Posted on Mar 16, 2019
Would the following accomplishments warrant a Meritorious Service Medal?
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Edited >1 y ago
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No you should not write your own award. Selfless service, not self help service. Besides that an MSM is pretty high and your unit should be keenly aware of your contributions awarding where appropriate. While others may not agree with me, I will say that had a Soldier brought me a self nomination I would ask them if they believed I was not doing my job. If you are hell bent that you deserve recognition that your unit does not necessarily agree with, you should at the very least talk to your supervisor and hint at you idea. I will close with Selfless Service!!!
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MSgt J D McKee
CSM Darieus ZaGara - I have no doubt what you said is true--where and when you were, that particular set of commanders and NCO's and your service. I also don't doubt you did as you said. I wasn't disagreeing that what you did was more right than what I did, just relating my experience. I would rather have just kicked it back on them, especially during my earlier years, but I thought and still think I would have suffered, and they would not.
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CSM Darieus ZaGara
It is a shame that you had to serve under petty, lazy individuals. I hope that you surpassed them before your retired. Have a great day! MSgt J D McKee
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SPC (Join to see)
You are your own advocate. Chance are no one else is looking out for you. I agree with the other posters that msm might be high but with many awards, the only way you will be considered is writing it yourself. Especially for PCS ETS awards no one gives a damn unless you right it yourself. If you submit as an MSM, be prepared for it to be downgraded.
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CW4 Craig Urban
Cannot even get a cup of coffee with an award. I have many and do not hang them up. My blue ID is enough.
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Just curious, but why are you writing an award recommendation for yourself? Fundamentally, I have a beef with folks recommending themselves for an award. Even if a superior says “write something up for me”, I’m not a fan. That’s just me.
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MSgt J D McKee
All I can really say about that is between 73 and 96 in the places I was at and in my career field, it did. I never had anyone present me with a medal submission on themselves, and I never gave one up the chain without being asked for it. The way it was approached was giving one valuable OJT in medal writing so when it came time to do them for one's subordinates, one could. And I needed that as a MSgt with 20 years in, I'm sure. Pissed me off every time. I did it every time because medals counted for promotion--not that much, but one point was huge for promotion. Everyone walked on water on their APRs unless they were getting kicked out, so it came down to medals and testing. Maybe also TIS and TIG, at this point I can't remember.
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MSgt J D McKee
LTC (Join to see) - Evals-APR's in my case-I only had to write a few. Maybe 2 or 3. I had been brought up to not brag on myself, so they were pretty much all shit as to the content. That's one of those things that from the outside looks like a great thing to have happen until you think about it, then it sucks.
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CW3 (Join to see)
If your supervisors continually say "write it up and give it to me" and you don't, you're not getting an award, even if you merit it. Selfless service as a value is all well and good, but if others around you are writing their own award recommendations, and you're not, they're going to get recognized, and you're not. They're going to get promoted, and you're not. Selfless service needs to be across the board, not just for select individuals.
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CW4 Craig Urban
Never had to do that on active duty. My 6 Army Commendation Medals were not written by me. My civilian meritorious medal was written by me when I semiretired in 2012 as a GS 12 after 18 years. I spent 44 years working for the Army. Ross Radcliffe was my supervisor. His french wife had breast cancer and she was about to die. I did not really work for him. He basically worked for me. He did what I recommended. He was FMS in Huntsville, Alabama.
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1. An MSM for an E-5 is extremely rare. Grade aside, I don't see the the achievements listed as rising to clearly exceptional or unprecedented.
2. If you are writing other than bullets, your unit likely doesn't think as highly of your achievements as you do yourself. Granted, it isn't uncommon to provide bullets, or submit complete draft, "when requested."
3. One of those may have warranted an AFAM.
4. Let's review.
25 reusable cards-- do you mean laminated cards? Yeah, the 2,500 sounds great, but sounds exaggerated to anyone experienced. If TF Cdr thought it was that big of a deal, he would've gotten an AFAM for you, or at least a certificate of achievement.
