This report could mean nothing, only time will tell.

Saturday, May 29, 1999

Military medal order hints U.S. preparing for Kosovo invasion

200,000 copies

Steven Edwards National Post

Canadian Newspaper http://www.nationalpost.com

BILDERBERGER Conrad Black's Canadian Newspaper

UNITED NATIONS - The United States government has placed an order to make 200,000 copies of a medal destined primarily for the Balkans -- the exact number that would be required to present every member of an invasion force of Kosovo with one, the National Post has learned.

The government has also ordered 9,000 copies of the Purple Heart, a medal given to anyone serving under the authority of the U.S. military who is killed or wounded.

While U.S. officials are saying that new Purple Hearts would have been ordered even in the absence of the Kosovo conflict, the same does not appear to be the case for the Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, which the Pentagon says is awarded to mark participation in operations that encounter foreign armed resistance.

Though the bulk of Operation Allied Force -- the name given to NATO's air campaign against Yugoslavia -- is made up of American personnel, the total number of the men and women involved is only 33,600.

Consequently, just a few tens of thousands of copies of the expeditionary medal would be required to decorate the Americans involved.

However, at least 200,000 copies would have to be on hand if a ground invasion of Kosovo were to be launched. That's because military experts have estimated that a force of 200,000 troops is necessary to successfully expel Serb forces from the province and create a safe environment for some 750,000 Kosovar-Albanian refugees to return to their homes.

The paradox is that Bill Clinton, U.S. president, has consistently opposed any call to launch a ground invasion. So the question being asked is: Why are so many medals on order?

"It seems very suspicious," said a source with knowledge of the order. "There is a rather large contract for 200,000 medals marked Armed Forces Expeditionary. People who are over in Kosovo would be eligible for this medal."

Contracts for both the expeditionary medal and the Purple Hearts have been signed with Graco Industries, a leading manufacturer of medals and service ribbons that is based in Tomball, Texas.

Lee Graves, owner of the company, refused to personally comment on the contracts, but confirmed through his secretary that the one for Purple Hearts exists and is for 9,000 copies. Each will be sold for $5.35 (US) to the U.S. government.

The source revealed that the expeditionary medal was ordered "some time ago" and that early copies are already being delivered. However, it was revealed recently that preliminary plans for a ground invasion of Kosovo also existed many months ago.

The tender for the Purple Hearts contract was issued April 15 -- just three weeks and a day after NATO began bombing Yugoslavia. Graco won the contract earlier this week. Delivery will begin in November and the contract will be fulfilled by April.

"The purchase (of the Purple Hearts) is not associated with the conflict in Kosovo," said Frank Johnson, a spokesman for the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia, which outfits the entire U.S. military with food, clothing and industrial supplies. "We had only 6,700 left, so we needed to buy more to maintain an adequate supply.

Mr. Johnson said he was "unaware" of any medal having been ordered specifically to present to troops involved in the Kosovo conflict.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), June 01, 1999

Answers

Hi Andy,

this is another one of those instances of someone writing about something they don't understand - the Dept of Defense orders medals struck in large quantities, and then just keeps them until they're all used up. The AFE is not specific to the Balkans.

If they try to make this much to-do about a reorder of the AFE, I can hardly wait to see what happens the next time the government reorders Medals of Honor!

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), June 01, 1999.

Arlin, The purple hearts to be shipped at different times upto, and including, FEB. 2000.

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), June 01, 1999.

I tend to agree with Arlin on this one. A lot of those medals will be purchased in the future by active duty military personell who have already been awarded those honors.

They are responsible for keeping themselves "squared away" and part of that is keeping their issue of uniforms (and medals) properly maintained.

-- Clyde (clydes_place@hotmail.com), June 01, 1999.

Arlin's right. Let's hope no one gets their knickers in a twist over this order for the AFEM, since it was to be expected.

From VFW Magazine, May, 1999, p.47:

"AFEM Finally Approved for Bosnia Vets

The prestigious Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is now official for some veterans of Bosnia. Total eligibles could number 50,000.

The Pentagon approved the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) for veterans of two operations in the Balkans between 1995 and 1998.

Eligibility areas include Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, their respective airspaces and the Adriatic Sea.

( specific eligibility requirements are cited and then the article continues with: )

A proposal for the award was written by Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-N.Y.) into the 1998 Defense Authorization bill, which was approved by Congress on Nov. 6, 1997. President Clinton then signed it into law 12 days later."

[Hardliner again]

Typically, the list of eligible dates and military units will be expanded as time goes on, and the 50,000 eligibles cited above should be viewed as only a start. You must remember also, that the "peacekeeping" forces consist of individuals who rotate in and out, according to many different criteria and entire units which also rotate. All of these guys will eventually be eligible for the medal.

It is likely that the US servicemen who eventually end up in Kosovo as "peacekeepers" or otherwise will also be eligible, but as Arlin quite accurately pointed out, the AFEM is not specific to the Balkans. The AFEM is a campaign medal, which is awarded to all participants of a particular operation as opposed to a personal decoration such as the Silver Star or Purple Heart medals which are awarded to individuals for particular acts or (in the case of the Purple Heart) wounds sustained in combat.

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), June 01, 1999.