Behind closed doors, the U.S. military scrutinizes modern cases of valor for new Medals of Honor
By Dan Lamothe October 14 at 11:27 AM
President Obama awards medically retired Army Capt. Florent Groberg the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony in Washington last November. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
The Pentagon’s search to make sure that modern war heroes are appropriately recognized has reached a new phase, with senior service officials meeting behind closed doors to review the cases of hundreds of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
The process, directed by Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, started early this year and could lead to numerous cases in which veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are retroactively awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for combat valor, or service cross medals that are considered one step lower. The effort follows a review called for by then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in 2014 after years of criticism among rank-and-file service members that acts of bravery after the Sept, 11, 2001, attacks were not getting the attention they were due.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/10/14/navy-and-marine-corp-board-reviews-whether-heroes-deserve-higher-honors/
