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Posted: 4/23/2011 10:29:11 PM EDT
[#1]
I received small arms fire and indirect fire while participating in convoy ops multiple times a few of those times I was the gunner and got to return fire the rest of the time I was the driver; I put in the CAB paperwork every time so I'm not sure which one I got it for.
One of the mortar or artillery rounds whichever it was came really close to nailing me and it was huge; the dirt mushroom it made was about 3 times the size of my truck so I figure it would probably have killed me. But the cool thing about that particular incident is that the truck in front of me caught it on tape! So its forever my keep sake. |
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Posted: 4/23/2011 11:27:34 PM EDT
[#2]
Just wondering, why in hometown? You should try one of the military sections you will get a lot more responses.
edit: If you wanted to you could have a mod move this thread for you over to that section. |
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Posted: 4/23/2011 11:46:21 PM EDT
[#3]
I hurt someone's feelings once. Does that count?
And I think BombSquadJohn is just trying to get to know his ARFCOM brethren. You know, wheat from the chaff and all that. |
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Posted: 4/24/2011 3:57:09 AM EDT
[#4]
I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit.
Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. |
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Posted: 4/24/2011 5:35:43 AM EDT
[#5]
Rizzo is correct. I am trying to get some info on the local guys. I am sure that there would be more stories in the main forum. I also have perfect attendance for campaign medals.
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Posted: 4/24/2011 10:29:42 AM EDT
[#6]
Quoted: I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. Are you talking about people in general or other soldiers? |
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Posted: 4/24/2011 10:50:13 AM EDT
[#7]
I got one ribbon for typing, and one for surfing.
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Posted: 4/24/2011 12:57:07 PM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. thats what my dad says too. lol |
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Posted: 4/24/2011 3:07:37 PM EDT
[#9]
Quoted:
Quoted:
I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. Are you talking about people in general or other soldiers? The only people I see who give a fuck about ribbons and combat badges are senior NCOs and officers that have not deployed, and it is usually manifested as subtle resentment. The rest of the population, military and otherwise, doesn't really give a flying fuck. |
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Posted: 4/24/2011 4:05:12 PM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. Are you talking about people in general or other soldiers? The only people I see who give a fuck about ribbons and combat badges are senior NCOs and officers that have not deployed, and it is usually manifested as subtle resentment. The rest of the population, military and otherwise, doesn't really give a flying fuck. Well, I am one of the ones who does give a shit and thank you for your service and sacrifice. Thank you to everyone else too. Our country would not be here if it weren't for you and those before you. |
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Posted: 4/24/2011 8:06:22 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. Are you talking about people in general or other soldiers? The only people I see who give a fuck about ribbons and combat badges are senior NCOs and officers that have not deployed, and it is usually manifested as subtle resentment. The rest of the population, military and otherwise, doesn't really give a flying fuck. I think combat badges would be a bigger deal if they didn't "blanket" them when an incident happened. For example scout truck in a convoy is around the bend of a mountain and takes then returns small arms fire. No other trucks in the convoy hear or saw anything of the firefight. But if one E-8 from batallion on his first mission who was a sleep in the rear of the convoy puts in for his CAB he will probably get it even though he didn't participate in the combat at all. I think most military that has deployed knows this sort of thing happens, so when they see someone with a CAB/CIB they are suspicious if it is an award they actually deserved to get or if they were just "blanketed" with it. |
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Posted: 4/24/2011 9:08:07 PM EDT
[#12]
Reservist that might be the most intelligent thing you've ever said. I know of many instances where that happened. I also know of guys who were in firefights, IED explosions and the likes and they did not get a CAB/CIB. It's sad that it happens, but it does.
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Posted: 4/24/2011 9:23:20 PM EDT
[#13]
I notice if someone has something particularly interesting, or if they lack something really basic like any sort of deployment ribbon.
