Queen's Diamond Jubilee Super Thread

[armyvern]

Despite the apparently large number of units or HQs that have chosen to ignore or bastardize the merit criteria guidance, I prefer our attempt at issuing a merit based medal as opposed to an all-or-none medal.  More times than not, one will be able to recognize the existence of merit behind the medal in our current approach.  In an all-or-none approach, the medal is simply meaningless everywhere.
Skimming from the unit PER ranking was also explicitly prohibited as a selection criteria.  It potentially rewards those of lesser merit who have climbed to the top of the ranking by outlasting everyone in rank, while it also penalizes others of high merit who were recently promoted and receiving a first or second PER in rank.
In Section 5, members are ranked within MOS (Note: Reg F & PRes are different MOS and are therefore never ranked against eachother in Sect 5).  In Section 6, members are ranked against everyone of the same rank across MOSs within the unit ... and for MWO, Capt & Maj that are signed at the Fmn level, the members should be ranked against everyone of the same rank across MOSs within the Bde/Wing/CTC.  If you do not get a Sect 6, your PER should not rank you outside of your MOS within your unit.

I'm the oldest person in this Unit.    I have to run with a bunch of 18-25 year old males.

And outlasting everyone has SFA to do with it, as I said in my original post, if your Unit does it's PERs properly IAW CFPAS directives : PERFORMANCE MERIT, not TI, not trade, not non-cbt arms vs cbt arms within etc. See my RCAF example also given below for "non merit based" determinations of rankings on PERs.

It's not an issue we have here that I have observed over my last 3 years.

Either way, our top 10 % of PERs deserved to be where they were based upon their performance:  they merited that ranking and were all deserving. They also ended up being proportionally representative of our language, gender profiles of totals.  Merit & proportional representation all in one. In a Unit this size (we are the largest 1st line Unit in Canada, and larger than a Svc Bn too), you have to start somewhere and that is exactly what we did. Oh, and this Unit doesn't do the fall to the bottom because you have less TIR than someone else either - you've only been a MCpl 10 months, but you're the best damn one in the Unit, then you rank number one. Here, we follow that performance based system (it is officially how it is supposed to be done after all).

 

[McG]

And outlasting everyone has SFA to do with it, as I said in my original post, if your Unit does it's PERs properly IAW CFPAS directives : PERFORMANCE MERIT, not TI, not trade, not non-cbt arms vs cbt arms within etc.

But it takes time to develop in rank and job.  A brand new MCpl who has mastered his new role within months of promotion is either being over represented in the PER, is underutilized in work not commensurate with the rank, or should have been promoted earlier.  That being said, by CFPAS, rankings should actually be derived from potential as opposed to performance.  Potential is one of those things that can start high when a member newly enters a rank, but even here it is extremely rare/unlikely to see someone start right off as Outstanding - Immediate (though a dot at Outstanding is well inside possible on a first PER in rank).  Normally, there is personal development & growth happening at each rank prior someone reaching that Outstanding level.

 

[Tank Troll]

But it takes time to develop in rank and job.  A brand new MCpl who has mastered his new role within months of promotion is either being over represented in the PER, is underutilized in work not commensurate with the rank, or should have been promoted earlier.  That being said, by CFPAS, rankings should actually be derived from potential as opposed to performance.  Potential is one of those things that can start high when a member newly enters a rank, but even here it is extremely rare/unlikely to see someone start right off as Outstanding - Immediate (though a dot at Outstanding is well inside possible on a first PER in rank).  Normally, there is personal development & growth happening at each rank prior someone reaching that Outstanding level.

What if that person has been doing the job of a Sgt as a Mcpl for a couple of years. They finally get promoted to Sgt and keep the same job use to happen often enough. That person knows what is needed to get the job done and done well, then they could get an outstanding PER on the first go. I was a Cpl for 14 years No promotion or pay raises (got love the 90s) then went from Cpl to WO in 5 and a half years. As far as Potential is concerned in 99 when signing my PER I was told I had no potential as I only had 6 years left till my 20 years was up and as a Cpl with no CLC / JNCO course I probable wouldn't get resigned, ten years after that I retired as a Sgt that was merited as immediate for promotion to WO so much for no Potential. For my work in standing up The Halifax Rifles and for my vollenteer work with minnor hockey and Cadets I was awarded the QDJM on the 3rd of October 2012.

 

[armyvern]

... For my work in standing up The Halifax Rifles and for my vollenteer work with minnor hockey and Cadets I was awarded the QDJM on the 3rd of October 2012.

Congratulations!! 

 

[Tank Troll]

Congratulations!! 

Thanks

 

[ArmyRick]

Tank Troll, did you do an ILP residency about a year ago? I think I may know you.

 

[Tank Troll]

March 2010

 

[gwp]

The Brit solution has the advantage of simplicity -- our approach did involve a considerable amount of effort, and the medals still haven't been awarded.

