I am more than a little curious about the circumstances behind a JAG lawyer like DeSantis being awarded a Bronze Star in Iraq. My curiosity is heightened because I have never heard a peep about how this happened — which is highly unusual for a political figure.
LBJ EARNED THE SILVER OR BRONZE FOR COURAGEOUSLY RIDING ALONG ON A MISSION. He served as ballast. The mission was not expected to encounter hostile fire.
I hadn't known he got a Bronze Star. My brother was an Army infantry grunt in Vietnam '66-'67, was fired on more times by his fellow soldiers than the enemy, and he got the basic medals for the war and his service there.
We know Kerry got his medals and Purple Hearts because he wrote the after-action reports, so he could recommend himself for them. It would be interesting to know how RDS squeezed a Bronze Star out.
Just did a search and he got the Bronze Star for being a lawyer/prosecutor in a War Zone. Just as we suspected, it was for bullshit.
"It was during this deployment that DeSantis earned his Bronze Star for his “meritorious service and dedication to duty.” His courageous efforts helped ensure the freedom of those serving abroad, while protecting the rights of those who had been accused of crimes within the military justice system."
How did DeSantis Get a Bronze Star?"
I threw-up a little in my throat posting this.
Bronze stars, without the V device, have become officer’s participation medals. They are for meritorious service.
I don’t mean to denigrate those issued for valor or other true meritorious performance. I just know too many who have two or three—one for each deployment, mostly for jobs that never encountered an enemy beyond food poisoning.