Most don't mean much unless you know the story of how they got it. I try to stay out of uniforms that include ribbons in the first place. |
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Posted: 4/24/2011 9:23:45 PM EDT
[#14]
Quoted: Reservist that might be the most intelligent thing you've ever said. I know of many instances where that happened. I also know of guys who were in firefights, IED explosions and the likes and they did not get a CAB/CIB. It's sad that it happens, but it does. Yeah me too. I was on a 5 day mission where we saw action every single day it was ridiculous. We got told by the guys who had gone on it before us that it was like that and in the brief before hand as well we were told to expect RPG's, small arms, and indirect... we ended up getting all 3 multiple times. Me and another guy in the truck I will call him Sgt. CrazyEyes already had CABS, the other 2 guys in the truck didn't. One was a LT from battalion who came on the mission with the intent to see combat for his first time, and the other guy was just a lower enlisted who got picked at random to go on the mission. We all wrote sworn statements of the events afterwords; the LT and the lower enlisted guy who didn't have a CAB both put in for one. The LT ended up getting one and lower enlisted guy didn't. During the mission though we stopped the third day for 13 hours to drop off the load we were escorting, refuel, and rest. The LT set up his cot in a way that had his head right next to the tail pipe so the next morning when we all woke up we noticed his mistake and took advantage of it by cranking on the truck and giving him a blast of morning exhaust hahaha. The stupid shit you do on deployment. |
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Posted: 4/25/2011 4:20:48 AM EDT
[#15]
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. Are you talking about people in general or other soldiers? The only people I see who give a fuck about ribbons and combat badges are senior NCOs and officers that have not deployed, and it is usually manifested as subtle resentment. The rest of the population, military and otherwise, doesn't really give a flying fuck. I think combat badges would be a bigger deal if they didn't "blanket" them when an incident happened. For example scout truck in a convoy is around the bend of a mountain and takes then returns small arms fire. No other trucks in the convoy hear or saw anything of the firefight. But if one E-8 from batallion on his first mission who was a sleep in the rear of the convoy puts in for his CAB he will probably get it even though he didn't participate in the combat at all. I think most military that has deployed knows this sort of thing happens, so when they see someone with a CAB/CIB they are suspicious if it is an award they actually deserved to get or if they were just "blanketed" with it. I have noticed this phenomenon is a relatively new one and mostly associated with the GWOT. It didn't used to be this way. And yes...it devalues the currency. As far as no one giving a fuck....one day, as you lie in a casket your sons and daughters will look upon your body with tears in their eyes. And they will most certainly give a fuck. Mine are in a shadow box packed away. One day they will belong to my son. At this stage in our lives I'm not sure I want him to go and get his own. |
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Posted: 4/25/2011 11:37:26 AM EDT
[#16]
I burned poop in Iraq....
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Posted: 4/25/2011 11:46:02 AM EDT
[#17]
Quoted: I burned poop in Iraq.... http://a4.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/150/b25b65f4c83c4e7f9a54c08c35e79470/l.jpg You should get a badge for that! Thank god I never had to do that, I also never had tower duty which I lived in fear of for awhile when I was over seas. I did get into a fight and got stuck on DFAC duty for 7 days straight overnight in the middle of the winter... so cold. Poop story inside the spoiler. Click To View Spoiler |
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Posted: 4/25/2011 5:28:23 PM EDT
[#18]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. Are you talking about people in general or other soldiers? The only people I see who give a fuck about ribbons and combat badges are senior NCOs and officers that have not deployed, and it is usually manifested as subtle resentment. The rest of the population, military and otherwise, doesn't really give a flying fuck. I think combat badges would be a bigger deal if they didn't "blanket" them when an incident happened. For example scout truck in a convoy is around the bend of a mountain and takes then returns small arms fire. No other trucks in the convoy hear or saw anything of the firefight. But if one E-8 from batallion on his first mission who was a sleep in the rear of the convoy puts in for his CAB he will probably get it even though he didn't participate in the combat at all. I think most military that has deployed knows this sort of thing happens, so when they see someone with a CAB/CIB they are suspicious if it is an award they actually deserved to get or if they were just "blanketed" with it. I have noticed this phenomenon is a relatively new one and mostly associated with the GWOT. It didn't used to be this way. And yes...it devalues the currency. As far as no one giving a fuck....one day, as you lie in a casket your sons and daughters will look upon your body with tears in their eyes. And they will most certainly give a fuck. Mine are in a shadow box packed away. One day they will belong to my son. At this stage in our lives I'm not sure I want him to go and get his own. If you actually research the history of awards, you'll find that the blanketing of awards has reduced. In WWII there were division wide blanketing of Bronze Stars, and a there was a theater wide award of Bronze Stars to CIB holders in the ETO. In Vietnam, the approval of awards was ridiculous, you get cases where people had multiple Silver Stars and could not even identify the action that resulted in the award. What has gradually increased is bullshit awards like the Army Service Ribbon (invented after VN so everybody would get at least one), the NDSM, the GWOTSM, NCOPD, GCMs....freebies. As far as the "it devalues the currency..." I'll just let that one go, and hope we are not talking about boot-shine ribbons and fire-watch medals from the peace time era. |
