Posted on 11/22/2009 11:28:28
Any luck finding someone to add an admendment to include Reservists and Guardsmen?
Posted on 11/12/2009 13:01:04
No, the (1) and the (2) are both required.
To Qualify for the (1) you must meet the (A), the (B), or the (C).
The only way we're going to qualify if you have less than 24 months CONSECUTIVE service CONUS or 30 days OCONUS is if (and a big if here) Secretary Gates does the right thing and gives it to everyone once the Bill becomes law.
Posted on 11/12/2009 12:48:09
Yes I earned my KDSM last year, 2008.
All my overseas time is after the Cold War ended.
But hey, thanks for looking out.
Posted on 11/11/2009 08:49:15
Reply to Frank_T (11/09/2009 19:54:16)
DOD has not been contacted for one reason -- a bill was pending and we did not have anything to ask them about. Now we do -- asking them to support the CWSM legislation. BUT our first move should be to contact the WHITE HOUSE. If Obama wants to o it, then DOD will not fall back on "It's our policy."
In addition, Senator Jim Webb has his name on this bill, and he is chairman of the subcommittee that writes the personnel section of the NDAA. We are not home yet on the CWSM, but DOD knows who Jim Webb is and they pay attention to him. Right now, we need to get him all the support we can (i.e., co-sponsors for S.2743, the Cold War Medal Act of 2009). There are 96 senators who have not signed on yet. So call, e-mail, and send them the CWSM postcards (available free by e-mailing me with your name and address at
ftims@aol.com.)
In addition to your senators, send postcards to PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. Many of these will be forwarded to DOD for reply if you include your name and address with your (brief) message. If they get these from enough people (you, family, friends, Legion/VFW/AMVETS members), they will PAY ATTENTION.
We have a window of opportunity. The first objective is to get co-sponsors and make the White House aware of the bill and how important it is to CW vets
ftims@aol.com.
Dr. Tims,
I respectfully disagree. There is a past Congressional Resolution that authorized the DoD to create a Cold War Medal. The problem was it said "should" not "will". Rumsfeld chose not to. Gates could using that same authority right now to create the Medal without any of the current Bills in Congress.
With the poll question firmly in place, addressing the Cold War Medal issue directly with him makes sense. Then the ACWV can bring up our concerns about Reservist and Guardsmen being excluded.
By working this thru the DoD we could have a Cold War Medal approved and being issued before either of the current Bills get voted on.
Posted on 11/10/2009 16:20:12
Reply to pdudkowski (11/10/2009 14:59:52)
John, you have seen first hand the frustration. Even harder to swallow when fellow Veterans show little enthusiasm. You are doing the right thing. No one asked you to spread the word but you took the initiative. Thank you for committing some of your time for the cause. Now I didn't look at all your locations at Military.com but I do no of a thread titled "Time to Mobilize Cold War Vets" or something similar. It has the longest thread history I've ever seen, probably up to 50 pages by now. Many negative voices there but you could always count on Shuman (Joseph Clune) to have positive things to say and that would get another positive thinker to sound off.
Don't think what you did was in vain John. You got to be tougher than the critics or you'll flame out way too soon.
Thanks Paul, I've been trying, and trying to keep my disappointment in check too.
Posted on 11/08/2009 10:18:47
I'm sorry if it seems if I'm attacking, I know everyone here did the best they could, it just seems that politicians ALWAYS discount the service of the Guard and Reserves.
We don't sit on our butts and do nothing, I know the majority of the Guard and Reserves conduct real world missions while in a "training" status during drill weekends and annual training periods.
USCGR Reservists conduct real world rescues on their Drill weekends.
USAFR/AFNG planes fly real mission every month from in-flight refueling to transporting men and supplies across the Nation.
Many USAR/ARNG soldiers fall in on their AD counterparts for two week periods and take over their missions.
The ARNG Engineer unit that built a section or road in Honduras during their AT wasn't doing it for "training" it was in support of a real world mission.
I know Reservists today that have been to Iraq three times and I know AD types that have never left CONUS.
That's why we have four medals for the War on Terror: GWOTSM, GWOTEM, ICM, and ACM. They take into acount different levels of service.
If you're telling me the plan is a CWSM for the AD and a CWVM for everyone, I'm cool with that. My service during the Cold War was nothing that stands out but it and the contributions that all Guardsmen and Reservists provided ensured our victory and that needs, must, be recognized.