A user guide--Again, maybe an AFAM or certificate of achievement.
0 write ups for 30 members--Your job, nothing extra. After all, you wrote a user guide.
Thanksgiving Pot Luck and other events--Standard, not extra. Events happened before you, and will next year.
Successfully deployed 100. Single handedly--Processed paperwork? Nothing extra.
4-day NCO course--standard, and you better had. Even DHG or HG of a 4-day course wouldn't be exceptional.
8 college courses--standard, and self improvement. How many hours did your Airmen complete, which may have been exceptional or likely outstanding?
This isn't big stuff.
AF standard AFI 36-2803. MSM is "Normally the acts or services rendered must be comparable to that required for the LOM, but in a duty of lesser though considerable responsibility."
Appears you meet the lesser responsibility, but not comparable to an LOM. LOM is for: "performance must have been such as to merit recognition of key individuals for service rendered in a clearly exceptional manner. Performance of duties normal to the grade, branch, specialty, assignment,
or experience of an individual is not an adequate basis for this
award. ...In peacetime, service should be in the nature of a special requirement or of an extremely difficult duty performed in an unprecedented and clearly exceptional manner."
Air Force Commendation Medal may be more appropriate. "Meritorious
achievement and service. The degree of merit must be distinctive, though it need not be unique."
5. In sum. The achievements don't rise to the MSM level, and you may have missed an opportunity for an AFAM with the user guide.
2. If you are writing other than bullets, your unit likely doesn't think as highly of your achievements as you do yourself. Granted, it isn't uncommon to provide bullets, or submit complete draft, "when requested."
3. One of those may have warranted an AFAM.
4. Let's review.
25 reusable cards-- do you mean laminated cards? Yeah, the 2,500 sounds great, but sounds exaggerated to anyone experienced. If TF Cdr thought it was that big of a deal, he would've gotten an AFAM for you, or at least a certificate of achievement.
A user guide--Again, maybe an AFAM or certificate of achievement.
0 write ups for 30 members--Your job, nothing extra. After all, you wrote a user guide.
Thanksgiving Pot Luck and other events--Standard, not extra. Events happened before you, and will next year.
Successfully deployed 100. Single handedly--Processed paperwork? Nothing extra.
4-day NCO course--standard, and you better had. Even DHG or HG of a 4-day course wouldn't be exceptional.
8 college courses--standard, and self improvement. How many hours did your Airmen complete, which may have been exceptional or likely outstanding?
This isn't big stuff.
AF standard AFI 36-2803. MSM is "Normally the acts or services rendered must be comparable to that required for the LOM, but in a duty of lesser though considerable responsibility."
Appears you meet the lesser responsibility, but not comparable to an LOM. LOM is for: "performance must have been such as to merit recognition of key individuals for service rendered in a clearly exceptional manner. Performance of duties normal to the grade, branch, specialty, assignment,
or experience of an individual is not an adequate basis for this
award. ...In peacetime, service should be in the nature of a special requirement or of an extremely difficult duty performed in an unprecedented and clearly exceptional manner."
Air Force Commendation Medal may be more appropriate. "Meritorious
achievement and service. The degree of merit must be distinctive, though it need not be unique."
5. In sum. The achievements don't rise to the MSM level, and you may have missed an opportunity for an AFAM with the user guide.
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1SG (Join to see)
SSgt (Join to see) sounds like a strong AFCM.
I will add that you write (expound) well, and will do yourself and others well with awards and others with awards and evaluations in the future.
Gather awards that were successful, keep them electronically, and the same for evaluations, it will help in the future.
BTW, I did get a MSM for a short tour, as a SGT, but it was a rarity, and everything fell into place. My command up to Bde Cdr and CSM supported it. It took my being selected as the NCOY for a MACOM, 3/4 NCOQ, commended for DAIG Inspection, established maintenance program that extended service life of vehicles that had been failing load tests, increased squad APFT average by 35 pts, best QA moving Chem Weapons in command 0 deficiencies noted, established new record containerizing and shipping GB rockets by one 100%, completed bachelors degree, and identified, isolated, and containerized leaking GB rocket in record time. SGT working in SSG position.
