Re: adults wearing the eagle medal
(no name) ((no email))
Mon, 11 Jan 1999 14:20:19 -0600
Kevin Oneslager <eagle@SOUND.NET> wrote in part:
>Also, the medal is recognized by the military and is allowed
>on the military uniform. It is the only civilian medal allowed on
>the military uniform.
Officially, this isn't correct. Unofficially, it is.
At least the Army's view of it, anyways.
Officially, the Army's version of the Insignia Guide forbids
wearing of civilian awards and decorations except when being
formally presented with the award. For instance, two or so years
ago, when former Secretary of the Army Togo West Jr. presented the
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award to someone on this list (Hey
Dan!!), it was totally appropriate for the award to be worn on a
military uniform, since the award was being presented in military
uniform to a military officer (or for the first time in it's
history, to a senior non-commissioned officer).
The same goes for Eagle.
However, HOLDERS of the Eagle Scout Badge (or the Distinguished
Eagle Scout Award, or other awards) offically MAY NOT wear those
awards on a military uniform. There are a couple of exceptions to
this:
One is if an individual is a ROTC or JROTC cadet, and is being
presented awards from military-related organizations (the
Association of the United States Army, or AUSA and the Reserve
Officers' Association, or ROA -- both organizations spring to mind
only because I'm members of both national organizations). Both
AUSA and ROA (as well as other national organizations) have special
medals that they present to cadets and junior officers for
excellence in military bearing, service, leadership or other
reasons. Those awards are permitted for wear because they have an
associated ribbon which has been approved for wear by the Army's
version of the "Uniform and Insignia Committee". JROTC and ROTC
units have regulations in place which allow them to permit the
wearing of any "quasi-official award" like the Eagle. It's a local
call and usually permitted.
The other is if an individual is currently "stationed" with or a
part of a foriegn military organization and receives an award. The
most common examples of this are German or Italian "jump wings"
(Parachutest' Wings) and marksmanship medals. When stationed in
those locations, and with approval from the theater command,
individuals earning such awards may wear them on the field or dress
uniform. However, when returning to the United States, unless a
request is approved from the military's personnel headquarters
stating that the award is retained and may be worn, the awards come
off the dress and/or field uniforms. In the case of Eagle, the
theater commander (or the senior Army officer exercising General
Court Martial authority) may allow the wearing of the Eagle by
those individuals whom have earned the award for the duration of
their stay in that theater or part of the mission. Those that saw
Army soldiers wearing a special Eagle Scout Badge card on their
field uniforms during the last two Jamborees know what I'm talking
about. Only Eagle Scouts received the card and clips, and it was
considered a part of the uniform during the duration of the
Jamboree. Afterwards, it became a nice memento piece.
Finally, as during Desert Storm, and now during Desert Fox (and
before, during Vietnam), countries may design and ask the military
to allow their award or decoration to be worn by American military
members. This is how the Army ended up with two "Liberation
Medals" for Kuwait, with two separate "requirements" for wear. One
was issued by Kuwait; the other by Saudi Arabia. The BSA hasn't
asked yet, but there are TWO separate *pieces of military policy*
being circulated around the Pentagon and other locations requesting
a special ribbon and cloth insignia (for the Battle Dress Uniform)
for those individuals whom have earned either the Eagle Scout
Award, the Gold Girl Scout Award (or its predecessors), or other
nationally-recognized youth leadership awards. From what I
understand, the proposals have been met with a great deal of
concurrence and may become a part of a future Army revision of
their uniforming regulation. When the former Secretary of the Army
is an Distinguished Eagle Scout, and many general officers are
either Eagle Scouts or on Council Executive Boards....*grinning*)
(sorry for the long military explanations, gang)
However, I haven't met a senior military official YET that have
winced at my wearing of the Eagle Scout Medal during an event in
which I had to attend in military uniform or in which I
participated in presenting the Eagle to a servicemember. In this
case, you're right on the money, Kevin!
Settummanque!
(c) 1998 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") blkeagle@mninter.net
http://mninter.net/~blkeagle Burnsville, MN 55306-7130 (612) 435-3085
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@server.kaiserslautern.army.mil
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