Tri-Service
Drone Pilots Denied Medals
The United States Department of Defence has rejected (DOD) plans for drone pilots and cyber warriors to get their own medals.
The DOD rejected plans for the medal after a two-year period of review, instead opting for a new “R” pin.
The RAF currently offers no unique medal to drone pilots.
The quarter inch “R” device, standing for ‘remote’, will be similar to the already existing valour pin. The pin is intended to be attached to other non-combat medals.
The announcement follows the scrapped Distinguished Warfare Medal, known pejoratively as the ‘Nintendo Medal’, which was introduced in 2013 and removed after just two months.
The ‘Nintendo Medal’ was criticized by law makers and veterans at the time as “an affront to all real combat veterans”.
RE: Nintendo Medal pic.twitter.com/MPWwU7DXv6
— John C. Mooney (@mooneyjc) March 16, 2013The decision was made by then newly appointed Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel who opened the review into the now launched “R” device to reward cyber ops.
He described the work of drone pilots and cyber warriors at the time as “critical to our military’s mission of safeguarding the nation.”
An image of the new pin has not yet been released.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
