Should a Company Commander recommending an award sign the award twice?

I would too (now), but you get those commanders that want their names on the front of the DA 638 and then it's all symantics after that. A vicious cycle.

The "intermediate authority" is the next higher commander between the recommender and the final approving authority, correct? It makes no sense to me that someone would sign as the next higher authority to themselves. I've got plenty of AAMs from my commander to the BN CDR with no intermediate authority, as there is no one in a position of command between the Company Commander and the Battalion Commander. The only reason I brought this up, is because there is no consistency with my S1. They accept awards one way and then kick them back for the same thing they were accepted for the first time. I literally had one get kicked back a few years back, waited a couple weeks, and sent it up with no changes. It was accepted!