Is there really a need for a Cold War medal?

Sgt Spencer Sikder — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 14:38:58 -0500

Cold War Medal Update 06 ► Reintroduced as H.R.2067
Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) has once again introduced a bill to create a Cold War Service Medal. It is H.R. 2067. This has been proposed in the last several Congresses and TREA is trying once again to finally get it passed. The Pentagon has repeatedly opposed the bill saying that it would cost them $400M to create and award the medal. The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) accepted DoD’s figures and scored the bill’s price as the same $400 million. TREA believes that this is a horribly inflated number and intends to fight it. If you are interested in this recognition please speak to your House member and urge him or her to cosponsor the bill. [Source: TREA News for the Enlisted]

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Nov 16 at 2015 2:40 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 14:40:59 -0500

I think that it makes sense since the Cold War was the longest war in our history Sgt Spencer Sikder :-)
Many of us were prepared to fight and die for our nation and what we thought of as the freedom of democracy. So many military service members served honorably during that period.
The downside is that I expect the vast majority of people eligible for the Cold War Medal are no longer in active duty. Therefor orders would be cut for us, military service records required to be updated, medals and ribbons would need to be sent to us or our survivors, etc.

Response by SrA David Steyer made Nov 16 at 2015 2:43 PM

SrA David Steyer — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 14:43:11 -0500

We have one for many other conflicts and/or period of service, why not? And $400 Million is way too much...I doubt it would cost that much.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Nov 16 at 2015 2:44 PM

MSgt Curtis Ellis — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 14:44:24 -0500

I believe the $400mil would be better suited assisting our homeless and disable veterans who would probably want that far much more than another medal as quite a few of these are Cold War Vets as well... just an opinion...

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Nov 16 at 2015 4:21 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 16:21:37 -0500

Sgt Spencer Sikder I think the Cold War Veterans deserve it. Keeping the peace is just as important than the bureaucracy of warfare. Our Armed Forces earned it.
Millions of Cold War veterans, who served in the military from September 1945 to Dec. 26, 1991 — the day the Soviet Union dissolved — during pockets of peacetime tension that came during the expansion of communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/11/cold-war-vets-seek-recognition/18839955/

Cold War veterans seek recognition for their service

Cold War veteran smay have served in the U.S. military overseas or at a missile base in America, or on secret missions in submarines, in aircraft or on the ground.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Nov 16 at 2015 5:01 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 17:01:35 -0500

My knee-jerk reaction was to dismiss the idea, but... then I read that the Pentagon objected on the basis of cost ($400M to create and award the medal). Really? Is that sufficient reason to withhold recognition? So, I was inspired to think about it some more and concluded that yes, it is a reasonable idea. The United States has never faced a greater threat than nuclear annihilation at the hands of the Soviets and victory was only won by the fact that we had a leader willing to admit that we were at war and act like it, and he was backed up by those willing to serve. Many deny President Reagan his just recognition saying that the Gorbachev was a helluva nice guy and surrendered because it was the right thing to do. BS! Well, if it really was a war (and I believe it was), there should be a campaign ribbon. Probably it should be supplemented with officially designated campaigns: Korea, Vietnam, Berlin Blockade, Cuban Missile Crisis, to name a few. And $400M represents what? An Air Force decal on one F35?

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Nov 16 at 2015 5:28 PM

MAJ Alvin B. — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 17:28:15 -0500

There are many military members who sacrificed much from the Morgan line in 1945 to the occupation of Berlin when the wall fell who spent their entire careers fighting the Cold War. These individual stood watch on the DMZ, the InterGerman border, at sea, and in remote parts of the world keeping the communist threat in check. They deserve recognition as much as those who fought in Korea, Vietnam, etc...

If memory serves, Congress approved a medal, however they left it to DoD to take action [ a mistake in my mind]. Congress should exercise the same initiative they displayed with the ROK Service Medal and create the award. Money should not be the driving issue, the cost is minor in the grand scheme of things.

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Nov 16 at 2015 5:29 PM

SGT Jerrold Pesz — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 17:29:40 -0500

Why not just authorize it and let anyone who actually wants one buy it? The army did that a bunch in the sixties. Except for my EIB and an ARCOM I had to buy everything on my uniform including my drill sergeant ID badge, good conduct medal, National Defense Medal etc. All that the army gave me was a piece of paper. I had to buy the rest. Much cheaper that way and the PX made more money.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Nov 16 at 2015 6:01 PM

MSG Brad Sand — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 18:01:31 -0500

'Need' is there really a need for any medal? No. Is there a benefit? Maybe. Does it hurt to recognize those old warhorse that would qualify for such a medal? No, but those who are still in that would get it really better have a whole lot of awards already.

