Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Drone Medal Draws Fire



Newly-confirmed Sec of Defense Chuck Hagel was presented with a letter earlier today from the Veterans of Foreign War taking issue with the new armed services medal that will recognize drone and other out-of-theatre service. However, the proposed new citation -- titled the Distinguished Warfare Medal -- will outrank such traditional awards as the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. It is the ranking, not the creation of the medal itself, that has veteran groups (and some members of Congress) up in arms. The Pentagon insists that its support for remote and cyber warfare does not diminish from its traditional awards for combat valor.