Queens birthday awards

[rescue5271]

Well done to those members of the service who today where given Queens birthday awards for service to the community....

[Big Yellow Gongbeater]

Well done to those members of the service who today where given Queens birthday awards for service to the community....

  Particularly for those that actually earnt it! 

[crashndash]

Well done to those members of the service who today where given Queens birthday awards for service to the community....

  Particularly for those that actually earnt it! 

most of those actually didnt get a mention funnily

[Big Yellow Gongbeater]

[/quote]

most of those actually didn't get a mention funnily
[/quote]

  They never do, some (not all) recipients of AFSM's in recent years have devalued the true intent of the award.

 An AFSM should be awarded for actions above and beyond what you are employed/elected to do, not because:

• You happen to be a DGO/GO/RO/RC
  
• Achieve simply 20 years service and do your employed/elected job diligently
  
• You've got "friends in high places"
  
• It's your turn
  

Example 1:  A recipient being awarded an AFSM for services and commitment to training when in fact it is well known of their disdain for the RTC and those employed there, to the point of making working relationships hard for those under their command to volunteer time at the "school"
  Example 2: A recipient being awarded an AFSM for service and when the recipients service record is truly examined it has revealed they certainly haven't achieved any thing above and beyond what is expected of a person of their elected rank, or for that fact they have achieved less than some of the non rank holding members of their brigade have achieved. But the local MP is an auxiliary member of the brigade and in most contact with the elected person.

  Possibly a meritous long service decoration should be awarded leaving the AFSM as the pinnacle of fire service decorations for those that truly earn it.

[crashndash]

BYG....thats precisely the reason the National Medal was introduced, dilligent long service in an emergency type organisation

"The National Medal recognises long and diligent service by members of recognised organisations that help the community during times of crisis."

I agree completely with your sentiments about who does and who doesnt get it. Sadly these things are always subjective, and in many cases come down to how well you write the proposal. Having done a couple my advice is to get the citation of someone who has been awarded it, and make your application sound pretty much the same. Thats at least a start - its a game,m but with awards its how well you play the game that gets u a tick to move through.

[Big Yellow Gongbeater]

BYG....thats precisely the reason the National Medal was introduced, diligent long service in an emergency type organisation

"The National Medal recognises long and diligent service by members of recognised organisations that help the community during times of crisis."

I agree completely with your sentiments about who does and who doesn't get it. Sadly these things are always subjective, and in many cases come down to how well you write the proposal. Having done a couple my advice is to get the citation of someone who has been awarded it, and make your application sound pretty much the same. Thats at least a start - its a game,m but with awards its how well you play the game that gets u a tick to move through.

  The main issue is the application of "diligent" which when applied loosely has devalued the "currency" and before long there will be more undeserving recipients than deserving with the letters AFSM after their names, all because some people write better proposals than others.  "Y'all can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig!"
  Hence the need to offer a lesser award that still values length and contribution to the service and removes the need for "playing the game".
AFSM for diligent long service
Kerr? Medal for meritous long service (more measurable criteria, less open to interpretation)
 I don't personally know any of the recent recipients and am not passing judgment on them individually or their achievements.  Just making a passing judgement on the process that has led to some highly questionable recipients in previous years.

Rant now concluded 

[crashndash]

BYG...the National Medal is different to the AFSM. Two entirely different ones.....my post was to highlight the National Medal is for "long and dilligent service" and not getting caught stuffing up, and thats how it should be applied....leaving the AFSM to be for truly above and beyond types. Theres actually quite detailed criteria to be met for the award of the AFSM....let google be your friend and the Aust Gov Awards site will show all

Remembering that the CFS only has 3 medals to give each calendar year...its always a bit of a lottery

[boredmatrix]

Well done to those members of the service who today where given Queens birthday awards for service to the community....

is that like a doctor getting an ambulance service medal - when he's already got an AO?

  Particularly for those that actually earnt it!