Lynndie's medals

I saw Lynndie England on the tv tonight.
She was a private in admin in the US army as far as I can tell.

I'm asking this in all honesty to find out not to flame or start a flaming session.

How come she has a chest full of ribbons/medals?

What on earth could she have possibly done to deserve all that lot?



[edit on 2-5-2005 by sminkeypinkey]

This might help.

It is a list of army ribbons in order of precedence.

www.army.mil...

Not all of them are for outstanding or distinguished service, I'm sure some of them are campaign ribbons as well.

And to top it off she's a reservist (I think).

That's just the army for you.....they give away ribbons, medals, badges for just about anything.

I see more people fresh out of army boot camp with so many ribbons it's pathetic.....they have a dam fuit salad on thier chest.

Now the Marine Corps, they do it right....you have to earn what's yours, it's not handed out for 6 weeks of good conduct like the army.

Seriously now, people generally get more awards for going overseas and participating in exercises/combat zones during wartime. Some awards can be unit awards, so she rates it because her unit does.
Others are hand me outs like good conduct medals (not in here case) and unit awards

BTW: Don't take offense to the above, just showing a little branch pride.

She does seem to have an awful lot of ribbons and medals tho, considering her total time in service. When I was in on active duty, my ribbon bars werent that filled up until towards the end of my second year/beginning of my third year.

The only standard-mass issue ribbons for no special achievement that she would be likely to have are the army ribbon, the national service ribbon, overseas ribbon, and southwest asia service ribbon. From the looks of it, she looks like she also has AAM, ARCOM, and GCM. How she got those is beyond me tho, especially the GCM, which is awarded to soldiers every three years provided that during those three years of service, they have not gotten into any trouble with the law and do not have any administrative actions pr punishments against them, including reduction in rank. The GCM stands for good conduct medal, and obviously, under the circumstances, she has not served 3 years with good conduct.

The ARCOM and AAM are achievement medals, awarded to soldiers who either consistantly perform beyond their expected duties, or who have performed some action that is worthy of high praise or exceptional note. Usually, they are pften awarded after three years to most soldiers provided they have been good soldiers, but sometimes before that, if they are exceptional. But none of these from what I understand apply to her.

Unfortunately, these medals are also awarded as kiss ass awards to people who brown nose or get in good with the right people, as Ive seen people who did not deserve them get them. Since it is unusual for someone of Ms England's rank and length of service to have these medals unless exceptional service was involved, my guess, given Lynndie's history and reputation, she aquired these awards through non deserving channels.

my ribbon bars werent that filled up until towards the end of my second year/beginning of my third year.

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf, the end of your 2nd or beggining of your 3rd year.
Were you army?

Quit impressive

[edit on 2/5/2005 by SportyMB]

Originally posted by SportyMB


Skadi_the_Evil_Elf, the end of your 2nd or beggining of your 3rd year.
Were you army?

Quit impressive

[edit on 2/5/2005 by SportyMB]

I was indeed. Total of four years. Nothing spectacular, just a mechanic.

I did, however, know the Lyndie England types. We had a number of them. they were often the laziest, most incompetant soldiers we had. Male and female, and because they were working closer to commanders in the orderly room or battalion than were the people who actually worked.

My guess is that Ms Lyndie, given her record, plus her current predicament, got the amount of medals she has at her current state in her service because either the commander had to fill a quota for awarding or promoting females and ethnic minorities (unfortunately, PC nonsense has infected almost every corner of the military) or she aquired them on her back. This does happen in the military.

And back when i was looking into the service backgrounds of the people charged with the Abu Ghraib fiasco, I never saw anything written in her records that she was an above average soldier, or an exceptional clerk, or really anything that would warrant such achievements we see her wearing. She has basically the same number and probably, the same kind of medals I had when I got out, and I got out as a corporal with a far better service record than she has from what I read. And I didn't even get pregnant, let alone in a war zone.

You must mean the service bars. Actually, Lynndie has what appears to be an average amount, even for "wartime". You should see ROTC kids in their uniforms (ROTC is a recruiting program for high schoolers, they get dress uniforms.) I've met a few of these kids wearing their dress uniforms to various functions, generally around 14-15 years old, and they look like five star generals, they have so many decorations. I have no idea what any of them are for, but they can't be for much if you're that young and haven't actually served anywhere, so I'm not surprised Lynndie, and troops like her, have a chestfull. (Looking at the picture you provided of Lynndie, I can tell you she has about half as many decorations as these kids did.)

My guess is about 90% of them are unit decorations.

-koji K.

all hail the new american heroine !!!!

Thanks for the responses folks. Interesting.

I just found it hard to believe such a young very ordinary admin private could have done anything to justify such a display.

I remember my folks in the British military; they came home from 6yrs of WW2 with a bunch of campaign medals and little else. You'd be lucky to see that go beyond 1 - 2 rows.

The sight of some of these extensive spreads we see today strikes me as 'everybody gets a prize' gone a bit nuts and actually devaluing the whole idea somewhat.

I see your point Sminkey. To a non army person, a row of medals may look more impressive than it really is.

However I am sure that within the military, as people here have backed up, they will know who has done something impressive and who has not.

She probably earned them in some gameshow.

Will you take this medal or you'll go for what's behind door no.2.

Ms. England goes for what is behind door no. 2.

Now, lets see what she won. Yes, It's a court-martial. After distinguished service in operation Iraqi Freedom, she has won 5 years in luxuryous prison cell in our many special resorts for intergalacticaly stupid servicepersons of our Army.

Congratulation ant thank you for playing!