Connie Pillich- Stolen Valor??

[Thor]

Connie Pollich (sic) is a state representative in Ohio who spent eight years in the Air Force. It appears that her rack is growing. No, not that rack, get your mind out of the gutter. Her rack of ribbons.

Here’s what her decorations looked like in an Air Force photo;

And here’s what she looks like on the campaign trail;

Apparently, she’s earned 11 more ribbons since the Air Force uniform picture was taken. Here’s what she’s sporting today;

The only awards that I can identify are the NDSM, the Air Force Longevity Service Award and the Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon. Other than that, it’s all a mystery to me. I spent about an hour this morning trying to identify the ribbons – so I’m turning to the experts – my readers.

There’s more at Free Republic and Doug Ross.

From: http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=20316




Well screw it……. I fired off a letter to her campaign:
“Dear Ms. Pillich;

I would appreciate it if you would comply with AF uniform regs.

“4.4. Wear of Awards and Decorations by Retirees and Honorably Discharged Veterans. Honorably
discharged and retired Air Force members may wear full-size or miniature medals on civilian suits on
appropriate occasions such as Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day. Female members may wear
full-size or miniature medals on equivalent dress.”

http://www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/afi36-2903.pdf

It clearly states that ribbons are not authorized for wear on civilian clothing, only medals and even then, for “special occasions”. You campaigning does NOT qualify as a “special occasion”. While you are not wearing your uniform while campaigning, you are wearing a uniform item. Furthermore, you look like an idiot!! If a person can’t run on their military record, alone, without advertising the “fruit salad”, then I’d be apt to question that person’s military record.

Regards

“Thor”
USN(ret)

For the record: http://www.conniepillich.com/index.php?code=contact

[DumbAss Tanker]

The one on the top right is the very-distinctive WWII Army of Occupation Medal, which was given out by the Berlin Brigade (Only) during my career, and only until the end of the Cold War when all of Berlin and East Germany were reintegrated into the Bundesrepublik.  I'm sure there were some small number of USAF personnel in Berlin, but was she one of them, and did the USAF ever award the ARMY of occupation medal?  It is strangely situated since it's just a service medal, not an award, but it's in the third place of precedence with only two other ribbons higher than it in the rack.

The one in #2 position appears to be a USAF Outstanding Unit Award with 2 OLCs, though ez-rackbuilder renders it more navy or black than real blue in the dark field.

The prized pole position ribbon appears to be the USAF Commendation Medal with 2 OLCs, with some color shifting also since thin stripes would be blue but look faintly reddish in the blowup. 

[NHSparky]

Bottom line...or bottom five lines...is that she's trying to picture herself as the next incarnation of Rambo when she was a ****ing Chair Force office mouse.

And FWIW, I've yet to break out my medals (full size) or make a shadow box.  For all I know, the moths got to them already.

[Thor]

Bottom line...or bottom five lines...is that she's trying to picture herself as the next incarnation of Rambo when she was a ****ing Chair Force office mouse.

And FWIW, I've yet to break out my medals (full size) or make a shadow box.  For all I know, the moths got to them already.

My Association made a shadow box for me when I retired. I'm still missing one medal. The Liberation of Kuwait (from Kuwait) Even so, after 20 years, I would have 15. I recall at 8 years, I THINK I had four or five.

[NHSparky]

My Association made a shadow box for me when I retired. I'm still missing one medal & one ribbon. The Liberation of Kuwait (from Kuwait) and possibly that Cold War ribbon. (Not real sure about that one) Even so, after 20 years, I would have 15, maybe 16. I recall at 8 years, I THINK I had four or five.

From Teh Wiki:

The Cold War Victory Medal is both an official medal of the National Guard and an unofficial military medal of the United States. It is awarded by the State of Louisiana and in ribbon form only by the State of Alaska. In the medal's unofficial capacity it can be purchased by any member of the United States military, or civilian employees of the federal government, who served in their positions honorably during the years of the Cold War, specifically September 2, 1945 to December 26, 1991.

<snip>

The official US Navy web page states: "The Department of Defense will not be creating a Cold War Service medal" and that any commemorative medals made by private vendors are unauthorized on the military uniform.[3]  At present the Cold War Victory Medal remains strictly commemorative and is unofficial other than for members of the Louisiana National Guard.

Yeah, when I got to my first boat, I was a blank.  But a year later, I had two full rows.  By the time I left my first boat two years later, I added another row.

Thanks, Thor--now you made me go pull them out.  13 total on the fruit salad.  And yeah, it looks like the moths got to them.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I stuck with an even dozen, hanging in a box on the wall on a background I cut out of an old uniform dress blouse (Jacket to the uninitiated).  There are some more that are just ribbons, and some badges as well, but I only put the twelve full-size medals in the box, and without the stars, numbers, multiple oak leaves, etc. that would be on a ribbon rack.

I had to round up a couple, Medals of America is a good resource for that; they sell all sorts of unofficial commemorative medals for those that are into that, which I'm totally not.  Still, personally I think there should be an official Cold War medal, I believe the DOD's main reason for resisting originally was purely the venal matter of the fact it would make more people entitled to a higher level of benefits since that would make it a 'Campaign,' so they fought it on the basis of additional benefit cost (Which is a BS reason for my $.02).