themcguire Posted November 9, 2013 Share #1 Posted November 9, 2013 I am new to the forum, came here looking for WWII USAAF Acheivement badge. Anyway, I have a question about the USAF Aerial Acheivement Medal. My son was discharged from the USAF in June 2013. Yesterday, 3 citations arrived here awarding him this medal and awarding multiple oak leaf clusters for all the drone missions he flew. However, no medal was actually in the package. Is the medal sent seperately or do you have to buy your own now ? Found it for sale on one site for 25 bucks and another for $10.50. Thanks in advance for any info you can give me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted November 9, 2013 Share #2 Posted November 9, 2013 If it was his FIRST awards medal should have been sent.If the OLC's and citations were sent then no medal.If it his his 1st award one certificate should say 1st award or nothing at all.The others should say 1st OLC, 2nd OLC, etc..$40 for that medal is way to much.If you need just the medal PM me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted November 9, 2013 Share #3 Posted November 9, 2013 Thanks to your son for his service. Unfortunately, if the medal was not included it will probably not be issued. With budget cuts many medal ceremonies are for presentation only and the recipient gives the medal back for future use. Most if not all of the medals you find online are government contract medals so any of them should work. Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanmc1114 Posted November 9, 2013 Share #4 Posted November 9, 2013 Thanks to your son for his service. Unfortunately, if the medal was not included it will probably not be issued. With budget cuts many medal ceremonies are for presentation only and the recipient gives the medal back for future use. Most if not all of the medals you find online are government contract medals so any of them should work. Kyle Are you saying that when a servicemember earns a medal nowadays, he cannot keep the actual medal that he is presented at a ceremony? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted November 9, 2013 Share #5 Posted November 9, 2013 Are you saying that when a servicemember earns a medal nowadays, he cannot keep the actual medal that he is presented at a ceremony? If thats true I find that disgusting.What does a medal cost the government, $5.I know the government toilet seat jokes are coming, but I really think its decpicable if thats a true statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted November 9, 2013 Share #6 Posted November 9, 2013 I am not saying it's across the board for every unit, but I have personally been a part of an award ceremony where we were pinned our awards, and after we marched off a PAC-clerk was waiting with a box to collect them. Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themcguire Posted November 9, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted November 9, 2013 If it was his FIRST awards medal should have been sent.If the OLC's and citations were sent then no medal.If it his his 1st award one certificate should say 1st award or nothing at all.The others should say 1st OLC, 2nd OLC, etc..$40 for that medal is way to much.If you need just the medal PM me. 1ST off it was not $40 either but $25 OR $10. I looked fast so I dont know if the 25 includes ribbon and case or something else to justify the much higher price He recieved a beautiful presentation case with the 1st Award Certificate, and two other certificates saying 1st OLC and 2nd OLC. Also included was a Records Transmittal / Request AF IMT 330. In remarks it says, highlighted in yellow: "Member has serparated form the Air Foce. Decoration has been sent to AFPC ARMS, was not updated in MilPDs. Sent to memebers address. Attached: Aerial Acheivement Medal, AAM(1OLC) & AAM(2OLC)" (NOTE: I did not mispell separated and members. That is letter for letter copy of what is on transmittal.) I just don't speak USAF official language. But to me, there are citations, orders, and decorations. This says the Decoration was sent to AFPC ARMS, where ever that is. But then it says the Medal is attached. But to me it was the citation not the physical medal that was attached, or, does the peice of paper equal the medal to USAF? So help me translate this statement please. Do we just have to contact AFPC ARMS and have them send the medal or do we suck it up and buy it. (A couple of my RVN medals have my name engraved on the back. I don't think a store bought one will have that done) Thanks for all the help and kind comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted November 9, 2013 Share #8 Posted November 9, 2013 Sorry.I meant 35(25+10).Dont know why I put 40.But either way that seems expensive, to me.Didnt mean to offend.I was going to offer you a loose one I had.When I separated the AF sent me my Commendation MEDAL(cased) with the certificates.I was offered to receive it at commanders call at Griffiss AFB but I declined & they mailed it to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakchos215 Posted November 10, 2013 Share #9 Posted November 10, 2013 The records of the awards were sent to the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) at Randolph AFB, TX. You said that he recieved a presentation case with his first award. Was there no medal in the case? If not he should contact the Commanders Support Staff office (Orderly Room) at his last unit. (Someone failed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decwriter Posted November 10, 2013 Share #10 Posted November 10, 2013 According to Air Force Instruction 36-2803, they still issue the first decoration to the member. That includes the medal, ribbon, lapel pin, case and cardboard box if the member wants it all. In our unit, we explain this before a commanders call. If it's the members first award, we tell them to come to the office and get their entitlements (box, case, etc,). If it's a second award or after, our commander presents them the decoration with the understanding that they will return it to the commanders support staff for subsequent presentations. If a member separates, the unit is supposed to forward the decoration to the home address on the DD Form 214. