Strange thing to say you're thinking. Well, it's true. In the British military at least, a medal isn't always a medal. Rather the term 'medal' is commonly used to refer to one of three awards - an order, a decoration or (you guessed it) a medal.
The first type of order - a great British institution
The first type of order is as British as HP sauce or a red telephone box. It's an honour awarded by the British monarchy or government to individuals (civilian and military) in recognition of their contribution to the nation or humanity as a whole.
There are two parts to an order. First, the recipient is given an often elaborate insignia (the 'medal') which is typically worn with a sash. Secondly, the recipient is provided with the privilege of signaling their honour through the use of a title such as 'Sir' or a series of letters which can be placed after their name such as OBE or CBE.
Which brings us to the other important point about an order - the hierarchy.
There are five orders which can be awarded. In descending order of hierarchical importance these are:
.Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE)
.Knight or Dame Commander (KBE/DBE)
.Commander of the British Empire (CBE)
.Officer of the British Empire (OBE)
.Member of the British Empire (MBE)
The highest two of these ranks - GBE and KBE/DBE - are members of the knighthood which entitles them to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' provided they are a citizen of a territory where the British monarch is Head of State. If the recipient doesn't meet these criteria they can use the letters GBE, KBE or DBE after their name but not the title. So that's why Richard Branson and Rudy Giuliani, two well known holders of the KBE Order, are known as Sir Richard Branson and Rudy Giuliani KBE.
Although orders of this type were awarded to military officers throughout history, it was not until the Crimean War that separate awards were created to recognise the individual acts of gallantry being performed by the soldiers of the British Army. Which brings us to the second type of order.
The second type of order - a military affair
Whilst the orders described above are perhaps best known, there are other orders such as the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) which are exclusively for award to military personnel. These awards confer similar benefits to their predominantly civilian counterparts. A 'medal' with ribbon (but no sash) is received, membership of an exclusive organisation given (such as Companions of the Distinguished Service Order) and the privilege of using letters after one's name provided (for example, DSO). Unlike a civilian order however, a military order such as the DSO is usually given in recognition of a particular action such as meritorious service during wartime rather than a lifetime of service.
A decoration - the highest military honour
When most people think of British military medals they think of the Victoria Cross. But this is not a medal. It's actually a decoration.
A decoration is often a very simple, unassuming metal cross or star suspended on a colourful ribbon which is worn on the left chest. This simplicity however is very modest when one considers why a decoration such as the Victoria Cross is awarded - for particular actions such as extreme bravery or self sacrifice.
And finally, the medal
In contrast to a decoration, a medal is typically awarded for participation in a campaign, battle or conflict rather than specific actions. It is a recognition of having served in a particular event rather than having taken a particular action and is often referred to as a 'campaign medal' or 'service medal'. For example, the British War Medal was awarded to army personnel and civilians that either entered a theatre of war or served overseas between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918.
So, it’s true you see. A medal isn’t always a medal.
Andrew is an amateur military enthusiast and a contributor to the Military Medal Portal. This article and others concerning military medals, history and genealogy can be found on the Military Medal Portal
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Dalglish
Friday, July 13, 2007
How to Get into The Air Force Academy
Getting into the Air Force Academy requires a commitment, and a difficult admission process. Your chances of getting into the Academy aren't good – fewer than one candidate in 50 gets admitted. What follows are the stumbling blocks that stop most candidate applications from succeeding, and how to address them.
We are assuming that you're reading this as a high school junior. If you're starting this process in your senior year, you're starting late, and may have to transfer into the Academy from another four year college.
The first stumbling block is fitness. Each year, the Air Force Academy requires all cadets to do a times 1.5 mile run, and the generalized physical fitness test of pull ups, standing long jumps, sit ups and pushups, with a 600 meter run all in 15 minutes. In particular, this test has to be done in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which is at high altitude. Unless you're doing athletics in high school, the odds that you'll pass this test the first time are pretty slim.
