“Man, You Look like a General…Are You a General?” (26 Nov 13)

That’s what people have been asking me the last couple of weeks. They look at my Army uniform and say “Wow…”

“What’s all of the things and stuff on your shirt?”

The ribbons and the two badges represent more than 35 years of combined civilian and military service, as part of all three of the Army’s components.  What is not illustrated are two more rows of ribbons representing my National Guard service in two states (Kentucky and Georgia), and two other States awarding me their commendation medals for service in their state (Minnesota) or service support their state’s National Guard units (New York State).

The two badges shown are the Combat Action Badge (or CAB, the one with the bayonet. I actually have earned two awards of this item, but Congress is slow in approving additional awards) and the Expert Field Medical Badge (or EFMB).

From the top down are four rows of decorations. The Army defines decorations as medals awarded for individual merit; while awards are given for participation in a stated operation, campaign, or war.  In other words, everyone participating gets the awards, while decorations are presented to individual for meritorous actions or performance of duties.

From left to right: the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal; the Meritorious Service Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters, which indicate that I have received this award three times), the Army Commendation Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters, indicating that I have received this award four times); the Joint Service Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster indicating a second award), the Army Achievement Medal (with a Silver and Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, indicating that I have received seven awards of this medal); the Joint Service Achievement Medal (I should have an Oak Leaf Cluster but it’s not there, but I’ve received two awards of this medal), and the Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters, indicating that I have received this medal five times and next year, I will receive it a sixth time to which I replace the four bronze Oak Leaf Clusters with a Silver Oak Leaf Cluster device).

The next four are what are called “Honorary” or “Non Service Related” medals.  The highest is the Young American Award for Service, the Department of Justice earlier version of the BSA’s Young American Medal; the other three are the Army Commanders’ Award for Public Service, the Commanders’ Award for Civilian Service and the Army Civilian Achievement Award. These national awards are worn between the Good Conduct Medal (the red with white striped medal) and any decorations.

The other award ribbons represent service medals: National Defense Service Medal with bronze star (indicating two awards of this service medal), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with three campaign stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Korean Service Medal; the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal (with two bronze stars indicating a total of three awards), the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal with two bronze stars — should be three — indicating a total of four awards; the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with the number “3”, a “M” and Silver Hourglass devices (this means that I’ve been mobilized (the “M”) a total of three times (the “3”) and been in the Reserve for thirty years (the Silver Hourglass) ), Army Service Ribbon (everyone gets this just for being in the Army) and Army Overseas Ribbon with the number “4” (indicating the number of times I’ve served overseas); and finally, the Army Reserve Component Overseas Ribbon with the number “5” (indicating the number of times I’ve served overseas as a Reserve component (Guard, Reserve) member), the NATO Medal and the Kingdom of Kuwait Service Medal.

I have also received three unit awards — the Joint Unit Commendation Award to which I was a part of a unit earning the commendation four times; the Meritorious Unit Award to which I was part of two units earning the commendation; and the Army Superior Unit Award to which I was a part of three units or organizations which have receieved the award.

No. I am NOT a General…just happen to be at the right places performing the right missions and doing my best in whatever I did…

Thanks for asking me!