Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!wmartin@brl-bmd From: wmartin%brl-bmd@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Medals for cosmonauts Message-ID: <14124@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Tue, 29-Nov-83 15:38:39 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.14124 Posted: Tue Nov 29 15:38:39 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 2-Dec-83 00:59:23 EST Lines: 29 From: Will Martin (DRXAL-FD) Reading the news item about the return of the Soviet cosmonauts which mentioned the medals awarded to them caused me to wonder whether the US military astronauts get any special decorations or awards for flights. I believe that some of the earlier groups got medals at White House ceremonies, but I don't recall any specifics. What about the current group? The military have things like "campaign ribbons", awarded for serving in a certain location during a certain time period, and "hash marks" -- uniform enhancements that denote periods of service, such as one for each six months overseas or the like. Do the astronauts get any ribbons or decorations for each flight, or one with an oak-leaf cluster or other add-on for each successive mission or n days in space? As more and more people spend more time in space, it will eventually become a normal tour of duty for certain military occupational specialities, and I think that most specialists in hazardous duties (diving, explosive ordinance disposal, etc.) get some sort of award or decoration denoting longevity in the field, and another every so often (the time period varying with the field, I believe). Anyway, I would expect some sort of "Space Service" badge, with embellishments for each subsequent mission or number of missions, to be awarded to military serving in space. Does such an award already exist? Will Martin (WMartin@Office-3)