The 8th Air Force is generous with their medals

[=CFC=Conky]

Hello all, 

 

Inspired by Wolfpack345’s YouTube videos about the Battle of Bulge/Bodenplatte, I decided to start a P-51 career. So I flew the first mission, cover for ground forces and managed to bag two 109’s (irl they would be probables because I damaged them and them crashed much later but they were behind friendly lines so who knows).

 

Anyway, I land back at base, and when I looked at the mission summary screen I earned two medals. An Air Medal (they give those away like candy), and a Silver Star.

 

A Silver Star? Just who the hell did I shoot down? ?

 

Good hunting,

CFC Conky

[Danziger]

The army was pretty generous with their medals in Iraq as well. There are actually automatic medals based on rank. Just going on a deployment and coming back gets you an Army Commendation medal for E5 and below. E6 and above get a Bronze Star. Just for showing up.

[LukeFF]

8 hours ago, =CFC=Conky said:

Hello all, 

 

Inspired by Wolfpack345’s YouTube videos about the Battle of Bulge/Bodenplatte, I decided to start a P-51 career. So I flew the first mission, cover for ground forces and managed to bag two 109’s (irl they would be probables because I damaged them and them crashed much later but they were behind friendly lines so who knows).

 

Anyway, I land back at base, and when I looked at the mission summary screen I earned two medals. An Air Medal (they give those away like candy), and a Silver Star.

 

A Silver Star? Just who the hell did I shoot down? ?

 

Good hunting,

CFC Conky

 

Air Medals were given out for each of a pilot's first four victories, and Silver Star Medals were given out regularly for shooting down more than one aircraft in a mission (lots of Silver Star Medal citations from the war attest to that). That's all in line with 8th & 9th AF policy in 1944-45.  

Edited May 30, 2020 by LukeFF

[[CPT]milopugdog]

I got an Iron Cross on the 1st sortie of my Bf-109 E-7 career; but I destroyed 3 aircraft and 4 ground targets.

[216th_Jordan]

Got a hero of the soviet union medal on my first mission with the Il-2 destroying 2 AAs and 8 Trucks ?

[=CFC=Conky]

On 5/30/2020 at 10:41 AM, LukeFF said:

 

Air Medals were given out for each of a pilot's first four victories, and Silver Star Medals were given out regularly for shooting down more than one aircraft in a mission (lots of Silver Star Medal citations from the war attest to that). That's all in line with 8th & 9th AF policy in 1944-45.  

 

Thanks Luke, didn't know that. ?

 

Good hunting,

CFC Conky

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

On 5/30/2020 at 1:55 PM, 216th_Jordan said:

Got a hero of the soviet union medal on my first mission with the Il-2 destroying 2 AAs and 8 Trucks ?

 

Must have been a VIP in one of those.

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

I just got my swords and leaves in my german career after bagging victories 200, 201, 202 and 203. You will get medals much faster when flying allies but its normal since they dont have 150 aces above 100 aerial victories. 

[Zeev]

On 5/30/2020 at 12:12 PM, Danziger said:

The army was pretty generous with their medals in Iraq as well. There are actually automatic medals based on rank. Just going on a deployment and coming back gets you an Army Commendation medal for E5 and below. E6 and above get a Bronze Star. Just for showing up.

Same here. Got like 2-3 just by serving in specific years, and I was just a tank mechanic ?

[Vortice]

HQ keeps on removing and then re-awarding my DFC with every subsequent mission in my current Rhineland campaign now. I wish they would make their minds up.

[MattS]

21 hours ago, Zeev said:

Same here. Got like 2-3 just by serving in specific years, and I was just a tank mechanic ?

 

No lie, we all got the specially created Bicentennial Unit Commendation just for being in the Coast Guard in 1990 (commemorating how the Almighty himself came down to Alexander Hamilton and commanded him to bring forth the Revenue Cutter Service on 04 August 1790, but I digress ?).

 

Seemed dumb at the time, but 25 years later when I retired it felt kind of salty and cool to be one of maybe 3 guys in a full auditorium who even knew what it was ?