FYI on Good Conduct Medals

[Retired Sarge]

I see a lot of Good Conduct Medals being identified as Army ones, but truth be told unless the medal can be linked to the specific branch, it can be either the Army or Air Force Good Conduct Medal. The only difference in the two versions is the color of the suspension hanger. While not a big deal, I wanted to set the record straight.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

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[Monty]

My DD214 shows I got a good conduct medal but I never received it nor orders awarding it. I was in the USAF early on in the 'Nam era, 1962 to 1966. Same thing with my marksmanship medal and my overseas service medal. They use to have an award ceremony about every two months or so but they were so busy with the 'Nam thing I guess they didn't have time? Monty

 

[Montana Jim]

My DD214 shows I got a good conduct medal but I never received it nor orders awarding it. I was in the USAF early on in the 'Nam era, 1962 to 1966. Same thing with my marksmanship medal and my overseas service medal. They use to have an award ceremony about every two months or so but they were so busy with the 'Nam thing I guess they didn't have time? Monty

Monty... PM me a list of your medals/ribbons and I'll hook you up.

Mike - What was your AFSC?

 

[Retired Sarge]

Jim

I started out as a 122X0 Aircrew Life Support, then they re-designated us as 1T1X1, only to be re-designated as 1P0X1 by the time I retired in 2008. But in a nutshell I was Aircrew Life Support until they merged us with the Parachute shop upon which they now call us Aircrew Flight Equipment (Fly-Boy Baby Sitter).

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[DaChief]

Just goes to prove my point that you Air Force folks were just a little bit different!

Sgt. Jim Foster
United States Army (Airborne) Retired

 

[Retired Sarge]

DAChief

But some us still remember that the Air Force was born from the Army, we might be a little different, but our roots are your roots, besides we all bleed red. Spent 17 out of 23 years associated with Air Force Special Operations, we
played with the Army a lot.

TSgt Mike
USAF Retired

 

[Montana Jim]

Almost 25 years Security Forces... retired and still work for the DAF as a civilian SF Training Chief.

Check out this link... welcome to T-Net... http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/board,472.0.html

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Kudos to all of you....Thanks..

 

[Monty]

I was in the USAF for only 4 years but traveled a lot. Lackland AFB boot camp, Reese AFB, Texas flight training operations, Wheelus AB, Libya ATC and target scoring on a remote bombing range (El Uotia), and last McCoy AFB, Fla. at Orlando Fla., Flight operations and Command Post Opns. I was a 27150, Flight Operations Specialist, cross training as a Command Post Specialist when discharged as an E-4 Airman First Class. At the time you had to reinlist to make E-5. That was changed after I got out. Every base where I was assigned was closed down except Lackland! Hope it wasn't my fault? Best assignment was Florida, worse was Libya. I enlisted in lieu of college and got my BA/BS afterward on the GI bill. Military was one of the best things to happen in my life. I had to grow up and accept responsibilities. Monty

 

[oldfireguy]

Here is a little history you may find interesting.

Air Force Good Conduct Medal which was authorized by Congress on 6 July 1960, but not created until 1 June 1963. Between 1947 and 1963, Air Force personnel were issued the Army Good Conduct Medal. For those serving both before and after 1963, both the Army and Air Force Good Conduct Medals could be worn simultaneously on an Air Force uniform.

The medal is the same as the Army Good Conduct Medal, except that the ribbons are different for each medal. The Air Force Good Conduct Medal has remained unchanged in appearance since its original design over forty years ago. Additional decorations of the Air Force Good Conduct Medal are denoted by oak leaf clusters.

The criteria for award of the Air Force Good Conduct medal are as follows: It is awarded to Air Force enlisted personnel during a three-year period of active military service or for a one-year period of service during a time of war. Airmen awarded this medal must have had character and efficiency ratings of excellent or higher throughout the qualifying period including time spent in attendance at service schools, and there must have been no convictions of court martial during this period.

In October 2005, the 97th Air Force Uniform Board met and considered discontinuing the medal with the rationale that good conduct of Airmen is the expected standard, not an exceptional occurrence worthy of recognition. The decision was finalized on 8 February 2006 and the medal was no longer issued. Airmen who had previously earned the Good Conduct Medal were still authorized to wear it. By May 2008, however, Air Force officials began reconsidering the policy. On 11 February 2009, the medal was reinstated and made retroactive to 8 February 2006, with all eligible recipients being awarded the medal automatically.

 

[AeroMike]

I have my grandpa's class A uniform from when he was in the Army Air Corp in WWII. I want to put it in a shadow box next to my Army class A uniform (Desert Shield/Storm vet). The only thing with his uniform is I have no ribbons or badges, I need to send away for a copy of his records to find out what I need but all this has to wait since everything is boxed up and out of state right now.

