Providing
recognition for a “job well done” is one of a leader’s responsibilities. The recognition should be
adequate and
appropriate. Too much diminishes the value of the recognition, itself; too little can create frustration;
unbalanced recognition – lots of big, shiny gongs for fellows doing
important work behind a safe, warm desk in Ottawa while guys and gals doing equally
important “work” in A’stan get few, if any, causes more problems.
During a fairly long career I watched the CF struggle with
recognition issues – people of a certain age will remember how we tried to use e.g.
Jubilee and
Centennial medals to
recognize members who had done yeoman service and for whom no other form of recognition was
available or
appropriate.
Part of our current recognition system was designed to replace the
CBE/OBE/MBE series (which, now and again, Canadians still receive for service with the British) which used to reward “exemplary” service of many sorts. When I last served internationally I still saw lots of MBEs on the chests of British (mostly senior) NCOs – usually awarded for non-combat distinguished service of the sort than
Army Vern describes,
and for better than expected but not quite
valiant service in operations. I knew an officer in the Royal Signals who had two MBEs: one for some exemplary, non-combat service, as a senior technical NCO and another awarded in the Falklands campaign for exemplary, combat support, service.
Our system offers commanding officers many choices. Many senior officers in Ottawa, being well aware of the range of choices available – because they see people “earning” recognition on a regular basis, and being good writers, and having a bit of time to write recommendations, provide recognition, in the form of service medals, for their people. Some commanding officers in the field are just too damned busy with the work at hand.
Recognition is important; it can raise morale or it can create problems when people perceive that it is “awarded” on any less than fair and equitable basis. I
think we may be "hearing" some of that problem here.
Edit: careless typo fixed