Posted on 11/07/2009 20:54:04
Reply to seaneagan (11/06/2009 18:50:23)
As far as service requirement we did our best we proposed a shorter term but that was a no go thats why the B and c provision leaves leeway for exceptions. Best we could do my apologies if it effects you. I myself was 2 days short of 2 years service and was not sure I would qualify. It is a different bill than same old one hopefully it will get through this time . this was a fight and a struggle to get this introduced and without some compromise we might not have ever got another bill. If people want to gripe go right ahead; but we should all be thankful we have one more and maybe a last crack at this. This is the first last time I will address this issue but I hope everyone thanks jerry for breaking through with Snowe It made finding someone to introduce a House version easy. kudos Jerry
So what happened to the bold statement that Dr.
Tims and other members of the leadership made in the past about ensuring every honorably serving Cold Warrior, Active Guard, Reserve, would be honored with a Medal to recognize their Service?
If you knew about this during the drafting of these Bills,
WHY did you
NOT bring it to the attention of the membership then?
The main reason the ACWV split from the CWVA was because the leadership there wouldn't listen to the membership.
I'm happy that finally it appears that Congress is listening and will finally honor those who served during the Cold War, but it appears that Reservists and Guardsmen got tossed overboard without a thought.
Posted on 11/07/2009 20:38:43
Did they include Reservist and Guardsmen, or are we screwed there too?
Posted on 11/07/2009 20:34:25
I'm a Reserve officer and my entire career has been as Reservist.
During the draw-downs under Bush the Elder and Clinton all non-scholarship ROTC students were commissioned into the USAR, only scholarship cadets went active duty.
The Majority of National Guard officers are commissioned thru State OCS and other then their required schooling (IE Branch OBC) don't do any Federal active duty.
I can not speak about the USMC Officer Corps, my time in the USMCR was as a Private thru Lance Corporal (my first enlistment and my Cold War Service).
Posted on 11/07/2009 16:34:28
Reply to kyen18 (11/07/2009 16:18:49)
I am disppointed that the National Guard and Reservists were not in S. 2734. This may also be true for the upcoming House Bill anouncement in the next few days. I hope the House version will honor our fellow Reservists and Guard as in the previous bills in the past years. If not we still have time to change minds in
in both Armed Service Committes, and our own representatives ffrom our states. Alot of work has been made by key individuals for the past months, they tried their best and they thought by getting half a pie now we could and will pursue to the get the rest of the pie later. It seemed they faced heavy opposition to apply the previous elligibility from the past bills for any Cold War Service or Cold War Victory Medal which were more generous to Reservists and Guard.
The staff on the co-sponsors must feel that they have a better chance in getting other co-sponsors or even from the Dept of Defense under the new eligiblity.
This situation might be a blessing in disguise for both the Reserve Officers Association and the National Guard Association will be howling on leaving out Reservists and Guard members who met the previous eligibility. In fact I think both organizations and veterans of the Reserve and Guard will pay more attention on the bills for the medal as well as extended the eligibility than before.....I hope this will start a strong campaign to change the language on new bills.
Also, we have not heard from Secretary Gates yet in his response to the #1 question in the poll which was a medal for Cold War Service.
In addition it will be an insult to all American Cold War veterans if Canada approves a medal for their armed service memebers veterans of the Cold War before the United States next year, 2010.
Lets count our blessings now and drive on and get our Senators and Representatives to be Co-sponsors on the respective bills, anything else is a wishy-washy copout.
Nor should we rest until eligible Reserve and Guard members meeting the previous requirements in the previous bills for a Cold War Service or Cold War Victory Medal get their medal, whether it takes next year or several years.
Standing Together is More Important Now than Ever!
Well said.
Posted on 11/07/2009 14:08:45
At least Canada's Medal will honor their Reservists, but not ours.
Posted on 11/07/2009 13:45:19
Reply to Jerald Terwilliger (11/07/2009 04:04:20)
Well gang, it was a hard battle to get it done this way. A lot of resistance in the other camps. I tried for 18 months and that was a no-go. Sorry did what I could but it seemed like this or nothing. Emails and phone calls back and
forth.
We knew that a lot would be disappointed, I will take my thirty lashes.
Maybe someone else can convince their senator to make an amendment to change it. Give it a shot, all they can do is say no.
So you knew this was coming?