I also have his dress hat which would need to be repaired or replaced. I would need a new one since the ex "lost" a lot of my stuff that she was supposed to give me back.

 

[Monty]

Don't get me started about exes. My ex took everything we had except my car that I had to use to get to work to send her support checks! She borrowed the car and stole my coffee pot out of the trunk, the only thing I kept from the so called marriage. That was 40 years ago and times were different. Back then the woman got everything regardless of the circumstances. Now days the courts are a little better and most things are divided among the parties. 40 years ago and I still bear a grudge! Dang, will I ever get over it? Probably not.

But back to the topic, medals. They were never very important to me until my Dad died (a WWII vet), and then I guess I am getting more sentimental as I get older. Thanks for the info. Monty

 

[DaChief]

I hear u mike. My dad was a WWII Army Air Corps soldier. He was in the 7th Air Force in the Pacific. He was a member of a Chemical Company. He died when I was small so I didn't get to talk to him about what a Chemical Company did. I have some pictures of him and he is riding in what appears to be a 5/4 ton truck with Explosives written on a plackard on the front. I have not been able to do much research on his unit.

Strange twist was that I went to Basic Training at Fort Polk during the Vietnam Era. When my grandmother passed away we found letters my dad had written home stored in her attic. He went to Basic there too. Best of all, he sent his mother the exact same Silk Pillow Sham with the Mother Poem on it that I sent my mom. We were 30 years apart going there. Strange but true. I have his sham and mine now. I am going to Shadow Box them sometime soon.

Spent many a day jumping out of good ole Air Force planes. They always got us to the right spot!! Kudos to my Air Force buddies.

Jim Foster

 

[Monty]

You would never catch an Air Force enlistee jumping out of a perfectly good airplane on purpose! Oh well, maybe the AF Green Berrets or Special Forces of the Air Force I think they are called now? I had a friend who rode in an old C119 from one assignment to another and the darn thing quit running and he had to bail out. From then on he was scared to death of flying. That was tough on a guy who was in the Air Force. Monty

 

[oldfireguy]

When I was in basic and they were asking for volunteers for AB school my drill Sgt. made it very clear what he felt fell out of the sky. Bird crap and fools. I can't say I disagree with him even after all these years.

My father was in the Army from 1941-47 and then switched to the AF. He wore an Army GCM.

 

[LadyDigger]

Well, I'm an Army Brat! (does that count) LOL! However, my original enlistment contract says US Air Force, then crossed out and Navy written in. I was going in the Air Force for AC, but they kept jerking me around...so I went Navy! I did however, back in '84, attend the Graphics school at Lowery AFB! I was the first Navy DM to attend that course! Had a blast!

My father enlisted in '53, went to jump school, found out he wasn't authorized due to injury to one of his eyes as a kid, so he went to cook school. Best damn cook at Fort Bragg!!! If you ate in the mess hall there, that was my Dad incharge. Kept the best kept kitchen/mess anywhere in the US Army! He was 82nd Airborne. Ran the stockade at the Presidio from 67(66)-69. I loved the Presidio! He served two tours in Nam (65-66 Saigon / 69-70 Da Nang). Retired from Ft Bragg Oct 73.

Here's how you can get records: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html

I got my father's records, my husband's father's records as well (he served USMC and Coast Guard). However, my grandfather served WWI (Army) and those records were burned in the fire in '71/'72...sometime around then. All I have is the envelope my grandfather carried his pay record in. They use to carry it with them. The record is gone, but I have the envelope! You can also order their medical records as well.

Thanks to all you guys...for your service!!!
Annmarie

 

[AeroMike]

Thanks for the link LadyDigger

I will request my grandpa's records and hopefully I will get them. I have a service photo about the size of a passport photo of my grandpa in his uniform. I believe he was in the 8th Air Corp but could be mistaken.

I have my Airborne and Air Assualt badges, my last duty station was in the 704th MSB (Main Support Battlion) 4th Infantry Division at Ft Carson, Colorado.

I need to talk with my mom to find out exactly what flag I also have of another realitive. My wife wants to make up my den in all Military theme. I might even find out if I can get my older brother's uniform too and add that to the wall.

 

[Retired Sarge]

AeroMike

Look at the below link, my Wife and Kids did the samething with our livingroom a few years back. I have my Dad's, Mine, Brother's and Son's basic training pictures, some flight helmets, shell casings from missions over Bosnia, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, piece of the Berlin Wall, our service hats, and some from other countries, my helmets, along with foreign ones. I have a love of military history, being a military brat living overseas I got to see a lot of the battle sites up close in person. An education that I truly enjoyed. Having done 23 years myself, I've seen more than most people have. My familiy did this as a tribute to what I have done, besides they are proud of my service. My wife says that everyone looks at everything the first time they come over, and ask a million questions about it all.

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p6/ffuries/Living Room/

Mike
TSgt, USAF Retired