If the Brit benchmark of 5 years of service as of 6 Feb 2012 would result in more medals being awarded than we can afford, there is the option of increasing the years of service required until you reach the number of medals you have available to present. For example if the benchmark of 5 years of service results in too many medals being issued, and 15 years results in too few, award it to all those with 10 years of service... adjust as needed.

I prefer the British approach on this one to ours -- because I think that the Canadian honours and awards system is often needlessly complex, and when there is a choice between adding complexity and simplicity, I prefer simplicity. I'm sure that there were good reasons for our honours system to recognize 13 different campaign medals for service in the Former Yugoslavia over the last 20 years. I just would have preferred something simpler.

Seems that because the QDJM in Britian is a EBGO (Every Blokes Got One) some recipients are turning what they consider a minimal honour into big bucks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2135558/Cash-honours-Police-Forces-heroes-sell-Diamond-Jubilee-medals-eBay--just-days-awarded-Queen.html

http://tamebay.com/2012/05/the-true-value-of-the-queens-diamond-jubilee-medal.html

 

[Journeyman]

[From the link http://tamebay.com/2012/05/the-true-value-of-the-queens-diamond-jubilee-medal.html]

Selling values are currently around £100.00 for genuine Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medals, but if you’re not precious about buying an original you can also get a replica for about twenty quid on eBay.

:rofl:  ~whew~    I was wondering what the Frontiersmen and other Walts were going to do.

 

[misratah500]

I just hope they get this over with soon, so they can get back to issuing some campaign medals. Like say OP Mobile/Sirius and OP Caribbe that they owe me

 

[aesop081]

I just hope they get this over with soon, so they can get back to issuing some campaign medals. Like say OP Mobile/Sirius and OP Caribbe that they owe me

The OUP medal will be presented Mid-November (original date was October 31st) and the QDJM for the RCAF should be presented before Christmas leave. ****


**** As briefed by the RCAF CWO last night.

 

[misratah500]

Serious? The navy has said nothing on this? I assume they're going to do one big presentation at MARPAC/MARLANT/ZOOMIELAND. Why is the damn navy so in the dark about this?

 

[PuckChaser]

Serious? The navy has said nothing on this? I assume they're going to do one big presentation at MARPAC/MARLANT/ZOOMIELAND. Why is the damn navy so in the dark about this?

Too busy handing out Sea Service Insignia?

 

[misratah500]

Ha! Good one. They don't even do that anymore. You just print off a screen shot of your Sea days from monitor mass, head down to supply and a nice civie dude hands it to you. Then off to the tailors.

 

[eliminator]

The OUP medal will be presented Mid-November (original date was October 31st) and the QDJM for the RCAF should be presented before Christmas leave. ****


**** As briefed by the RCAF CWO last night.

My unit is handing out the OUP medals at the end of the month. I'm coming in on my leave to get it.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Too busy handing out Sea Service Insignia?

That and executive curls, buttons, baubles and bows it's hard for the poor fellas to keep on top of everything, don'tcha know

Maybe they should bring on the Quartermaster from the LoF. That lot seem to get it straight when it comes to bling ;D

 

[aesop081]

My unit is handing out the OUP medals at the end of the month. I'm coming in on my leave to get it.

It was supposed to be the same for date for everyone, October 31st. The RCAF CWO briefed yesterday at the WO & Sgts mess dinner, that the OUP medals would not likely be presented on that date as the intent is to do the medals presentations on the same day, Canada-wide.

Just passing on what the man said.

 

[eliminator]

It was supposed to be the same for date for everyone, October 31st. The RCAF CWO briefed yesterday at the WO & Sgts mess dinner, that the OUP medals would not likely be presented on that date as the intent is to do the medals presentations on the same day, Canada-wide.

Just passing on what the man said.

Yea, 31 Oct was the date that I was given. Hopefully it doesn't change, but if they made a RCAF wide decision to push the date then I suppose I'm at the mercy of the others.

It's too bad about the Libya medal, many people are disappointed not to get a "Canadian" medal (GCS/GSM/OSM,etc) , and now the delay is issuing the medals continues. The UK only decided on 24 Sep to allow the medal to be accepted/worn, and units have already received them.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/RafPersonnelFirstToReceiveOperationUnifiedProtectorMedals.htm

And getting back to the original topic of this thread, it's sad how long the QDJMs are taking to get issued to units. My dad received his medal though a civi organization months ago, and the local newspapers here have several groups awarding them to locals. Yet the CF waits and waits.

 

[jollyjacktar]

My unit is making presentations on Monday.  While I am sure they are all worthy of the recognition, I am shocked and frankly disappointed to see that Snr NCO's outnumber the lower decks in awards.

 

[dapaterson]

My unit is making presentations on Monday.  While I am sure they are all worthy of the recognition, I am shocked and frankly disappointed to see that Snr NCO's outnumber the lower decks in awards.

That's unusual, given that the allocation was weighted towards the lower decks.