Related to this, the Academy looks for candidates who participate in team sports, and in athletics in general. This shows that a student is willing to work, work hard, and work within a team to achieve group goals, and to use controlled aggression to their own aims. Basketball, football, track, trap shooting and fencing are sports the Air Force grades high in candidate application processes.
Like any college admission program, academic performance is important. It's more than just having a straight A average. The difficulty of the classes you take matters as well. The Air Force puts more weight on the difficulty of the course load (taking calculus rather than refresher math, for instance) than it does on perfect GPA requirements. If you're weak academically, the time to find out about it is at the beginning of your junior year in high school, where you should focus on study habit improvement and boosting your GPA. GPA in the last two years of high school will count for more than your early GPA.
The Air Force puts lower weighting on standardized test scores. While most four-year colleges use standardized test scores to differentiate between students with near identical academic records, the Air Force treats them somewhat as a pass-fail test. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, while not a substitute for the SAT or ACT, is a good adjunct. Be sure to take it as well as the other tests.
The biggest filter for candidates trying to get into the Air Force Academy is character. Character can be difficult to determine objectively, so the Academy requires candidates to get letters of recommendation from their community leaders, and teachers, and employers, and the coordinators of any volunteer organizations they belong to. Focus on getting the best positive letters of recommendation you can get. When you write your admission essay, focus on events that showcase places where you exerted leadership, or showed strength of character. This is the place to shine if you're worried about your academic performance.
However one ex-cadet in the Air Force Academy has written a secret tell all guide on how to win appointments into the Air Force Academy!
To learn more about it and get the upper hand among all the rest of the students go to http://www.my-guild.com/AirForce
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Benjamin_Chin
We are assuming that you're reading this as a high school junior. If you're starting this process in your senior year, you're starting late, and may have to transfer into the Academy from another four year college.
The first stumbling block is fitness. Each year, the Air Force Academy requires all cadets to do a times 1.5 mile run, and the generalized physical fitness test of pull ups, standing long jumps, sit ups and pushups, with a 600 meter run all in 15 minutes. In particular, this test has to be done in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which is at high altitude. Unless you're doing athletics in high school, the odds that you'll pass this test the first time are pretty slim.
Related to this, the Academy looks for candidates who participate in team sports, and in athletics in general. This shows that a student is willing to work, work hard, and work within a team to achieve group goals, and to use controlled aggression to their own aims. Basketball, football, track, trap shooting and fencing are sports the Air Force grades high in candidate application processes.
Like any college admission program, academic performance is important. It's more than just having a straight A average. The difficulty of the classes you take matters as well. The Air Force puts more weight on the difficulty of the course load (taking calculus rather than refresher math, for instance) than it does on perfect GPA requirements. If you're weak academically, the time to find out about it is at the beginning of your junior year in high school, where you should focus on study habit improvement and boosting your GPA. GPA in the last two years of high school will count for more than your early GPA.
The Air Force puts lower weighting on standardized test scores. While most four-year colleges use standardized test scores to differentiate between students with near identical academic records, the Air Force treats them somewhat as a pass-fail test. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, while not a substitute for the SAT or ACT, is a good adjunct. Be sure to take it as well as the other tests.
The biggest filter for candidates trying to get into the Air Force Academy is character. Character can be difficult to determine objectively, so the Academy requires candidates to get letters of recommendation from their community leaders, and teachers, and employers, and the coordinators of any volunteer organizations they belong to. Focus on getting the best positive letters of recommendation you can get. When you write your admission essay, focus on events that showcase places where you exerted leadership, or showed strength of character. This is the place to shine if you're worried about your academic performance.
However one ex-cadet in the Air Force Academy has written a secret tell all guide on how to win appointments into the Air Force Academy!
To learn more about it and get the upper hand among all the rest of the students go to http://www.my-guild.com/AirForce
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Benjamin_Chin
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