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Posted: 4/25/2011 5:37:14 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. Are you talking about people in general or other soldiers? The only people I see who give a fuck about ribbons and combat badges are senior NCOs and officers that have not deployed, and it is usually manifested as subtle resentment. The rest of the population, military and otherwise, doesn't really give a flying fuck. I think combat badges would be a bigger deal if they didn't "blanket" them when an incident happened. For example scout truck in a convoy is around the bend of a mountain and takes then returns small arms fire. No other trucks in the convoy hear or saw anything of the firefight. But if one E-8 from batallion on his first mission who was a sleep in the rear of the convoy puts in for his CAB he will probably get it even though he didn't participate in the combat at all. I think most military that has deployed knows this sort of thing happens, so when they see someone with a CAB/CIB they are suspicious if it is an award they actually deserved to get or if they were just "blanketed" with it. I have noticed this phenomenon is a relatively new one and mostly associated with the GWOT. It didn't used to be this way. And yes...it devalues the currency. As far as no one giving a fuck....one day, as you lie in a casket your sons and daughters will look upon your body with tears in their eyes. And they will most certainly give a fuck. Mine are in a shadow box packed away. One day they will belong to my son. At this stage in our lives I'm not sure I want him to go and get his own. If you actually research the history of awards, you'll find that the blanketing of awards has reduced. In WWII there were division wide blanketing of Bronze Stars, and a there was a theater wide award of Bronze Stars to CIB holders in the ETO. In Vietnam, the approval of awards was ridiculous, you get cases where people had multiple Silver Stars and could not even identify the action that resulted in the award. What has gradually increased is bullshit awards like the Army Service Ribbon (invented after VN so everybody would get at least one), the NDSM, the GWOTSM, NCOPD, GCMs....freebies. As far as the "it devalues the currency..." I'll just let that one go, and hope we are not talking about boot-shine ribbons and fire-watch medals from the peace time era. No need to "let anything go" old boy. I've not taken the time to research the history of awards; I'm simply stating my unscientific and casual observations. And if you can't understand how things like "division wide blanketing of Bronze Stars" devalues the merit of those truly earned, well then I can't help you. You've obviously read something into my statement that was not there. I'll let that one go.  |
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Posted: 4/25/2011 8:14:28 PM EDT
[#20]
Most cab's I've seen awarded were a fucking joke just my .02
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Posted: 4/26/2011 6:41:43 AM EDT
[#21]
the way my dad puts it is nowadays they hand out ribbons like effin candy. Back in his day with the 1st Battalion 1st Marines in Vietnam from 66 to 67 you actually had to do something. He says nobody gives two fucks about his Bronze star with combat V and purple heart. I do care and I'm one proud SOB to be the son of a Marine!
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Posted: 4/26/2011 6:01:13 PM EDT
[#22]
Quoted:
I burned poop in Iraq.... http://a4.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/150/b25b65f4c83c4e7f9a54c08c35e79470/l.jpg LOL, I didn't have to burn it, but I did have to shovel it out of the porta johns when the haji, that cleaned them got arrested for being an insurgent. 
ETA: I'm back home now, and I'll be in Phoenix in a couple of weeks. PM me your number and we'll hookup for lunch. |
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Posted: 4/26/2011 7:29:57 PM EDT
[#23]
I have a good friend who got a BSM with a V device for actions in Iraq, and received it as an impact award, and he refuses to wear it because they mean nothing any more.
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Posted: 4/27/2011 3:30:44 AM EDT
[#24]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I've got all the battle bling for the most part. CAB and CIB, plus an AFCAM. PH and BSM. Pretty much perfect attendance for campaign medals. Lots of other miscellaneous shit. Near as I can tell, nobody really gives two fucks. Are you talking about people in general or other soldiers? The only people I see who give a fuck about ribbons and combat badges are senior NCOs and officers that have not deployed, and it is usually manifested as subtle resentment. The rest of the population, military and otherwise, doesn't really give a flying fuck. I think combat badges would be a bigger deal if they didn't "blanket" them when an incident happened. For example scout truck in a convoy is around the bend of a mountain and takes then returns small arms fire. No other trucks in the convoy hear or saw anything of the firefight. But if one E-8 from batallion on his first mission who was a sleep in the rear of the convoy puts in for his CAB he will probably get it even though he didn't participate in the combat at all. I think most military that has deployed knows this sort of thing happens, so when they see someone with a CAB/CIB they are suspicious if it is an award they actually deserved to get or if they were just "blanketed" with it. I have noticed this phenomenon is a relatively new one and mostly associated with the GWOT. It didn't used to be this way. And yes...it devalues the currency. As far as no one giving a fuck....one day, as you lie in a casket your sons and daughters will look upon your body with tears in their eyes. And they will most certainly give a fuck. Mine are in a shadow box packed away. One day they will belong to my son. At this stage in our lives I'm not sure I want him to go and get his own. If you actually research the history of awards, you'll find that the blanketing of awards has reduced. In WWII there were division wide blanketing of Bronze Stars, and a there was a theater wide award of Bronze Stars to CIB holders in the ETO. In Vietnam, the approval of awards was ridiculous, you get cases where people had multiple Silver Stars and could not even identify the action that resulted in the award. What has gradually increased is bullshit awards like the Army Service Ribbon (invented after VN so everybody would get at least one), the NDSM, the GWOTSM, NCOPD, GCMs....freebies. As far as the "it devalues the currency..." I'll just let that one go, and hope we are not talking about boot-shine ribbons and fire-watch medals from the peace time era. No need to "let anything go" old boy. I've not taken the time to research the history of awards; I'm simply stating my unscientific and casual observations. And if you can't understand how things like "division wide blanketing of Bronze Stars" devalues the merit of those truly earned, well then I can't help you. You've obviously read something into my statement that was not there. I'll let that one go.
