Posted: 10/15/2007 8:01:03 AM EDT
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Quick question, If your department's highest award was for valor in the line of duty and you were authorized to wear a valor pin on your uniform would you? Bucky145 |
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We do not wear fruit salid. The valor ribbon is the only award that is authorized for us to be worn so it kinda stands out. Only four have ever been awarded at my PD. We also do not wear a dress uniform, just short and long sleave shirts depending on the weather. The reason I asked this question in the first place was I was recently asked about the ribbon. After telling the person about the award he seemed to think that maybe I was not taking into consideration all the other officers feelings by wearing it. Like they felt bad about not having one or something. He thought every officer should have one because they work in a dangerous field.  I'v only seen one other person wearing one so I thougt maybe I was crazy or something but it appears some others must be too. Bucky145 |
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If you earned it and want to wear it no self-respecting cop I know will begrudge you for it. That, of course, is not to say that you won't run into the occasional whiner who thinks he should be awarded a medal for valor for having to throw down with the local drunk at closing time. Usually after he got the drunk going in the first place by acting the fool. I am sure you know the type. The whole argument not to wear it because it might make other officers feel bad is a bunch of hooey. Personally, I do not wear my awards unless I am going to a formal event, but plenty of other guys do and that is cool too. |
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Here is my $.02. As mentioned it is your and I have no doubt you earned it. Especially if only 4 have been given. It would always be on my uniform for special occasions, parades and the like. Generally if I am not out mixing it up with the drunks I would have it on. This assumes it is relatively small and unobtrusive. I don't see anything different then wearing a swat pin or motor wings. If I was in your area and saw it, I wouldn't feel upset that I didn't have one. Nobody else should either. In my informal interviews with civilians over the years many think we all should have one. I believe that is because what our definition of valor is generally is much different then the average person. Someone starts shooting somewhere and we drive there, generally trying to get there ASAP. The concept is foreign to most people unless they were or are police or military. If you ever get to MI the first round is on me, I'm sure its a helluva story. Joe Edit: Spell check is my friend |
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I'd wear it once a year for the dept. annual meeting/group photo. I wouldn't bother wearing it the rest of the time. I have a really nice Blackinton Lifesaving medal that came with a uniform ribbon, and have never worn the medal but wore the ribbon once for a group pic. If you earned it though and the dept. lets you, I see no reason why you wouldn't wear the valor ribbon any time you wanted to. I wouldn't feel jealous. |
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I have not received a Medal of Valor, but I did receive a Lifesaving medal for reviving a 1 week old infant who's heart had stopped. The baby was blue and in obvious distress when I arrived. By the time the fire department arrived the baby looked fine. They transported him to the hospital where he was rushed into emergency heart surgery. My Sgt. contacted the ER doc who told him my fast action saved the baby. He had a heart defect (some sort of collapsed valve problem) and had I not arrived the 3 minutes before the fire department, the baby would have most likely died. At first I didn't wear the medal or ribbon. I didn't really feel I did anything above what any of us would have done. I wore the ribbon one day and was asked by a citizen what it meant. I explained it to them and they were amazed that the police would respond to an aid call. I have continued to wear it and get asked about it on a regular basis. I have found it to be very positive for the PD's image. I've even been asked about it by people I've arrested, usually their attitude towards me changes. I have yet to wear the medal, just the ribbon. It may not be a big thing to the person who receives the award, we are just doing our job. But the citizens you come in contact with are inquisitive about what you have done to be recognized. One of our officers was just involved in a shooting and will be receiving a MoV. We have discussed the award quite a bit. He is going to wear his ribbon. |
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Thanks for all your thoughts on this. I'm going to continue to wear it. I guess everyone has their own idea of what a valor award is and is not. I believe by wearing my ribbon it tells others that no matter how bad the road gets I will be there with them to the end. I spend a lot of time typing up the details of the incident but decided to delete it. The incident happened almost seven years ago and I still remember it like yesterday. The short story is an ex-husband tried to kill his ex-wife by beating her to death with a table leg. Several officers including myself tried to stop/arrest him. People got hurt bad but I was not injured. Two officers went down on the call within feet of me. One officer will never returned to full duty. The other has but is not the same officer. After the incident he made statements that he will never fire his weapon other than at qualifications. I read the book On Killing to understand this and learned a lot. Everyone survived but all involved got some physical and mental scars. Bucky145 |
On my dept it's called a merit award & I do not wear that or my other awards or pins (FTO, SWAT, DRE, weapon qual, whistle chain, etc.) on my duty uniform. There is enough gear to put on the blouse already. I don't want all that shiny stuff standing out, falling off or the constant inquiry from the public about what this or that is for  . I know what I rate & no one else needs to see it nor do I care if they do. Actually I had a little to do with our dept policy from the old regime being changed from requiring ofc's to wear everything they rate on their duty uniform to it being an ofc option under the new regime. Thank goodness. There's nothing wrong with an ofc wanting to wear his awards. I just didn't like having it a requirement. If you earned it, then you wear it if you're so inclined. |
Special occasions, yes, everyday, no... Most of the time in Class B's anyway... |