Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 2/2/2008

Question
I have a friend who enlisted in the Army last year, but due to problems with her body she's getting a Medical discharge while still in Basic. She claims she has received an Army Achievement Medal while she was in training. Can this be possible? I have never heard of recruits getting an Army Achievement Medal when I was in OSUT in 2000 and 2005.

Answer
Dear Brendan --

It is highly unlikely that any recruit earned an Army Achievement Medal during basic training.  However it is not impossible.

If she was held over as a "blackbird" because her injury did not allow her to continue basic training, but the doctors thought she would recover, her training company could have used her skills as an office clerk, or on a special project.  Either of those activities, if extremely well done, could have earned her an AAM.  It is also possible that she behaved an an exceptional manner and helped someone in a unique way, and earned the award.

Soldiers that go on a recruiting visit to their home towns between basic training and AIT are sometimes awarded medals, if they made a lot of contacts, and really helped Army recruiting.

If you really want to know, ask her what she did to earn her medal.  She should be able to tell you.  

Good luck to both of you.