Combat Medal for Drone Piloting??? Really?

This Popular Science article http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-02/what-new-drone-medal-reveals-about-mental-health

Quote :

Yesterday the Pentagon announced the first new combat related medal that can be won without being physically present in a battlefield. The Distinguished Warfare Medal "will be awarded to individuals for 'extraordinary achievement' related to a military operation that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001." It is expected that these will primarily be awarded to drone pilots (though the possibility of an extraordinary achievement in cyber war exists).

Reaction to the medal has understandably focused on how the potential recipients can "earn the fourth highest combat medal from the comfort of their desk chair," to quote one commentator, but there is something missing from that perspective. Though physically removed, drone pilots are not as separate from combat as we commonly think.

There is more to the article, but I think medals should be awarded to those that earn them on the battlefield and put themselves in harms way in service to our country. Sure, there is probably some stress involved, knowing that a missile they fire may have killed someone.

Am I off base with my comment?

Eric wrote:

This Popular Science article http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-02/what-new-drone-medal-reveals-about-mental-health

Quote :

Yesterday the Pentagon announced the first new combat related medal that can be won without being physically present in a battlefield. The Distinguished Warfare Medal "will be awarded to individuals for 'extraordinary achievement' related to a military operation that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001." It is expected that these will primarily be awarded to drone pilots (though the possibility of an extraordinary achievement in cyber war exists).

Reaction to the medal has understandably focused on how the potential recipients can "earn the fourth highest combat medal from the comfort of their desk chair," to quote one commentator, but there is something missing from that perspective. Though physically removed, drone pilots are not as separate from combat as we commonly think.

There is more to the article, but I think medals should be awarded to those that earn them on the battlefield and put themselves in harms way in service to our country. Sure, there is probably some stress involved, knowing that a missile they fire may have killed someone.

Am I off base with my comment?

Not in the least off-base in my opinion. I think it's absurd that a person sitting safely in an ergonomic chair inside a control room stateside is now eligible to be awarded the 4th highest combat medal. In fact, it's offensive to me considering what I know my brother to have endured and achieved during his career w/USMC Force Recon. Granted, I do not know what medals he has earned because he is not a braggart and would never even advertise such things to his own family. But yes, it does offend me.

I am not saying there is no merit to what the drone operators do... there most certainly is -- and you are very correct that there is no doubt a lot of stress involved -- but this is ridiculous.