Defense officials announced on Friday that National Guard troops who deployed to Washington D.C. to provide security will be awarded service ribbons for their efforts.
Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Carver, a spokesman for the Virginia Air National Guard and director of Joint Task Force-DC Joint Information Center, announced the establishment of the “Presidential Inauguration Support Ribbon” and “District of Columbia Emergency Service Ribbon” on Friday. He explained that the tens of thousands of troops who deployed to the nation’s capital will be eligible to receive one of the ribbons in recognition of their service during a difficult time for the nation.
“In recognition of their service as part of the security mission at the U.S. Capitol and other facilities in Washington, D.C., before, during and after the 59th Presidential Inauguration, the District of Columbia National Guard plans to present all Soldiers and Airmen who took part in the mission one or both of the following decorations: the District of Columbia National Guard Presidential Inauguration Support Ribbon and/or the District of Columbia Emergency Service Ribbon,” Carver said in a statement.
“Both ribbons are District-level decorations. Plans for their presentation are not yet final. Other federal decorations are also being considered.”
As journalist and editor Hope Seck pointed out for Military.com, the National Guard already has the Emergency Service Ribbon meant to recognize service in non-war emergencies and periods of crisis. These new awards, however, offer more specific recognition.
National Guard troops are authorized to wear both federal and state-level awards, though often separately, and it has not yet been announced if there will be any federal-level awards unveiled for this unusual deployment.
A total of nearly 26,000 National Guard troops participated in President Joe Biden’s inauguration, including troops from all 50 states. Most of those troops have since returned home, but some 5,000 have remained in D.C. on orders that extend for a few more weeks.
I do agree that we/our Soldiers deserved recognition (ribbon) for what we/they did in DC. And just as we got ribbons/awards for Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and many other places we have been sent we have awards for emergency relief like hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires and winter weather. I also want to point out that we ARE recognized with awards for achievements such as being in the armed forces for X years, completing certain schools, going above and beyond our job, etc.
Another note, if you were there as a service member you would know that deploying the NG for the Inauguration (at least not in the volume of members they sent) was not planned out months ahead of time. January 6th happened and they (security services) went into emergency planning mode to get 7,000 or so on ground within a week! A logistical nightmare is what that was and it was felt from the E-1 to the 0-6 with lodging, meals, transportation (especially navigating around road blocks and through checkpoints that sometimes changed daily), etc. It wasn’t smooth and had its speed bumps and potholes, but we are trained to be fluid (change direction(s) quickly) and adapt and overcome many obstacles to complete the mission. Overall and in spite of the obstacles and when the media took our situations out of context, our mission was a success: government buildings and officials were safe and secure from outside threats. I commend the Soldiers and Airmen that were there and the planners that kept the gears turning during that deployment.
What a terrible thing to say about fellow servicemen and women. Calling them traitors is disrespectful and ignorant. You are in the same crappy boat as those who spoke negative about the troops who served in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Congrats on being a low life!!
Its comical all the negativity over a service ribbon. These are given out for all sorts of things. Do a tour in Korea, get a service ribbon. Go to Iraq or Afghanistan, get a service ribbon. Join the Army, get a service ribbon. These are not given for achievement. Also, many just see the surface and that is the inauguration parades and security for Jan 20th. You do not see the months of planning and coordination with external agencies, you didn’t see the coordination of getting all 50 states Guardsmen in and out of DC, housing for all of them, feeding them, paying them, supplying them with equipment, and everything else that takes time to prepare.
Months if not years of planning go into each inauguration and ensuring things go off without a hitch. A service ribbon to show that you were a part of it is the least the Army or National Guard can do for soldiers.
Whether you agree with why soldiers were there or not, they did the work as soldiers do, regardless of who asks them to. They follow the direct orders of the officers appointed over them and defend the constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic. If you have to question why our soldiers are doing things then you obviously do not understand the military. I’ve supported orders under Bush, Obama, Trump and now Biden. The president is the Commander and Chief regardless of what you think of them. Do I agree with them all, absolutely not. With that said, I will step off my soapbox and just say congrats to everyone who has earned this service ribbon.
This great to get this recognition. For those who weren’t deployed in DC, like I was, and didn’t go through the chaos of cleaning up the mess of unlawful protests, I guess you can keep trolling mil articles to console yourselves.
P.S. Make any anonymous comments you want to this, I will be there in uniform PROTECTING my country. All day, every day.
Your comments reflect your distain for OUR COUNTRY and it’s CITIZENS. I’ve been overseas for combat and peacekeeping tours, gone to states other than my own to help rescue tornado, flood, and hurricane victims, decorated for valor, and article 15’ed for fuck ups, but I never once whined about picking up somebodies else’s trash or calling protests unlawful. I may not like them, but this is America and everybody’s voice must be heard no matter how much is disgusts us. There are literally millions of service members before you, like myself, who are ashamed that you are one of us.
Ohh look, traitor ribbons for suppressing unarmed civilians inside of the US. How wonderful.
What a terrible thing to say about fellow servicemen and women. Calling them traitors is disrespectful and ignorant. You are in the same crappy boat as those who spoke negative about the troops who served in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Congrats on being a low life!!
I was there just to do a job from another National Guard , no pay and no Recognition or an award from out of state national guard.
If it counts for points I’ll take it lol.
It’s a communist DNCCP medal
As a Gulfwar Us. MARINE ALL I CAN DO IS LAUGH . As the President says Common man !! How about some cash $ for wasting their time for Nancy Pelosi !!! Why the hell dont the use Special police that are sworn in by the DC mayor and DC Police. Oh that cost to much money!!!
You where a water dog shut the f up.
Get the **** out of here. What a stupid time to be alive
Has the significance of a ‘participation’ ribbon, as the Inauguration was hardly a theatre of military action. Theirs is a mission of service action, crowd control, and peacekeeping.