Since the start of this movement back when we were all in the CWVA and then when we broke away into the ACWV, the leadership has always said that we were fighting for a medal for ALL Cold Warriors, Active Duty, Guard, Reserve...
...and now this. They divided us and so now Guardsmen and Reservists get screwed. This isn't a victory, this is a defeat.
Did you think to consult the membership and advise us that Senator Snowe was going to drop the Reservists and Guardsmen?
So the last eight years I have spent writing letters to newspapers and politicians on behalf of the CWVA and ACWV, blogging about this on every military related sight I could find on the web has been for nothing, so my own group can forget about me and all the other Reservist and Guardsmen?
Posted on 11/06/2009 16:25:45
Reply to JIM WELLER (11/06/2009 15:47:56)
Push your local congressmen to submit a Cold War Service Medal bill in the House. Have the standard 30 days of continuous AD or 60 days non-continuous in that draft and it will be worked out in conference. Still hoping that Sec. Gates acts on the original suggestion of congress before this even goes to the floor.
If we were/are in so tight with Senator Snowe's office we shouldn't have and to change anything, it should have been in the original drafting of the bill.
Who dropped the ball on this?
Posted on 11/06/2009 16:22:13
Reply to Ol Duke (11/06/2009 14:29:53)
Count me in also as one who will be left out. 15 good years in the TNARNG and U.S. Army Reserves and no joy. That will be good for about half that should qualify. 1971-77 TNARNG, 84-85 TNARNG, 85-93 U.S. Army Reserves + 3 years in IRR. Oh, well....glad many that deserve it might get recognized.
Again I'll ask, we, the ACWV, were working so close with the Senator's office on this Bill, how did we miss the exclusion of Guardsmen and Reservists?
None of Hillary's bills had this requirement, if you qualified for the Cold War Service Certificate with your Military Service then you qualified for the previous bills' medal.
I feel totally let down by this.
Posted on 11/06/2009 12:55:26
Reply to USMC_Kinda_Guy (11/05/2009 18:13:45)
Jerry,
Great news buddy, and kudos especially to Senator Snowe and her staff for getting the ball rolling. Looks like the Senate bill will be off to a very nice start bi-partisan too, with Senator Snowe getting 3 Democrat senators to co-sponsor the bill. Fabulous! Might even sway Sec. Gates a little bit in the process of compiling his answer to the DoD Question contest they conducted a little while ago (with the Cold War Medal question being numero uno at 84.1%, crushing the other 98 questions).
On the down side, the two-year minimum service time (or 30-day deployment) requirement that is stipulated in the bill will no doubt be a great dissapointment for the reservist folks who didn't do a tour with the regulars before joining the reserve establishment.
USMC_Kinda_Guy
Yep that cuts me out.
None of the previous Cold War Medal Bills had the 2 year active duty requirements, just completion of their initial Service obligation which ensured draftees (2 years) and Reservists and Guardsmen (4 or 6 years drilling) were also awarded the medal.
If we had input at Senator's Snowe's office, why didn't we address this issue during the drafting of the Bill?
Posted on 10/28/2009 11:15:54
Reply to JIM WELLER (10/26/2009 17:17:48)
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano [as the Governor of Arizona] has proclaimed May 1st 2004 and 2006 Cold War Victory Day....
Here is a thought...How about we get Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to issue a Cold War Service Medal to the Coast Guard? Might push DOD to act.
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood [as a Illinois Congressman] Co-Sponsored creating the Cold War Service Medal: 107th Congress: H.R.2165
_____________________________________________________________________________________
It might be a better idea to have Secretary LaHood issue the medal than Secretary Napolitano as the USCG operated under DoT control during the entire Cold War, not DHS which is a Post-911 creation.
Just my two cents.
Good idea either way.
Posted on 10/22/2009 16:54:23
Excellent!
Posted on 10/21/2009 13:15:10
Be safe Jim.
Posted on 10/20/2009 10:37:39
I know the CWVA is no longer our "friend" but their home page has a
list of all the States and lesser municipalities that have proclaimed May 1st as
Cold War Victory Day going back to 2003.
That info might help as well.
Posted on 10/17/2009 17:15:50
Well I'm an MP and I have yet to eat dust and sand for a year so I knowledge of M-113s and IEDs is very limited.
That was what I was told when I asked why M-113s weren't used and it made sense to me.
Of course I always bow to those with actual operational knowledge, so I'll take your word for it.
