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From our forums

FBI: Former Marine’s Silver Star a fraud

I’m angered that a Web site would just allow people to purchase awards certificates. Do they have no checking system?

— Seasons

Do you have any idea how many people out there don’t have a copy of their DD 214 — much less citations? This is a for-profit group. The solution would be for the Defense Department to offer replacements for certain awards.

— ringjamesa

Fitrep foibles

I hate, HATE the fitrep system we have in place. I just received, yet again, a fitrep signed by both the reporting senior and reviewing officer without so much as a spoken word from them. The comments are great, but there’s no way of knowing if the actual markings match what the words say. This system was designed to alleviate inflated fitness reports, but it hasn’t done that at all. I long for the old paper fitreps that had to be signed by the Marine being reported on saying he read the report and was counseled.

— SSgtB1990

Our system is not perfect and could always be improved in one way or another. We should be thankful for it, though. My last command was in a joint environment, and without a doubt our system is far better than anything the other services have in place.

The Army lets everyone have a hack at your evaluation. The Air Force has a jacked-up system where spaces, code words and punctuation all have hidden meaning. One senior enlisted airman railed against their evaluation system one day, then later gave a class on how to give a glowing report for airmen so you wouldn’t “ruin their careers.”

— Gunny P

Ties between North Korea, Iran, Venezuela

Is anyone concerned that North Korea is testing nukes and missiles, then sharing this information with Iran? Both have ties to Venezuela as well, which could put North America in the crosshairs for a nuclear strike using the current technology these three countries posses. I fear not only a new nuclear arms race, but that the Iranian government will not respect our Cold War bluff of mutually assured destruction as the USSR did.

— DAG48