awards Archives

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This WWII RAF veteran got his overdue medals for his 100th birthday

In 1944, 18-year-old Kaz Yajima was eager to join the British military and serve his country before WWII ended. He joined the RAF and was posted to South Africa for…

BYLogan Nye

Nov 6, 2022

This rare Army award is given to aviators who expertly crash

The military has a lot of official and unofficial awards for when tragedy strikes. Soldiers saved by their helmets often receive sections of the helmet after it is studied. Troops hit by enemy weapons get Purple Hearts. And aviators flying for the A…

BYLogan Nye

Nov 6, 2022

BYLogan Nye

Mar 19, 2023

Only one person at a time can wear Edson’s Eagles

There is a special and unofficial award for colonels who are most willing to take the fight to the enemy that is quietly passed between senior Marine Corps officers — the colonel rank insignia originally worn by Maj. Gen. Merritt A. “Red Mike” E…

BYLogan Nye

Mar 19, 2023

BYTeam Mighty

Feb 4, 2023

The difference between military funeral honors and ‘full’ military honors

Any eligible veteran who requests a military burial is guaranteed by law to have certain honors at his or her funeral. The Department of Defense is required by law to…

BYTeam Mighty

Feb 4, 2023

BYBethaney Phillips

Sep 13, 2021

This British war medal is only awarded to animals

Animals are an important part of war efforts. Before vehicles, soldiers rode horses into battle. Today, dogs are used to help with any number of tasks, such as sniffing out…

BYBethaney Phillips

Sep 13, 2021

BYEric Milzarski

Dec 29, 2022

Why the Certificate of Appreciation is a slap in the face to troops

Troops always like feeling appreciated. A simple “good job” at the right time can go a long way in improving the morale of a unit. You can even take it a step further by expressing your gratitude to troops in many different ways: by releasing them…

BYEric Milzarski

Dec 29, 2022

BYBlake Stilwell

Feb 16, 2021

The UK’s highest military award is cast from the guns of a fallen enemy

The Victoria Cross is only awarded to those in the armed forces of the United Kingdom and former British Empire countries, for valor “in the face of the enemy.” Since its creation in 1856,

BYBlake Stilwell

Feb 16, 2021

BYJames Elphick

Feb 5, 2021

8 men who earned the most Purple Hearts

In the United States military, the Purple Heart is a revered, if unwanted, military accolade bestowed upon those individuals who have been wounded in action with the enemy. The Military Order of the Purple Hea…

BYJames Elphick

Feb 5, 2021

BYJoslin Joseph

Feb 3, 2021

West Point grad snags coveted Salute to Service Award

Each year, USAA and the NFL award one person with the Salute to Service Award. This year, the winner is Steve Cannon, CEO of AMB Sports and Entertainment. Cannon leads all…

BYJoslin Joseph

Feb 3, 2021

BYVAntage Point

Apr 29, 2020

Army vet proves doctor wrong by achieving ‘the impossible’

Tell her she can’t, she’ll tell you, “Just watch me.” U.S. Army veteran Twila Adams won the prestigious Spirit of the Games Award at this year’s National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Louisville, Kentucky. The award is given to one wheelch…

BYVAntage Point

Apr 29, 2020

BYPCSgrades

Apr 29, 2020

3 reasons you should cast your vote for the MVC Choice Awards

For starters, think of this program in the same light as the People’s Choice Awards in the entertainment industry. While the Emmys and Academy Awards have their place, the People’s Choice Awards are specifically designed “For the People, By the P…

BYPCSgrades

Apr 29, 2020

BYLogan Nye

Apr 29, 2020

How you can get all of your old award and service documents

Most veterans look forward to that beautiful DD-214, the discharge form from active duty. Whether you’re a long-timer looking forward to retirement, a one-termer just waiting to get out and go to college or back to the civilian workforce, or a rese…

BYLogan Nye

Apr 29, 2020

BYUnited States Army

Apr 29, 2020

ROTC hero awarded medal

The ROTC Medal of Heroism was posthumously awarded to the family of Riley Howell during a private ceremony held at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, May 11, 2019, in recognition of his actions when a gunman opened fire on students at the s…

BYUnited States Army

Apr 29, 2020

BYBlake Stilwell

Apr 29, 2020

The insane victory that inspired the Confederate army’s only medal

The Confederate Army had better things to do than decide how it would award medals to its fighting men. In that era, Americans weren’t really into medals and ribbons, as it was considered a very European military tradition. The Civil War changed al…

BYBlake Stilwell

Apr 29, 2020

BYKent Matsuoka

Apr 29, 2020

Hollywood honors the behind-the-scenes liaison who makes military movies happen

As Hollywood’s awards season wraps up with the Oscars, it’s easy to believe that Hollywood glamour and military might are like oil and water: Two very separate worlds that only intersect on the screen. While Hollywood might love taking milit…

BYKent Matsuoka

Apr 29, 2020

BYBlake Stilwell

Apr 29, 2020

The Space Medal of Honor is the highest award for astronauts

On Oct. 1, 1978, President Jimmy Carter wrapped the Space Medal of Honor around the neck of Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon. It was the first-ever of such medals awarded, even though the medal was authorized by Congress in 19…

BYBlake Stilwell

Apr 29, 2020

BYLogan Nye

Apr 29, 2020

This heroic working dog conducted 210 combat missions while deployed

Military Working Dog Gabe started his Army career in a rare way, escaping near-euthanasia in a Texas shelter before becoming a remarkably successful working dog and a celebrity loved by famous humans, like Betty White and Jay Leno.

BYLogan Nye

Apr 29, 2020

BYUnited States Navy

Apr 29, 2020

Sailors receive awards for brave actions after USS Cole attack

On a cold January day in Virginia, men and women of the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook’s (DDG 75) engineering department stood at attention both somber and quiet. The bitter cold chills of the wind broke the silence of their awar…

BYUnited States Navy

Apr 29, 2020

BYEric Milzarski

Apr 29, 2020

Why an award for military dogs is long overdue

Military working animals are just as much troops in the formation as their bipedal handlers. They go through rigorous training, like the Joes. They get weeded out through selection, like the Joes. And they even hold rank, like the Joes. Military wor…

BYEric Milzarski

Apr 29, 2020

BYBusiness Insider

Sep 12, 2019

The Air Force just presented a new award to drone pilots

The Air Force presented its first “R” devices to airmen, giving them to aircrews from the 432nd Wing/432 Air Expeditionary Wing on July 11, 2018, at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. The Air Force authorized the “R” device, for “remote,” …

BYBusiness Insider

Sep 12, 2019