Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced today he's cancelled plans for the creation of the controversial Distinguished Warfare Medal. It's been called everything from the drone medal to the Nintendo medal by detractors.
Hagel released a statement moments ago that reads, in part:
The medal was originally conceived to be awarded only to those men and women who, while serving off the battlefield, have an extraordinary impact on combat operations. While the review confirmed the need to ensure such recognition, it found that misconceptions regarding the precedence of the award were distracting from its original purpose.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the concurrence of the service secretaries, have recommended the creation of a new distinguishing device that can be affixed to existing medals to recognize the extraordinary actions of this small number of men and women. I agree with the Joint Chiefs’ findings, and have directed the creation of a distinguishing device instead of a separate medal.
As Home Post previously reported, Hagel ordered a review of the medal in March.
The review came after a bipartisan group of 22 U.S. senators sent Hagel a letter urging him to demote the medal. That letter read, in part:
"We believe that medals earned in combat, or in dangerous conditions, should maintain their precedence above non-combat awards. Placing the Distinguished Warfare Medal above the Bronze Star and Purple Heart diminishes the significance of awards earned by risking one’s life in direct combat or through acts of heroism."