I will add that you write (expound) well, and will do yourself and others well with awards and others with awards and evaluations in the future.
Gather awards that were successful, keep them electronically, and the same for evaluations, it will help in the future.
BTW, I did get a MSM for a short tour, as a SGT, but it was a rarity, and everything fell into place. My command up to Bde Cdr and CSM supported it. It took my being selected as the NCOY for a MACOM, 3/4 NCOQ, commended for DAIG Inspection, established maintenance program that extended service life of vehicles that had been failing load tests, increased squad APFT average by 35 pts, best QA moving Chem Weapons in command 0 deficiencies noted, established new record containerizing and shipping GB rockets by one 100%, completed bachelors degree, and identified, isolated, and containerized leaking GB rocket in record time. SGT working in SSG position.
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SGT (Join to see)
SSgt (Join to see) - respectfully, I have to agree that while these acts are good, they aren’t nearly sufficient for a MSM.
All the volunteer stuff has either been recognized been with awards, and if not, it would be more appropriately recognized by a MOVSM.
Key player for no write ups. If that’s the extent of the bullet point, that essentially is a fluff point. It doesn’t mean much. (Doing your job)
You instructed 166 for deployment exercises, and 1 for a deployment. If that’s the extent of the bullet point, that essentially is a fluff point. It doesn’t mean much. (Doing your job)
College is awesome. 8 classes in a year and a half is normal. People do it every day.
Deployed 100 airmen successfully. If that’s the extent of the bullet point, that essentially is a fluff point. It doesn’t mean much. Point is, the Air Force was deploying them anyway. They were going with or without you. If you feel a MSM is warranted for your efforts in the process, some serious details need to be added.
Completed 4 day nco training. Training never ends, for joes of all ranks. Again, what makes this worthy of an MSM?
If these are the wave tops, the tons of smaller stuff doesn’t matter. Because honestly, without more details, for the bullet points provided might marginally work for an Achivement Medal. Right or wrong, MSMs for E5s are hard to come by. Definitely not impossible, but if your unit feels as though your actions warrant one, they will make sure you get one. They will write a proper 638, worded correctly. They wouldn’t leave you hanging in the breeze. “You earned it kid, but sorry, you have to write it yourself. Good luck.”
It sounds like you did some good stuff, but respectfully, as you’ve described your actions, an MSM is not warranted.
Best of luck.
All the volunteer stuff has either been recognized been with awards, and if not, it would be more appropriately recognized by a MOVSM.
Key player for no write ups. If that’s the extent of the bullet point, that essentially is a fluff point. It doesn’t mean much. (Doing your job)
You instructed 166 for deployment exercises, and 1 for a deployment. If that’s the extent of the bullet point, that essentially is a fluff point. It doesn’t mean much. (Doing your job)
College is awesome. 8 classes in a year and a half is normal. People do it every day.
Deployed 100 airmen successfully. If that’s the extent of the bullet point, that essentially is a fluff point. It doesn’t mean much. Point is, the Air Force was deploying them anyway. They were going with or without you. If you feel a MSM is warranted for your efforts in the process, some serious details need to be added.
Completed 4 day nco training. Training never ends, for joes of all ranks. Again, what makes this worthy of an MSM?
If these are the wave tops, the tons of smaller stuff doesn’t matter. Because honestly, without more details, for the bullet points provided might marginally work for an Achivement Medal. Right or wrong, MSMs for E5s are hard to come by. Definitely not impossible, but if your unit feels as though your actions warrant one, they will make sure you get one. They will write a proper 638, worded correctly. They wouldn’t leave you hanging in the breeze. “You earned it kid, but sorry, you have to write it yourself. Good luck.”
It sounds like you did some good stuff, but respectfully, as you’ve described your actions, an MSM is not warranted.
Best of luck.
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MAJ Raúl Rovira
1SG (Join to see) - I want to complement your deep dive for SSgt Ethan Mace. Your final point is most valuable, to look at samples of successful awards.
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