I’ve had a terrible few weeks. One of my clients abruptly terminated our relationship and now is refusing to honour the contract. I have had to seek legal advice and may end up in the small claims court. This is very stressful for a sole trader like me, and in fact has triggered my anxiety so I am looking for hope everywhere. Hope came in various forms over the last two weeks. I was delighted to learn that the RAF husband (aka Hagar) received a Bronze Star medal in the post, awarded him to by the US military for doing some excellent work during his recent 8 month deployment to Afghanistan.
It’s a great honour for him to receive the medal and to be awarded it by his American military colleagues for his work alongside them in Afghanistan. Basically for being a ‘jolly decent hardworking chap’ which is nice.
(Copied and pasted from Wikipedia) The Bronze Star Medal, unofficially the Bronze Star, is a United States decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
When the medal is awarded by the Army and Air Force for acts of valor in combat, the “V” Device is authorized for wear on the medal. When the medal is awarded by the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard for acts of valor or meritorious service in combat, the Combat “V” is authorized for wear on the medal.
Officers from the other Uniformed Services of the United States are eligible to receive this award, as are foreign soldiers who have served with or alongside a service branch of the United States Armed Forces.
Civilians serving with U.S. military forces in combat are also eligible for the award. For example, UPI reporter Joe Galloway was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” Device during the Vietnam War for rescuing a badly wounded soldier under fire in the Battle of la Drang, in 1965. Another civilian recipient was writer Ernest Hemingway.
He can add this to his long list of medals and commendations which includes; General Officer’s Commanding Commendation, Mention in Despatches, General Service Medal Northern Ireland, Operational Service Medal Sierra Leone, NATO Bosnia Medal, Operational Service Medal Iraq, Operational Service Medal Afghanistan, Accumulated Campaign Service Medal, Long Service Good Conduct Medal and two Jubilee Medals so ten in total.
The only slight snag with the Bronze Star Medal is that the military can’t be double awarded so he needs to wait until the operational honours are announced in July before he can wear it officially. This has created a weird conundrum of hoping he doesn’t get awarded in the July operational honours list so he can wear the Bronze Star. Or even worse if he is awarded a lesser medal in the UK operational honours which top trumps foreign awards and so has to forego his Bronze Star for a lesser award. We are now on tenterhooks waiting for fate to wave it’s fickle wand. Watch this space.
Clare Macnaughton; a modern military mother; a feminist, British military spouse, and lifestyle journalist, writing about real life adventures.
SIGN UP to my Blog
BUY MY HILARIOUS BOOK
Tales from the Domestic Frontline – Audio
FOLLOW me on Twitter: @amodmilitarymum
SUBSCRIBE to my You Tube channel
WATCH, LIKE and SHARE my Pilot TV show – AMMMTV
LIKE me on Facebook:
Macnaughty – How Does Your Garden Grow?
READ Me on Huff Post UK