(USAF) question about awards and decorations
02-20-2009, 05:30 PM
#21
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I am 100% positive it's the meritorious unit award medal. I have the medal and two bronze oak leaves...so that's 3 correct? That's what the vmpf shows...
Well this is taken from Wikipedia...
The MUA is awarded to Air Force units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding achievement or service in direct support of combat operations for at least 90 continuous days during the period of military operations against an armed enemy of the United States on or after September 11, 2001.
I don't have the OUA...not one! So what am I supposed to do? I am trying to figure out how often a unit can receive a MUA...looks like 90 continuous days in a year, you can receive one for that...if that's true. I should only have 2.
I'll ask someone higher up around here I guess.
Well this is taken from Wikipedia...
The MUA is awarded to Air Force units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding achievement or service in direct support of combat operations for at least 90 continuous days during the period of military operations against an armed enemy of the United States on or after September 11, 2001.
I don't have the OUA...not one! So what am I supposed to do? I am trying to figure out how often a unit can receive a MUA...looks like 90 continuous days in a year, you can receive one for that...if that's true. I should only have 2.
I'll ask someone higher up around here I guess.
02-25-2009, 12:17 AM
#25
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I am 100% positive it's the meritorious unit award medal. I have the medal and two bronze oak leaves...so that's 3 correct? That's what the vmpf shows...
I don't have the OUA...not one! So what am I supposed to do? I am trying to figure out how often a unit can receive a MUA...looks like 90 continuous days in a year, you can receive one for that...if that's true. I should only have 2.
I'll ask someone higher up around here I guess.
I don't have the OUA...not one! So what am I supposed to do? I am trying to figure out how often a unit can receive a MUA...looks like 90 continuous days in a year, you can receive one for that...if that's true. I should only have 2.
I'll ask someone higher up around here I guess.
To have two of those, you pretty much of would needed to be deployed twice around 2006/2007 to have two of them. I haven't seen anyone outside of the AO's get them. But in case I'm wrong, go here and look for yourself with every unit you've been assigned to:
http://w20.afpc.randolph.af.mil/awar...rchAwards.aspx
I've gotten 2 of them awards, exactly from the time frames that you guys are talking about..
The first was in summer of '04 during my deployment to Kir Kuk, Iraq, and the second was in summer 2006 during my deployment to Baghdad, Iraq. Both times were under the 332 AEW. I just got done with my third deployment, which to Tallil, Iraq, attached under the 332 AEG, so I'm keeping my eyes open for another one.
I've got a ton of Outstanding Unit awards, they give them out like candy. As far as the MUA's go, right place at the right time I guess..
The first was in summer of '04 during my deployment to Kir Kuk, Iraq, and the second was in summer 2006 during my deployment to Baghdad, Iraq. Both times were under the 332 AEW. I just got done with my third deployment, which to Tallil, Iraq, attached under the 332 AEG, so I'm keeping my eyes open for another one.
I've got a ton of Outstanding Unit awards, they give them out like candy. As far as the MUA's go, right place at the right time I guess..
I just looked at mine and it's messed up in a few places. I don't have my Iraq Campaign Metal, instead I have just a normal Expeditionary Metal. That and my MUA's aren't on there, but I still have the 2 notices that were sent out when we were awarded them. I'll have to bring my Travel Vouchers from my first 2 tours to them guys in MPF and have it straightened out.
02-25-2009, 12:33 PM
#26
You don't get a star for each tour, it's for each phase of the operation you were involved in. It's completely possible to deploy once and get the ribbon and a star, and deploy twice and get only a ribbon.
02-25-2009, 02:44 PM
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I was here at Tallil(currently here again) in late 2005 on AEF 7/8 and got the Iraqi Campaign Ribbon/Medal with bronze star device and the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border. The brozne star device was issued from June 29, 2004 to Dec. 15, 2005 for the Iraqi Governance campaign.
That was in 2005, so I'm kinda curious what they give me this time around
That was in 2005, so I'm kinda curious what they give me this time around
02-25-2009, 05:27 PM
#28
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I just went through trying to get my ribbons straight right before I PCS'd. I had to have finance order my old travel vouchers from DFAS and wait for them to get here so I could prove I went on 3 deployments and get vMPF updated. Its a pain but your awards and decs section of the MPF should be able to help you. That is part of their job after all.
on another note: can anyone ever find a single oak leaf cluster device? My last base was sold out of then (Pope) and so is my new base (Bolling).
on another note: can anyone ever find a single oak leaf cluster device? My last base was sold out of then (Pope) and so is my new base (Bolling).
