Opinion: War medals for cyber soldiers?
OPINION -- The United States Department of Defense has introduced quite a controversial, new war honor: the Distinguished Warfare Medal (DMW) for drone operators. Recognizing drone warfare combatants as worthy of praise while men and women of the United States Army’s ground forces risk their lives, oftentimes without recognition, is downright infuriating. To add further insult to injury (or toss salt in an open wound), Department of Defense officials are looking to rank the honor higher than the prestigious Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Ranking combat medals by prestige seems logical in theory, but when you make a mockery of such a system by incorporating success via cyber warfare and unmanned drone operation as a military feat, you have dishonored the men and women of the Armed Forces risking life and limb for their country on the front lines every day. Surely these “desk jockeys” will receive these honors with open arms, knowing little about the landscape of the theatre in which they are fighting, while providing assault from what they see as little more than a mere video game. Without the immanent feelings of war and the emotion behind taking another man’s life present, decision-making and rationale behind actions may be distorted and confused.
Though much can be said for the useful nature of drones and unmanned military aircraft, the recognition of such as honor-worthy factions of war is disrespectful at best. Tell the wife and child of an Army ground forces operative that the service of their husband/father is less important/respected than that of a drone operator.
Fortunately, an increase in Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars appears to be rapidly approaching as President Obama has noted the disparity between the Department of Defense’s definition of heroism and that of reality.
Moral: Human lives will always mean more than a hunk-of-junk death machine levitating a mile high. After all, our forefathers poured their heart and soul into this country’s security, spilling blood along the way. No act of “virtual heroism” will ever live up to that.
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2282610/The-Rise-Drones-From-secretive-surveillance-weapon-controversial-killers.html
- http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/03/06/veterans-drones-defense-column/1965909/
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