Former Capt. Swenson will be awarded MOH

[Rockville]

per http://www.cmohs.org/ MOH recipients get $1,000 per month. If he goes back to active duty, will he still get this and the other benefits or?

Originally Posted by mdavid

He was awarded the CMOH and is asking to come back into service...and that request isn't honored immediately? For petes sake couldn't the president have just ordered him back on duty then and there?

[SOTB]

You guys cannot imagine scenarios where even a MOH awardee should not continue to serve?

I can.

I have no clue if any of those scenarios apply here -- but I would not fault the POTUS for not making a kneejerk decision that later proves to be wrong. IMO, let the mil people decide -- that is what they are paid for....

[PocketKings]

Chances are he's still IRR and still holds his commission. Going back on AD should be administrative at this point. I know plenty of officers who got out as Captains, saw the civilian world as lacking, and went back on AD.

It still takes a little time to get paperwork caught up, then find a place for the guy. I don't know where he is in the schooling pipeline, or if he's branch qualified or not. All of that plays into the picture.

He'll probably end up at Benning teaching classes. Or West Point. Maybe even as an RI. He seems a bit more cerebral than most IN officers.

[Sapper]

On MOH being not deserved....someone in the soldier's chain of command must submit a recommendation for the award. Normally this would be immediate superior (squad leader, platoon sergeant and then would have to be approved by company commander or in Swenson's case BN commander probably. Then division has to sign off and on up the line. An investigation must be performed and then it is kicked up to PERSCOM Decoration board then the senior decoration board then it goes to the branch chief of staff who has to concur, then the branch secretary, then SECDEF and then the President himself must concur before MOH is awarded. I find it really difficult to believe that all of these folks would concur if the award was not deserved. Just my opinion.

[B 2/75]

Sapper, go back and fill out your introduction post, as directed by the welcome email, and by all of the stickies at the top of the forum.

[tooslow]

Front page photo on today's WSJ.

[eoddude]

This is the vid of the medivac from two pov's.

http://www.army.mil/media/amp/?bcpid...=2682900652001

[eoddude]

This is a "Battlescape" depiction of Capt Swenson's actions.

http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/swe...e.html#scene11