02-26-2009, 09:38 AM
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I just went through trying to get my ribbons straight right before I PCS'd. I had to have finance order my old travel vouchers from DFAS and wait for them to get here so I could prove I went on 3 deployments and get vMPF updated. Its a pain but your awards and decs section of the MPF should be able to help you. That is part of their job after all.
on another note: can anyone ever find a single oak leaf cluster device? My last base was sold out of then (Pope) and so is my new base (Bolling).
on another note: can anyone ever find a single oak leaf cluster device? My last base was sold out of then (Pope) and so is my new base (Bolling).
02-26-2009, 06:29 PM
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OUA are easy as crap to get. They are basically awarded to any base/squadron which passes an inspection above a SAT or has a direct impact on the missions at hand. In my 3 years at 723AMS at Ramstein, I got 4 OUA's because of what the mission was there.
MUA's are VERY hard to come by and there are probably only a handful of people who have more than 1, and they are usually SOF people. If you were in the 332AEW or Club Med, you got one 2 years ago....those were the last two to be given though. And before that, was like 2002.
GUA's are impossible unless your JPerran or one of those AFSC's. I have never seen anyone outside of Cops or SOF have them
My guess, is you were supposed to have the OUA and whoever put it in the system fucked it up and clicked the wrong ribbon. I can tell you right now, unless your a TSgt or above and you walk around with 2 oak leafs on that ribbon you will get called out fast.
You also don't have to listen to what the vMPF site shows for your decoration because 90% of them are wrong. It doesn't self update when you are awarded anything and has to be done manually by a CS rep in the MPF itself. The only ones that are automatic are your real decorations (e.g. medals). Your "been there" ribbons have to be manually added. PME ones are put in by the PME instructors after graduation. Automatic ones to the entire branch (e.g. GWOT) are automatic. The rest like marksmanship, GWOTE, Short/Long Tour, Unit Awards, etc have to be put in manually by proving you have received them.
MUA's are VERY hard to come by and there are probably only a handful of people who have more than 1, and they are usually SOF people. If you were in the 332AEW or Club Med, you got one 2 years ago....those were the last two to be given though. And before that, was like 2002.
GUA's are impossible unless your JPerran or one of those AFSC's. I have never seen anyone outside of Cops or SOF have them
My guess, is you were supposed to have the OUA and whoever put it in the system fucked it up and clicked the wrong ribbon. I can tell you right now, unless your a TSgt or above and you walk around with 2 oak leafs on that ribbon you will get called out fast.
You also don't have to listen to what the vMPF site shows for your decoration because 90% of them are wrong. It doesn't self update when you are awarded anything and has to be done manually by a CS rep in the MPF itself. The only ones that are automatic are your real decorations (e.g. medals). Your "been there" ribbons have to be manually added. PME ones are put in by the PME instructors after graduation. Automatic ones to the entire branch (e.g. GWOT) are automatic. The rest like marksmanship, GWOTE, Short/Long Tour, Unit Awards, etc have to be put in manually by proving you have received them.
03-15-2009, 06:28 PM
#38
Many times awards are issued to a wing level or high organization and it is your responsibility to have them added to your records. You can do this with a copy of an EPR/OPR in some cases. For example:
I was stationed at Andersen AFB during Super Typhoon Omar (1992); after I left the island, pretty much anyone stationed there was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for the post-typhoon clean up and activities. I just took my EPRs to the MPF and they updated my record and handed my a medal on the spot. Of course this was way before the VMPF, so the procedures may be slightly different now.
I have also belonged to units that were awarded the Outstanding Unit or Organizational Excellence for the time I was stationed there, but I found out later. Once again, I had to visit the MPF to have them added. It is not realistic for the system to apply every unit award to everyone that should have been awarded. This should be considered your responsibility. The MPF should have a lift of every unit award in the USAF for you to review.
I was stationed at Andersen AFB during Super Typhoon Omar (1992); after I left the island, pretty much anyone stationed there was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for the post-typhoon clean up and activities. I just took my EPRs to the MPF and they updated my record and handed my a medal on the spot. Of course this was way before the VMPF, so the procedures may be slightly different now.
I have also belonged to units that were awarded the Outstanding Unit or Organizational Excellence for the time I was stationed there, but I found out later. Once again, I had to visit the MPF to have them added. It is not realistic for the system to apply every unit award to everyone that should have been awarded. This should be considered your responsibility. The MPF should have a lift of every unit award in the USAF for you to review.
04-01-2009, 03:21 PM
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I found out last week that the 407th AEG(Ali Base) was awarded a MUA for the last time I was here(2005). Looks like I have to make a trip to MPF when I get back to the states to get my **** updated.