HolyCoast: The Seinfeld Medal
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Seinfeld Medal

It's a medal about doing nothing - the "Courageous Restraint Medal" (h/t Hot Air):
“The idea is being reviewed at Headquarters ISAF,” Sholtis said. “The idea is consistent with our approach. Our young men and women display remarkable courage every day, including situations where they refrain from using lethal force, even at risk to themselves, in order to prevent possible harm to civilians. … That restraint is an act of discipline and courage not much different than those seen in combat actions.”

[S]ome soldiers say rewarding “restraint” while risking their own lives is a troubling concept…
A U.S. Marine captain who has served in Iraq, said that he understands the intentions of the award but believes “it’s just a bad idea.” He said, “They teach us not to second-guess our decisions in dangerous situations. When people second-guess themselves they can be putting lives at risk.”…

[O]ther soldiers saw the medal proposal as a reinforcement of troubling rules of engagement.

“Unfortunately, we are being reduced to a police force,” said another U.S. soldier. “There are troops that never leave Bagram or Kandahar airfield. … Maybe if they left us all on base and never sent us out to confront the enemy, we could all be honored [for] valor.”
As Hot Air points out getting one of these will likely mean you'll also be getting a Purple Heart. Or, perhaps, receiving it posthumously.

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