Help Request #5: V Device for Valor

[John Asendorf]

Alright, I need to know which ribbons can be awarded with a bronze V. So far I have:

• Distinguished Flying Cross
• Bronze Star Medal
• Air Medal
• ARCOM
• Navy COM
• AFCOM
• Joint Service Commendation Medal

...for certain. Anyone want to check on the MC and CG? Or any other ribbons I may be missing?

John

[Farmer40]

The Navy also authorizes the Combat V for the Legion of Merit. The Army and Air Force do not.

[John Asendorf]

Wouldn't you just know it... that medal was already about to give me fits... now a V for the Navy... bah!

[Farmer40]

Just to make your day, the Army doesn't award the V device for the Distinguished Flying Cross.

On the other hand, the Legion of Merit is only awarded in one degree to members of the US military, that of Legionaire/Legion of merit. The only appurtenances authorized for this degre of the LOM are the Combat V for awards by the Department Of the Navy and the appropriate Oak leaf Clusters (Army and Air Force) and Stars (Department Of the Navy) for subsequent awards.

Hope that helps.

jim

[John Asendorf]

I'm so close I can taste it... but I'm having touble with the javascript which enables the field which will hold the value if the V Device checkbox is checked... meh.

[John Asendorf]

Just to make your day, the Army doesn't award the V device for the Distinguished Flying Cross.

And, from Wikipedia:

Subsequent awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross are indicated by oak leaf clusters, for Army and Air Force personnel, and by award stars for members of the Naval services.

BAH!

[John Asendorf]

Crap... the Bronze Star Medal is the same way with the OLCs for Army/Air Force and stars for the naval services... bah

[Farmer40]

John,

I believe that your going to find that subsequent awards of all decorations ranking above the Good Conduct Medal for both the Army and Air Force are represented by Oak Leak Clusters (except, of course, for the Air Medal). Every fifth is represented by a Silver Oak Leaf.

Just read the SECNAVINST 1650.1G, Chapter 1, Para 122. It states that subsequent awards of Navy decorations are represented by Gold Stars with every five Gold Stars represented by a single Silver Star (these are the 5/16" variety). Unit, campaign and service medals use the 1/8" Bronze Star to represent subsequent awards or campaigns with Silver Stars representing five Bronze Stars. The Navy "E" is the exception.

Just to make things interesting, sailors will be awarded Oak Leaf Clusters when they represent subsequent awards of Army, Air Force of Defense Department decorations.

Ain't this fun?

jim


Oh yes, it also stated that the Combat "V" may be awarded with the Navy Achievement Medal. The Army Achievement Medal is not awarded with the "V" Device. Don't know about the USAF...

[John Asendorf]

Found a great page for the Air Force awards and I think it is right.

http://www.ngms.state.ms.us/msang/USAF_awards.htm

Scroll down far enough and you can see a table showing the appurtenances. I went with what was there...

John

[John Asendorf]

Oh, and BTW... I think I've got it mostly working right.


Test it with the Silver Star Medal.

Try it with different variations of amounts and the valor device and different services too!

Should add the V correctly and add the appropriate OLCs or stars. I'm not sure if I'm using the right stars exactly... but they should work fairly well.

John

[Farmer40]

Did a limited test of all of the decorations authorized the V device.

Looks like most of it is working just fine. There are a few things that need a little fixing. Here we go...

1. The Silver Star is a valor only award for all services. No V device is worn on this medal or ribbon.

2. The Legion Of Merit, when awarded by the Department Of the Navy (Navy, USMC and CG), may have a V device.

3. The DFC is authorized a V device for Naval awards only.

Some other things I noticed that didn't necessarily have to do with the V device functions.

1. The aerial Achievement Medal, listed with the Army awards is, in fact, an Air Force decoration.

2. The Purple Heart, when on a Navy or USMC uniform is showing Oak Leaf Clusters for subsequent awards. Should be the 5/16" Stars.

Now that the V device function is operating,, it brings up another challenge. The little understood "Four Device Rule." Basically the regs say that no more than four devices may be worn on a ribbon representing an individual decoration. It applies to Army, Air Force and Naval awards. Here's how it works. Let's say one has been awarded five Bronze Star Medals, one or more for valor and the rest for service or achievement. That's five devices (V device and four bronze clusters or stars), so the wearer would be authorized to wear two Bronze Star ribbons with a V device and three (Oak Leaf Clusters or Stars, depending on service) on the first representing the first four awards (the V is always on the wearer's right) and a second ribbon representing the fifth award. No Oak Leaf Cluster on the second ribbon as the ribbon itself represents the fifth award. This is more likely to happen with the Naval Achievement awards than any where else. The rule is less clearly written when it comes to service/campaign/battle stars (1/8")on service ribbons, but a Navy medic with an FMF device, an Assault Arrowhead and three campaign stars would run out of room on his campaign ribbon real quick. This is also true when nine, thirteen or fourteen campaign stars are worn on a campaign ribbon without any other apputenances. VERY RARE, as this could only happen with the AFEM, the VNSM and the HSM as far as I've seen so far. No other service ribbons have enough designated campaigns or events to generate that many stars.

As a sanity preserving measure, I wouldn't make the last paragraph above a high priority.

Are we having fun yet?

jim

[NSF-OIC]

I noticed that the V device works for the DFC even if I choose Army as my service. When I switch to Navy, the OLCs do change to stars, but the V shouldn't show up if I chose Army.

Also, I noticed that you are putting the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon in the "All/Multiple Service" section. Under that logic the Navy Com and NAM should be there also since they are actually the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievment Medal respectively. It doesn't seem realistic to put them in the All/Multiple category so maybe a Navy/Marine Corps section might work better.

[John Asendorf]

The more I get into the Navy and Marine Corps medals, the more I think you're dead on right...