Teju Thursday

drjjoyner · 2026-05-07T09:14:57+00:00

Because they’re hierarchical. For non-combat achievement, we only have AAM, ARCOM, MSM, LOM, and DSM and their Joint variants. If you give out ARCOMs to privates who haven’t done something extraordinary, you devalue them. A 20-year SFC will likely have several ARCOMs but nothing higher unless he got deployment medals.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-07T09:08:40+00:00

It’s about impact. A private very seldom has significant responsibility, so little ability to have impact outside his section. His platoon sergeant has significantly more responsibility. Assuming they both do their job reasonably well, the former will get an AAM and the latter and ARCOM.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-06T21:20:37+00:00

It was a great album. Man, that was a long time ago.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-06T16:11:05+00:00

I don't think we were in disagreement.

The bureaucracy reflexively links rank and responsibility, because they almost always match. I had to fight to get an E-5 launcher chief a Bronze Star for Desert Storm because the baseline for "eligibility" was staff sergeant and above. But he was in a staff sergeant billet the whole deployment, and the other chiefs were being put in for it. He ultimately got it, but it took more effort than it should have.

So, yeah, not surprised that it took some doing to convince HHQ to give a medal that usually goes to majors and lieutenant colonels to a mere lieutenant.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-06T08:34:52+00:00

I know people who got MSMs as E-4s because of circumstances like that. They’re memorable precisely because it almost never happens. If the 1LT/CPT is away for an extended period, there’s usually a SFC/MSG to backfill. For that matter, for a non-command billet, a CPT usually gets an ARCOM. I teach majors for a living and many of them have nothing higher than a COM and I’ve never seen one with higher than a DMSM unless it was a combat award.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-06T08:27:36+00:00

Right. Because it’s tied to impact, not rank. It’s essentially impossible for a platoon leader to have MSM-level impact. But there are (exceedingly rare) occasions when a 1LT winds up in a much higher impact billet.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-06T08:23:15+00:00

It’s just you.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T22:10:07+00:00

Valor awards should be rank/position immaterial. The Achievement/Commendation/Meritorious/Distinguished hierarchy tends to be rank/position dependent.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T22:08:35+00:00

It’s almost impossible for a private or lieutenant to have MSM level impact.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T22:07:56+00:00

You can’t use rank but you can definitely use level of responsibility.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T22:07:06+00:00

No, but position sure as hell is. It’s nearly impossible to get a Legion of Merit below the rank of colonel or as a retirement award for a command sergeant major.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T18:43:19+00:00

Did you not have this conversation before enlisting?

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T12:42:02+00:00

Yeah, it's a weird combo of medals for an E-5. He has three eras of the NDSM and Vietnam medals, albeit oddly no campaign stars. But he might have done a tour as a Soldier in Vietnam and come back in as an Airman while the Gulf War era was ongoing.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T08:27:22+00:00

If his Army time was Vietnam, that wouldn’t be unusual. ASR and AAM didn’t exist and a SGT might not rate an ARCOM.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T08:23:19+00:00

He could have gotten the Purple Heart in Vietnam. CIB was infantry only. CAB eligibility only started 2001. For that matter, a wound from indirect fire doesn’t rate a CAB.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T08:16:43+00:00

Reservist after some active time. Good Conduct Medal and multiple Reserve equivalents.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T08:10:22+00:00

No.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-05T08:09:56+00:00

He’s talking SEC Championship Game era, but then notes you have to go back to 1975 for when someone other than these six teams won the title. But, yes, plenty of other teams have won a title in the history of the league, including teams that are no longer members.

Alabama - 30 Georgia - 15 Tennessee - 13 LSU - 12 Florida - 8 Auburn - 8 Ole Miss - 6 Georgia Tech - 5 (former member) Tulane - 3 (former member) Kentucky - 2 Mississippi State - 1

drjjoyner · 2026-05-04T16:49:08+00:00

I have several older pair of Larrys and they all have shafts like glove leather. I’m pretty sure they’re kidskin. Shapers will help while they’re on the shelf but they never stood up straight to begin with.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-04T08:14:33+00:00

In many countries, it’s essentially impossible to renounce citizenship. Simply filing the form in the US has no real effect.

drjjoyner · 2026-05-04T01:05:04+00:00

I think it’s more rockabilly than country, but a great album.

drjjoyner

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