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Nov 16 at 2015 7:10 PM

MAJ Alvin B. — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 19:10:09 -0500

I agree the number is inflated. At one point the estimate included all who might be eligible by reason of service form 1945 until 1992. Let us be honest a great many of them have now died over the past 25 years. Many of those who are eligible will simply buy the medal rather then go through the process of obtaining them form DoD. In my opinion, Congress should follow a path similar to the KDSM creation process and require DoD to comply.

Response by CMSgt James Nolan made Nov 16 at 2015 11:51 PM

CMSgt James Nolan — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 23:51:53 -0500

Although, I am not sure it really ended.....
And, I do not believe that it is possible for it to cost $400 million dollars to implement....

Response by SGT Steve Oakes made Nov 17 at 2015 5:57 AM

SGT Steve Oakes — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 05:57:54 -0500

We all know why it will cost 400 million and probably more. The DOD will pay some incompetent design firm too much to come up with the medal. The design will be rejected and they will pay a second company even more to design something worse. That medal will be approved in the interest of saving further costs. The contract to make the medal will go to a factory owned by someone in Congress, located in a third world country. After they are paid half upfront to make needed equipment upgrades they will go bankrupt layoff all their workers and pay exorbitant severance packages to the executives. Because they were awarded the contract and the copyright to the design, a new medal will have to be designed. By the end of it all Congress will spend 500 Million to figure out what happened to the 400 million, and why there was additional 200 million in cost overruns and still no medals!

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Mar 27 at 2017 1:38 PM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:38:53 -0400

My English wife was tracking down her grand father's lost medals. All she had was a ribbon rack of his. She found a company in England called Awardmedals.com and they helped her buy replacement medals for her grand father and even mounted them in a beautiful shadow box. While she was there, the kids had been bugging her to help make me a father's day shadow box. They were pissed that they still had not received my Cold War certificate from the government. So wife plus kids asked Awardmedals.com if they knew what an American sailor during the Cold War would have and this is what they all came up with. Looks a hell of a lot nicer than what the DoD will probably decide on...

http://www.awardmedals.com/cold-war-medal-p-707.html?cPath=282_21_33

Cold War Medal for Sale | British Forces Germany Medal Application

Visit Award for the British Forces Germany Medal Application and Cold War Medal for Sale, medals are available with optional engraving.

Response by Sgt James Rea made Jun 15 at 2017 3:49 PM

Sgt James Rea — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 15:49:09 -0400

Yes I believe there should be, why yes we were doing job but it's in the same category as North Korea. We were keeping an aggressor force from coming across the border. In 1977 they pulled up to the border to see what we would do and for 30 days we were on alert. What would have happened if they came across it would probably be over in a matter of hours.

Response by SGT Bryan O'Reilly made Nov 10 at 2017 3:32 PM

SGT Bryan O'Reilly — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 15:32:15 -0500

Absolutely, not just for those who won it, We won that shit, over. But also so the Civilians know it too. IDK about the rest of you but it irks me to see 3rd rate punks like Putin elevated to world power status after we spent 50 years, trillions of $ and thousands of American lives to secure it. Between 1983 and 1989 we deployed to our Fulda gap LDA to stare down the barrels of armed Soviet T-72's more times than I care to recall. 450 at one count Just because there was not 'war' doesn't mean we did not soldier. Those of you who visited some of our more exotic destinations: Panama, Lebanon, Grenada, Somalia, Sinai, Salvador, etc Know exactly what I am talking about. I will stack you bad asses up against any soldiers who ever served.
Bayonet!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 17 at 2017 2:44 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 02:44:53 -0500

If we served during the cold war we should be allowed to wear the ribbon in the order of precedence on the ASU.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Jun 17 at 2018 4:32 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 04:32:48 -0400

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 17 at 2018 5:48 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 05:48:19 -0400

Unreal. The merit badges continue.

The "Cold War" is the natural state of two opposing super powers, always and forever. Wanting a medal for not going to war is like wanting a license saying you never drove a car.