DoD mints new medal for drone pilots and cyber warriors

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/02/dod-mints-new-medal-for-drone-pilots-and-cyber-warriors/

By Sean Gallagher
Ars Technica
Feb 13 2013

The Department of Defense announced the creation of a new medal to honor the 
actions of members of the military who directly affect the course of battle 
without physically being there—in other words, drone pilots, cyber warfare 
experts, and other remote warriors.

The Distinguished Warfare Medal "will be awarded in the name of the secretary 
of defense to service members whose extraordinary achievements, regardless of 
their distance to the traditional combat theater, deserve distinct 
department-wide recognition," a spokesperson for the Department of Defense said 
in a release announcing the new decoration.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta authorized the new medal. "I have seen 
first-hand how modern tools like remotely piloted platforms and cyber systems 
have changed the way wars can be fought," he said in a statement. "We should 
also have the ability to honor extraordinary actions that make a true 
difference in combat operations, even if those actions are physically removed 
from the fight."

The DWM is one notch below a Distinguished Flying Cross in terms of order of 
precedence. It will be awarded for "actions in any domain" that effect the 
outcome of a military operation not involving personal acts of bravery.

[...]

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