SwiftVets.com

[SOFMan]

Surely, we'd like them to be...but I think any of us who have served know the reality that many times: FITREPS (Navy), Officer Performance Reports (Air Force), and Officer Effectiveness Reports (Army) are very "upbeat", sometimes to the point of making the person a bit better than the really are. With awards, it's similar, as the verbiage in the recommendation, draft citation, and timing/policy at the time means as much as the acts the award is being submitted for. This is certainly not the case for most...I don't mean to diminish anyone's service or their awards. However, it is not unlikely that John Kerry's apparently self-written awards had some exageration--and in his case--total falsification. Having spent time in Middle East not long ago, an being injured (very lightly) by exploding glass, flying debris, etc...it's pretty self-serving for a guy to "chase awards" as it seems more evident that Kerry did. What a disgrace, what self-serving thing to do--and then to protest the whole reason he was there anyway, calling his peers rapists and murderers. Who needs a commander-in-chief like this? Not the U.S.

[djdedeo0]

As far as the fitrep is concernced I agree that it is not always accurate. Also to an extent on the awards. I believe that true up to a certain extent. You can probably be handed certain awards by default but PUrple hearts arent passed out like namps.