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." "
"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." "
