Military Minute 04 Feb 24

I'm Papa Penguin and this is your Military Minute.

For all the talk from leadership about “bullet proofing the mind” and preserving the health of the force…actions sure speak louder than words.

How is it a question if someone who got injured by deliberate enemy action should rate a purple heart or combat awards?

For those of you that don’t know, those little pieces of cloth and metal can mean quite a bit to those of us that serve. That’s why we wear our resume on our chest in dress uniforms.
Denying these awards to these troops sends a clear signal that they don’t matter.

And the BS about them just getting their bell rung, that it’s not serious, I say GTFO. We recognize TBI and chronic concussion syndrome is a real thing in professional athletes. Why do we pretend like it's not a real thing in our warfighters?

I saw this time and again while I was deployed. Guy would get his bell rung but managed to duck all of the accompanying shrapnel. Then it would be a struggle to determine if he rated a purple heart. He gets out of the service and his headaches, mood swings, and depression are labeled as not being service related. He’s stuck without hope or resources. So he eats a bullet.

It is not right. They got injured by the deliberate actions of the enemy. Sure sounds like combat to me. Present them with the awards they rate so they can receive proper care when they return to civilian life. It’s especially important as a member of the NG.

Signed a veteran of Iraq 04-05, 07, 08-09, and Afghanistan 2010.

https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Purple%20Heart

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/02/02/combat-awards-soldiers-killed-injured-jordan-drone-attack-remain-uncertain.html