Do you consider the families of service members killed in non-combat service related deaths to be Gold Star Families?

PO2 Wesley Wilson — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 22:41:17 -0500

I am asking this because of a topic brought up in another question. I had a shipmate that was killed in a storm. He had been ordered to secure a piece of heavy equipment. A large wave hit the area he was working in causing him to be crushed. In the investigation that followed he was found not to be at fault in any way however his officer and NCO were found to be negligent.

My opinion is that he was following orders to the best of his ability and that order resulted in his death. His family should be recognized as a gold star family. Unfortunately this is not the case for him or many others that have lost a family member in a non-combat connected death.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Nov 22 at 2015 11:07 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 23:07:19 -0500

It is my understanding that even those non-combat deaths in a war zone do not qualify, whether that seems right or not.

Response by SGT Shannon Wasielewski made Nov 22 at 2015 11:18 PM

SGT Shannon Wasielewski — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 23:18:46 -0500

Here is an Army link that addresses Gold Star pins for families of those who died in action versus Next of Kin pins for those who died while in service outside of combat.

http://www.sos.army.mil/

I imagine the other services have a similar process.

Response by TSgt David L. made Nov 22 at 2015 11:22 PM

TSgt David L. — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 23:22:58 -0500

It sucks, but it is just like Purple Hearts. Non-combat doesn't count.
Kind of along the same lines, I was injured in Iraq, but a non-combat injury. Although duty related, it may as well have been from playing volleyball since I was shuffled to the rear of injury treatment. You don't have to like it, but different situations don't matter if it's not a combat op.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Nov 23 at 2015 6:32 AM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 06:32:19 -0500

Sorry but No I don't.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 23 at 2015 9:31 AM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 09:31:16 -0500

You know ... is sad and truth ... Navy's death are almost exclusively non-combat related. Unless a missile hit our ship. So ... in many many incident ... our sacrifice looks a little bit smaller.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Nov 23 at 2015 10:42 AM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:42:22 -0500

IC2, first off, I'm sorry about the loss of your shipmate. Having lost several in industrial accidents on a Tender, I can feel your pain....

Was the ship in operations in support of combat, or was it in local ops? If local ops, it probably doesn't meet the criteria. Nonetheless, the family may be able to get some support from the State Dept of Veterans Affairs wherever they live...

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 23 at 2015 10:48 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:48:47 -0500

yes they are gold star families.

Response by SFC Wade W. made Nov 23 at 2015 11:24 AM

SFC Wade W. — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 11:24:38 -0500

If they were in a combat theater otherwise, no. Operational and training accidents occur daily with many fatalities resulting from those accidents. As I was told when I first joined, "the military is inherently a dangerous job, you won't get recognition for doing your dangerous job". That the truth of it.

Response by PO2 Wesley Wilson made Nov 23 at 2015 12:24 PM

PO2 Wesley Wilson — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:24:48 -0500

I have been trying to respond to all the comments however every time I open Rally point and try to type it freezes. I have resorted to using word and a copy and paste.

First let me thank all of you for your opinions, while I do not agree with most, I do see the points you have made and I respect them.
I would like to make sure that my point was understood. We are talking about the families of service members. To be told that your son, daughter, husband or wife’s death while tragic is somehow less than that of another service member is seen as a slap in the face. I do agree that a combat death deserves recognition and I feel that we as a nation have done a great job of hat in recent years. I do not feel that recognizing the other sacrifice and sorrow felt by the families’ of those that died a service related non-combat death in any way takes away from those families that have suffered a combat related loss.
In grief we are all the same, the reason for that grief does not matter. To trivialize one death while hailing another is not what the Gold Star was ever intended to mean. I have had to honor of knowing several Families that have suffered the loss of a service member. I can say without hesitation that no member of that group would ever say another member is undeserving.
I spent a great deal of the night research and a large part of my day today on the phone with various organizations and government offices. I have the official answer to my question and will share it. I will also give my sources.
The Gold Star Mother Inc, is a group that acts under a congressional charter. They say that all service connected deaths entitle the family to Gold Star recognition. This is the oldest such group in existence.
The casualty assistance offices of the Army, Navy (Including Marines) and Air Force agree and have written policies to that effect. All Service related deaths give the immediate family Gold Star Status.
The DOD also says that all service connected Deaths give the Family gold Star recognition. They have created two pins, one indicates the death was combat related, a gold star on a purple back ground, the other for service connected death is a gold star on a gold background.
Starting in WW1 family members would hang a banner in the window of the home with one or more blue stars for each service member. If the service member was killed the star was changes to Gold.
In WW2 the lapel award was created and awarded retroactively to death back to WW! And all service deaths that followed.
In 1973 in an attempt to simplify the wording a various rules the words service related Deaths were changed to combat related deaths. This change created much confusion about who was entitled to call themselves a gold star family, this change was only intended to mean about that awarding of the lapel pin. This was also the rule that created the two different pins.
It is important to understand that the Gold Star was never an official recognition until more recent times and the misconception the only combat deaths entitled a family did not come about until Desert Storm. This was due to the ruling on the lapel pins. Many government officials still do not know or understand about the two different pins and therefore continue to make the mistake.
Now with the official recognition it gives the families resources, those resources range from Grief Counseling to VA assistance in some cases.
I apologize for the length of this post however I felt it was necessary to fully explain.

Response by PO2 Morton Scisco made Nov 24 at 2015 9:54 AM

PO2 Morton Scisco — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 09:54:48 -0500

If a person dies in a accident on base or off base, will he lose his benefits just because its a non-combative death? That not right! He is working for the government 24/7, not just weekdays and weekends off. His benefits should remain valid till death whether combative or non-combative.

Response by PO1 Glenn Boucher made Nov 24 at 2015 2:48 PM

PO1 Glenn Boucher — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 14:48:34 -0500

Honestly I never heard about Gold Star families, I guess I am behind the times.