Corpsman jailed for unauthorized medal

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/marine_faker_010409w/

Former chief never officially approved to get Purple Heart

By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jan 4, 2009 8:41:03 EST

Whether Robert White was injured in Iraq in 2005 and deserved a Purple Heart makes no difference now.

The chief hospital corpsman wore the award without receiving it through official channels, and in the Navy’s eyes, that makes him a faker.

The 19-year sailor, who was selected for advancement to senior chief in March, pleaded guilty on Dec. 16 to the unauthorized wearing of a Purple Heart while he worked at Great Lakes, Ill.

White’s military judge sentenced him to 45 days in the brig, busted him down to E-5 and ordered him to forfeit four months of pay.

[baldguy]

1. Some people get jail time for wearing unauthorized medals.

Others who do the same get to be President.

http://home.comcast.net.nyud.net:8090/~danny.boy.1/Bush_Medal.jpg

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

4. what ribbons are those? even the uniform looks fake

edit typo

[baldguy]

5. Here you go -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x654437

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

6. thanks. are there two kinds of national defense ribbons?

mine doesn't look like that.

[baldguy]

7. The pic shows a Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and a Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon

He's not eligible for the Outstanding Unit Award.

[Aviation Pro]

2. This will be a very common phenomenom for the foreseeable future....

...wannabes and fakers acquiring some Stolen Valor for themselves in an attempt to become the badasses they never were. Look for the following:

1. Fake SEALS announcing that they had any number of evil doers in their sites and were prevented from pulling the trigger by "bullshit Washington red tape."

2. Ex-PFCs declaring that they were on a top secret CIA mission to bury Saddam's WMDs.

3. A few servicemembers sporting a garden salad of unearned gongs (medals) including Distinguished Service Crosses, Silver Stars and Bronze Stars (the Medal of Honor is scrupiously tracked and in only a handful of cases involve the illegal wearing or claim of the medal).

4. Men declaring in a bar that they were Marine snipers and have 1000 kills to their credit (clue, snipers rarely if ever talk about their missions).

Fortunately, there are a number of organizations that track down the fakers, confront them and make them confess to their egregious sins.

[catnhatnh]

3. And let's not forget that the military aids and abets the degradation of medals...

Think them pretty new CIB look-alike jewelery. My brother who has the scars and no purple heart refers to his bronze star as "the bronze star of continued existence" because rather than state a specific act it refers to just "action" in certain places between certain dates. Another common award he refers to as the "Green Weenie". But the CIB was the single mark he respected and when the army started tarting up impostors he was PISSED.

[SoCalDem]

8. 45 days in the brig & a monetary fine for unauthorized medal-wearing, BUT

but the really BIG criminals get taxpayer bailouts and some even get medals pinned on them by a president who has committed the biggest crimes of all:(

[NNN0LHI]

9. I thought the penalty was overly harsh myself

But I am not a veteran so chances are I may not fully appreciate the seriousness of this crime?

Don

[SoCalDem]

10. Having been a military brat, I know military people take their medals very seriously

but I also know that there have to be times when a snafu, prevents them from getting medals they deserve..paperwork hold ups, transfers of people who needed to sign something..lots of reasons.

Maybe some get tired of writing letters and pursuing "channels" and just wear one they should have gotten..

probably many who do this, never get "caught", but when they do..it's a shitstorm:(

[BulletproofLandshark]

11. I agree with you. Way too harsh.

They knocked him down THREE paygrades AND gave him the brig over a medal. Was he in the wrong? Yeah. But that's just overkill.