The dangers of medals (II): a follow-up
Yesterday I carried a comment questioning the awarding of medals to people who drive Humvees into bombs. A few hours later, a reader pointed out that Maj. Neil Smith, an officer at the Army/Marine Counterinsurgency Center, on a Leavenworth blog earlier this year discussed this issue of whether medals sometimes encourage counterproductive behavior: ...
Yesterday I carried a comment questioning the awarding of medals to people who drive Humvees into bombs. A few hours later, a reader pointed out that Maj. Neil Smith, an officer at the Army/Marine Counterinsurgency Center, on a Leavenworth blog earlier this year discussed this issue of whether medals sometimes encourage counterproductive behavior:
Yesterday I carried a comment questioning the awarding of medals to people who drive Humvees into bombs. A few hours later, a reader pointed out that Maj. Neil Smith, an officer at the Army/Marine Counterinsurgency Center, on a Leavenworth blog earlier this year discussed this issue of whether medals sometimes encourage counterproductive behavior:
. . . [A]re valor awards potentially counterproductive in a COIN environment? Hypothetically, an officer who does effective clear, hold, build, develops partner capacity, and brings a sector to success will likely receive a BSM, if anything. A lethal focused officer, who shoots his way through his deployment, will get a BSM/V or Sliver Star for one of these combat actions. His sector will often be coming apart, but guess who will get the respect at the next military ball and promotion board?
I’m torn on this as a valor award recipient – we must reinforce those that display heroism but it is not uncommon for someone to go on patrol looking for a fight IOT get that CAB or BSM/V.
Starbuck points out in the comments that Boss Mongo also dove into some of these depths.
More from Foreign Policy


Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.


So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.


Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.


Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.