I totally understand that blanketing an award diminishes the value of the award. Some awards are way too easy to get now (AAM ) and there are too many gimme awards, like the ASR or NDSM and GWOTSM being awarded at the same time. However, people commonly say that "back in the day it was hard to get a Bronze Star.." Actually the opposite is true, especially in the case of Bronze Star w/V, Silver Star etc. They don't give entire divisions BSMs anymore, and they did in WWII. In Korea and VN, there were officers given Bronze Stars w/V or Silver Star for nothing. Google Bo Gritz, Dave Hackworth or John Kerry who are only famous examples. The award system has been messed up for a while. |
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Posted: 4/27/2011 5:19:02 AM EDT
[#25]
Quoted: ...snip... The award system has been messed up for a while. Me and you are on the same page. |
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Posted: 4/27/2011 10:16:16 AM EDT
[#26]
All my ribbons and other stuff are neatly displayed in a shadow box on a wall in my house. The day you get out of the military they are worth exactly nothing. 20 Years and a box of pretty ribbons don't get you an interview on the outside. While in Balad, Iraq, I was "offered" a Bronze Star if I volunteered to stay another tour. Couldn't believe it....kids were getting wounded and killed and I was offered the same medal they were earning in blood. I said no and put in my retirement papers when I returned The military is gonna look down on NCO's and officers if they don't have a CIB or CAB in the near future. Thats why everybody is putting in for the award. I enjoyed my time in the military, seen and done things only a very few people will ever do....or believe in some cases. But the political nature the military is heading have me worried.
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Posted: 4/27/2011 11:33:21 AM EDT
[#27]
Quoted:
I enjoyed my time in the military, seen and done things only a very few people will ever do....or believe in some cases. 
sorry..couldn't resist... |
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Posted: 4/27/2011 11:45:26 AM EDT
[#28]
Quoted: The military is gonna look down on NCO's and officers if they don't have a CIB or CAB in the near future. Thats why everybody is putting in for the award. Been going on since WWII, and probably a few thousand years before that. Remember the numbnuts that took over Richard Winters' platoon to get the combat time that his career required? |
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Posted: 4/28/2011 10:02:48 PM EDT
[#29]
I was a fobbit. Rarely ever left the wire. While in Kandahar province I got a few rockets lobbed at me on several occasions, all inside the wire. Several impacted within 100m of where I was at. Lots on election day. Never got a chance to shoot back.
I never wore my CAB because so many troops were getting them because a mortar or rocket landed literally miles away on the other end of BAF or KAF. It's not a CIB and isn't intended to be. It should indicate that the soldier who wears it was in actual combat, though. |
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Posted: 4/29/2011 2:42:44 PM EDT
[#30]
Quoted:
I was a fobbit. Rarely ever left the wire. While in Kandahar province I got a few rockets lobbed at me on several occasions, all inside the wire. Several impacted within 100m of where I was at. Lots on election day. Never got a chance to shoot back. I never wore my CAB because so many troops were getting them because a mortar or rocket landed literally miles away on the other end of BAF or KAF. It's not a CIB and isn't intended to be. It should indicate that the soldier who wears it was in actual combat, though. Shit, the CIB (at least when I was in) only meant you were 11 series. Every swinging dick that deployed to Iraq in the first dust-up that was 11-anything got their CIB...The real hard cores had the EIB, you at least had to show you knew stuff to get that... Being shot at does not make you special... Otherwise, you could just drive through South Phoenix on Cinco De Mayo and get a CIB/CAB |
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Posted: 4/29/2011 3:32:55 PM EDT
[#31]
Quoted:
Shit, the CIB (at least when I was in) only meant you were 11 series. Every swinging dick that deployed to Iraq in the first dust-up that was 11-anything got their CIB...The real hard cores had the EIB, you at least had to show you knew stuff to get that... Being shot at does not make you special... Otherwise, you could just drive through South Phoenix on Cinco De Mayo and get a CIB/CAB Shit, even getting your EIB is a joke now. |
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