gun ex because our gun mount was down (said junior sailor single-handedly repaired it). And he wasn't a Combat Systems guy, he was an MR (Machinery Repairman). He got his well deserved medal.

First off, we have to throw the MoH examples out the window. It's an emotional response that has no validity when it comes to the other awards. Same thing with any award for Valor. We have to assume that we aren't talking about Valor awards because the write up speaks for itself. You either did something worthy of an MoH or you didn't...whether you are a private or a SFC or a MAJ. So we are talking about awards for service over a certain period of time or a achievement for a single event. That event or term of service has to have some kind of boundary to determine what is worthy of what level of award. This is where it gets subjective. So let's start at the top of the "service" type awards. The Legion of Merit. I'm starting at the top to show the level of authority and responsibility associated with this kind of award/medal. The Legion of Merit is usually awarded to Command Sergeants Major and General Officers for their service (sometimes only once for retirements). These officers and NCO's are awarded this for 1-3 years of service, usually in command of an organization starting at the size of a division (~25,000 Soldiers) to a Joint Task Force (could be from a division size up to ~200K Soldiers). Now...considering what kind of experience, responsibility, and STRATEGIC impact some of these positions have, the Legion of Merit is considered the standard (this is just an example...there are exceptions). Should a Colonel receive a LoM for commanding a Brigade? Sure...if their impact is commensurate with the examples provided. It happens. Sometimes it doesn't. It's a mix between MSM's and LoM's for Colonels and Brigade CSM's. So...we've just seen the next layer. Successful Brigade Command and CSM'age...is about a 50/50 LoM/MSM mix. The MSM makes its way down to the successful Battalion Command level as well, with the majority of LTC's getting an MSM when they leave their command after two years. Could a Captain or a Major receive an MSM...sure...but it their impact and performance needs to show the same general level of impact to the unit and the Army as that of a successful battalion commander or CSM. You kind of see where I am going with this. There has to be standards of performance, and it's based on IMPACT of the awardee. While it is NOT tied directly to rank, it's a mental construct to measure the performance or achievement of those being recommended for the award. You have to have a standard to picture and measure against, and it can't be in doctrine because it just doesn't fit every circumstance. If a private makes a significant STRATEGIC impact that is commensurate with what a general officer or Joint Task Force Command Sergeant Major makes, give that kid a Legion of Merit as his first award. Seriously. That's a hard sell however...and you had better know how to write an award. No one has mentioned that yet, but a lot of problems stem from the fact that the person writing the award couldn't write their name on a napkin with a sharpie without someone looking over their shoulder.