In Obama’s Military You Get a Medal for Not Fighting

There is a new proposal for a medal- one for “courageous restraint” that a soldier will earn for being shot at and not returning fire for fear of hurting a civilian or a kitten or something stupid like that. Only the dope-addled minds of the Hippie Generation now in control of our nation can come up with something this stupid.

From the Examiner here with thanks to Ed at RightRant:

A proposal to grant medals for “courageous restraint” to troops in Afghanistan who avoid deadly force at a risk to themselves has generated concern among U.S. soldiers and experts who worry it could embolden enemy fighters and confuse friendly forces.

Lt. Col. Edward Sholtis, a spokesman for Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who commands NATO forces in Afghanistan, said that no final decision has been made on the award, which is the brainchild of British Maj. Gen. Nick Carter.

However, professor Jeffrey F. Addicott, a former senior legal adviser to the Green Berets and director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, said “It’s an absolutely outrageous proposal to our fighting men.

“The implication of this award is that we do not engage in war fighting that is appropriate,” Addicott said. “They’re sending a chilling message to our troops that we are not complying with the law of armed conflict. It’s a propaganda victory for our enemies.”

The medals proposal is consistent with NATO rules of engagement aimed at reducing civilian casualties in Afghanistan as a way to win the support of the populace. But some soldiers say rewarding “restraint” while risking their own lives is a troubling concept.

The directives “are confusing and the mixed messages from command is making it more difficult for us to defend ourselves,” said a U.S. Army soldier in Afghanistan.

A U.S. Marine captain who has served in Iraq, said that he understands the intentions of the award but believes “it’s just a bad idea.” He said, “They teach us not to second-guess our decisions in dangerous situations. When people second-guess themselves they can be putting lives at risk.”

But other soldiers saw the medal proposal as a reinforcement of troubling rules of engagement. “Unfortunately, we are being reduced to a police force,” said another U.S. soldier. “There are troops that never leave Bagram or Kandahar airfield. … Maybe if they left us all on base and never sent us out to confront the enemy, we could all be honored [for] valor.“

This is what happens to your military when you elect leftists who shout “no blood for oil” and “troops home now.” I guess that new medal will be of great comfort to a widow who is burying her shot-up husband. At least her kids will grow up without a Dad knowing that he was “restrained” in combat.