The Navy Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon

nhboy

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"The Navy’s boot camp ribbon was unveiled in August and promptly met with disdain by sailors and other service members who labeled it a “participation award” illustrative of no legitimate military accomplishment.

That's entirely untrue. The Navy Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon is for recruits who excel at boot camp — only the top three percent of every graduating class. On average that's about a dozen individuals. So the ribbon is exclusive; it recognizes excellence, not mere participation.

The Army and the Air Force, by contrast, offer ribbons to all who complete basic training. The Navy is wise to have chosen a different path.

Encouraging excellence at boot camp is good for the entire Navy. It conveys to new recruits that their introductory training and education is integral to long-term success and that of the units to which they will be assigned — not merely an eight-week experience to be endured.

To underscore this importance, the Navy needs to make the ribbon retroactive so that all previous honor graduates qualify for it. There are thousands serving who’ve earned this distinction, and many of them would enjoy the chance to add another ribbon to their rack. This would also help promote acceptance throughout the ranks, where currently only a few dozen junior sailors actually wear this ribbon.

What’s more, the Navy has offered very poor logic in justifying its decision to not make the award retroactive. The official explanation — that training standards are constantly evolving — is offensive to anyone who graduated from boot camp before this ribbon was introduced. As one Navy Times reader correctly surmised, that implies "the standards then were less than today." "


 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Boot camp's a joke. I'd be embarrassed to wear such a ribbon.

:yay:



he is correct in one aspect ... the Army gives everyone a ribbon for getting of Basic / AIT
we called it the fireguard ribbon :whistle:


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Rommey

Well-Known Member
The Army and the Air Force, by contrast, offer ribbons to all who complete basic training. The Navy is wise to have chosen a different path.
While this statement is true, it also implies that only the Navy has an Honor Grad ribbon, which is incorrect. The Air Force also has a Honor Grad ribbon (ever since the mid-70's).
 

BOP

Well-Known Member
While this statement is true, it also implies that only the Navy has an Honor Grad ribbon, which is incorrect. The Air Force also has a Honor Grad ribbon (ever since the mid-70's).

Well, boot camp for the Air Force is called "New Employee indoctrination," and the honor grad would be "Employee of the month."
 

stgislander

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
While this statement is true, it also implies that only the Navy has an Honor Grad ribbon, which is incorrect. The Air Force also has a Honor Grad ribbon (ever since the mid-70's).

The Coast Guard has an Honor Graduate Ribbon. They started issuing back in the late '80s I seem to remember. It only goes to the top graduate of each recruit company.

honorgraduate.jpg
 

USWWarrior

It's a Jeep thang!
The Coast Guard has an Honor Graduate Ribbon. They started issuing back in the late '80s I seem to remember. It only goes to the top graduate of each recruit company.

View attachment 109814

I am okay with a ribbon for the top graduate in the company. But that's it. I would probably be busted because I wouldn't wear it anyway.

When I went through boot camp in 1979-1980, we had a reward for the top performers. It was called "promotion" to the next level. E-1 to E-2, E-2 to E-3.
 

stgislander

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
Did top performers get automatically promoted to E-3 out of boot camp? We all came out of boot camp as E-2.
 

acommondisaster

Active Member
:yay:



he is correct in one aspect ... the Army gives everyone a ribbon for getting of Basic / AIT
we called it the fireguard ribbon :whistle:


View attachment 109810

If you're talking about me, it's she. Used to be a promotion for top performers when I was in boot camp. But then again, you got a stripe for getting someone else to join as well, so why not.
If you ever wanted to make sure you were treated like crap, take IPO out of A school - it guaranteed that everyone was going to pile on you until you finished your first tour.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Seems like a useless award but we are talking about the participation trophy era. Might as well give all recruits 1 for showing up and playing nice.
 

BOP

Well-Known Member
Seems like a useless award but we are talking about the participation trophy era. Might as well give all recruits 1 for showing up and playing nice.

I think the Marines get one for not playing with their peckers in public.
 

kom526

They call me ... Sarcasmo
When I graduated from Parris Island as Honor Man, I was given a set of dress blues for that distinction. The other graduates had to buy their own set after boot camp if they wanted a set. Each platoon in our series had one Honor Man, with individual awards (certificates) going to the series high marksman and individual platoon high marksman. I don't view the Honor Guard Ribbon as a participation trophy, but as a distinction that was earned by outperforming your bunkmates or whatever they call each other at Navy boot camp.

I do agree that boot camp was a joke, I had a great time.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
I'm good with giving awards for things like marksmanship. It's easy to see who had the best score. I wasn't a big fan of things like sailor of the quarter. Often it was "which division are we giving it to this time?".
 
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