Which would you rather? (Awards)

SCHOOLS! NEVER NEVER NEVER turn down the opportunity to go to a school!!!!

Depends upon the individual and where they are at in their career.
- Letter Appreciation. As an older Soldier, I value these more. I already look like a WWII Russian general so I need another medal like I need another hole in my head. Getting too old to enjoy "premier" schools and already know what they might teach me anyway.
- Medal. As a mid grade Soldier, I would value these since these are one of the things that a board looks at (both number and type).
- "Premier" School. As a younger Soldier, I would value this the most since these (Ranger, Sapper, Airborne, Pathfinder) are great opportunties to learn and have fun. Plus going to these types of schools helps to make one a better leader by exposing yourself to different environments, leaders, and instruction techniques.

I used to work with a Gunny who believed everyone deserved "at a minimum" a Letter of Appreciation when they left the Unit.

He believed that their very presence made the mission easier.

a) They were either a "Performer" and could take on more making things easier for the rest of folks.

or

b) They were a "Non-Performer" who could be assigned every "crap" detail, which made it easier to accomplish the real mission for the Performers. Think of it in terms of Opportunity Cost. You dedicate the best performers to essential tasks, and non-performers to less-essential tasks (go mow lawns).

Both sets of people had value in the unit. Sometimes those "warm bodies" most valuable feature was to "take one for the team." That said, he also made sure they got a fair share of school allocations (within their skillset). How can they get better if they're always pulling crap duty?