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themcguire Posted November 10, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted November 10, 2013 Firefighter, you did not offend. And thank you for the kind offer. Since he was discharged before receiving the award, from what I read above, it got messed up. So I will have him contact his old unit at Creech AFB and ask why no medal. The presentation case I meant was a plastic cover, with the award citations inside and they were covered in clear plastic sheet to protect them. Thanks for the help. I am sure it will take a while but I will advise when I find out what happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted November 10, 2013 Share #12 Posted November 10, 2013 Firefighter, you did not offend. And thank you for the kind offer. Since he was discharged before receiving the award, from what I read above, it got messed up. So I will have him contact his old unit at Creech AFB and ask why no medal. The presentation case I meant was a plastic cover, with the award citations inside and they were covered in clear plastic sheet to protect them. Thanks for the help. I am sure it will take a while but I will advise when I find out what happened. Well thats strange then.Like stated above, somebody feel a sleep at the switch. Not to change the topic but does anybody know how I can update my 214? You can PM me so we don't clog up this thread.Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober Posted November 18, 2013 Share #13 Posted November 18, 2013 I spent 6 years active duty Air Force, and I have experience with the way they do it. When I received my first Air Force Achievement Medal it was awarded in a ceremony. A different medal was pinned on me, photos were taken, and published. All with the incorrect award pinned on my chest. An award, they asked to have back after the ceremony. When I asked when I would receive the correct award they stated I needed to speak to my oderly room, and inquire as to when they would have more in stock. That was 1987. Never did get an actual medal until I filed a request through NRPC. After I separated from the Air Force, I too received an award that was post dated from my actual separation date and forwarded to me by Randolf AFB. Just like your son, no medal, just documents, and a copy of the orders. This was late 1991. The biggest issue at hand is not the actual medal in hand as it is. It's his DD214. As of this date my records are missing seven awards. Including the decoration received after I ETS'd from the Air Force. I filed all appropriate paperwork over two years ago to have this fixed. I have proof, I have documentation, and still Randolf has not issued a DD215(updated 214). Your son needs to get copies of all this to NPRC, and Randolf to insure his DD214 is updated and correct. Once this is updated you can make a request through NPRC. They will send one copy of all medals, ribbons, and devices to apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atb Posted November 18, 2013 Share #14 Posted November 18, 2013 That's amazingly bad of the Air Force. I had my DD214 (DD215) updated to show my retirement award from the Army, a unit award and a retroactive Korea Defense Service Medal. It was all taken care of and a KDSM was sent to me in about 2 months from the time I applied at the NARA website and sent n my documentation. In 22 years in the Army, I was never anywhere that did not have an award to hand to me to go along with the orders and certificate (with one exception- the Joint Service Achievement Medal was so new in 1984 that only the ones that said "For Presentation Purposes Only" were on hand). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober Posted November 18, 2013 Share #15 Posted November 18, 2013 atb, fwiw I did spent six years in Army National Guard and Reserve units. I can attest to the fact the Army has always had a ceremony and awarded on the spot, even something as small as a NDSM. Funny thing, when I separated my Army Guard equivalent of my DD214 missed every award they handed to me. I actually sent all my paperwork first to the regular Army as I had been activated twice, but they returned all paperwork stating I had been with a state agency and need to take it up with them. I'm just hoping someday I'll get it all corrected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemesa159 Posted November 22, 2013 Share #16 Posted November 22, 2013 With budget cuts many medal ceremonies are for presentation only and the recipient gives the medal back for future use. I know in most USAF units, the unit keeps a couple of each level of the common medals (Achievement, Commendation, etc.), that have an "easy on" clip, similar to what you see for a building access badge. These medals are used for the ceremony and, if it is the first award for the individual, a cased medal will be presented. This method has nothing to do with budget cutbacks. Rather, it has to do with having, in essence, a "prop" for the photo opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanmc1114 Posted November 22, 2013 Share #17 Posted November 22, 2013 atb, fwiw I did spent six years in Army National Guard and Reserve units. I can attest to the fact the Army has always had a ceremony and awarded on the spot, even something as small as a NDSM. Funny thing, when I separated my Army Guard equivalent of my DD214 missed every award they handed to me. I actually sent all my paperwork first to the regular Army as I had been activated twice, but they returned all paperwork stating I had been with a state agency and need to take it up with them. I'm just hoping someday I'll get it all corrected I know this is a little off the main subject of this post, but back in the 80's I was researching all of my grandfather's medals so he could request replacements from the Army. It was then he received his Bronze Star based on his Combat Infantryman Badge from World War II. The medal and certificate in the green folder both came from Philadelphia. Anyway, because he was in the Georgia National Guard, he had also earned a ten year service medal issued by the Guard which was not included in his replacement awards from the Army because it was a state award. The medal was actually listed in his personnel file (DD Form 2A?) where it mentioned the particular general orders of the Georgia Adjutant General that awarded him the medal. We wrote the the state AG for a copy of the orders but they responded that they could not locate the orders anywhere among their records. So they just issued a new set of orders in 1987, several years after he retired, reflecting the award that went back to the 50's. He had to buy the medal from the state at cost which I seem to recall was around $2.00. Also on the subject of having records corrected, when my father requested his replacement medals for his Vietnam service from the Army, they included a DD-215 which included his Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation earned by all units in Vietnam (MACV and USARV were given a blanket award in 1974) and added the four campaign stars he was entitled to on his Vietnam Service Medal. However, they did not go back and research and add the unit awards his specific battalion was entitled to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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