Gongs for grunts

With all the combat Canadian soldiers have seen in Afghanistan in recent years, I've privately wondered whether our recognition of the soldiers we send into such a taxing environment will live up to the standards of performance and sacrifice we expect of them. I’m not convinced they will.

One aspect of my concern stems from the total lack of decorations for bravery awarded so far. I know the process is shrouded in secrecy, as it should be, and I know the investigations into such awards are thorough and time-consuming. But I would have thought we’d see something five and a half years into the conflict.

Turns out things are in the works:

For the record, there are four 8 1/2 x 11 pages of H&A from TF ORION, from Comds Coin through to more esoteric medals and decorations. They will all be assiduously tracked, and there is a move afoot to make these so. I received a not very subtle reminder on Friday that went CDS - CLS - A Comd - Bde staff - CO - me in a single day with respect to a specific person whose performance was noteworthy - and wasn't on that list. Noteworthy achievments are usually honoured as such, and there are a slew happening every day right now, as modern heroes for an evolving nation are being forged even as we speak.

We will get there - it just takes time.

Five years? While I’m glad this issue is being tracked within the CF and not simply left to wither on a bureaucrat’s desk, this reinforces what I've always felt about the CF honours system: it’s a little on the stingy and unresponsive side.

Some would say the American approach of awarding decorations early and often is a better one. You'll lose me there. I recall billeting a first-year West Point cadet for a weekend while I was at RMC and seeing a bright ribbon on his grey uniform. When I asked what it was for, instead of being impressed by some special act for which he'd received special recognition (bravery isn't age- or rank-specific, after all, and it's not like emergencies don't occur in training situations), I was disappointed to discover his decoration was for completing basic training or some such thing. I remember being distinctly underwhelmed, which is not really the effect you're striving for with a decoration. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The relatively recent profusion of campaign medals on Canadian uniformed chests is a welcome change from the somewhat barren decades between Korea and the Balkans, but a campaign medal simply says the wearer was there. I don't deny that every contribution helps and deserves recognition, as wisely spelled out by this Sergeant-Major:

"Every soldier in Afghanistan has helped fight the Taliban in their own certain way. The postal clerk, for instance. It is because of him that you can find out how your loved ones are doing, and about little Johnny and how big he’s getting.

"He allows us the opportunity to let our stress levels to come down, and forget about the hell we are dealing with here because we can read a letter from home; therefore, helping us fight the Taliban with renewed strength. Your medal, quite simply, is only as good as the story behind it."

But much as the postal clerk deserves recognition, I don't believe he or she is due the same recognition as an infanteer kicking down doors with his heart in his mouth and his breath coming short as he clears a building room by room.

Having said all that to privide some context, I think there are at least three separate issues around the recognition of CF members that need to be addressed.

First, we need to streamline the process of having a nomination approved. Verification of the actions giving rise to the nomination is important, but surely it can be done in months rather than years. Do you need to interview a dozen people from the nominee’s platoon and chain of command, or would half a dozen do? This isn’t like building a criminal law case, where a man or woman’s guilt has to be established beyond all reasonable doubt. The aim of decorations within a military organization should be to improve morale and encourage performance above and beyond the call of duty by bestowing simple recognition. In light of that goal, is the CF expending too much time and energy on verification – on ‘building a case’? I think so.

Second, while our system of honours and recognition is fairly extensive, it has not yet been fleshed out by proper use. It needs more use to work the system in. We have three medals for valour – the VC, the Star of Military Valour, and the Medal of Military Valour – and all require ‘the presence of the enemy’ for a nomination to be considered. We have another three for ‘bravery’, which doesn’t require the presence of the enemy, but which can also be awarded to civilians. We have a bazillion shinies for meritorious service (many of which are dependent upon rank and position), campaign medals, Mentioned in Dispatches oak-leaves, and commendations of various sorts from the Commander in Chief on down the line.

But my impression is that all too often, the prevailing attitude in the CF discourages the formal recognition of its people. I agree with the guiding principle that you don't hand out decorations for simply doing the job, but I suspect the attitude that accompanies that sentiment has strayed too far to the ungenerous side. When it takes four years to earn a Mentioned in Dispatches, the system is not functioning to its full potential. It's about time we changed that.

Third, I think we need a new award - specifically, something that recognizes CF members who have engaged directly with the enemy. This is the one time you'll find me supporting a Canadian recognition plainly based upon an American one: the Combat Action Badge. Support elements are critical to a mission, but there's a reason they're called 'support' - the pointy end is the reason they exist, not the other way around. We need to acknowledge that getting shot at and shooting back places unique stresses on an individual, and recognize that formally and visibly.

Remember: decorations, medals, awards, and any other formal recognition are about morale. They're about a pat on the back. And when it comes to patting its people on the back, the CF can do better.