Pentagon To Review Controversial New "Nintendo" Medal

I feel that Nintendo should get in on the emerging UAV drone market.

Thanks for getting me to do an unnecessary Spit Take, people.

("Spit Take" - see Tv Tropes article)

It should be downgraded. There's a big difference between sitting behind a computer screen blowing up folks and getting into the middle of a firefight.

But hey, it's the internet, no sense arguing here.

I'm a 8 year military veteran myself and I've heard about the "Nintendo medal" for years. The Armed Forced was simply paying homage to the most innovative console in history. It wasn't meant to be taken out of context like this. I don't really have an opinion about where it should be placed. Obviously receiving a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, or even the Medal of Honor means that the uniformed member has went above and beyond the call of duty (No pun intended) and has saved lives whilst completing their mission. Most to all who have either of these medals have lost a part of them that can't continue their service. So I guess now that I'm writing this...the medal should be placed much lower. A fight on the ground is worldly different than those who sit at the desk. TRUST ME!

I don't mean to go on about it, I just want those who aren't informed...to get informed to understand a bit more. Nintendo is and always will be a favorite console of all time.

I agree with Rafie — I know and have known many wounded and mentally traumatized veterans, and i think i would honestly be ashamed if I were a drone operator or someone behind a computer to be handed an award that carries more weight than the one another person was given for sacrifices they made on the ground. I'm not opposed to people being given medals, i couldn't care less what drone operators and pencil-pushers do to keep morale up in their ranks, but in no way do i feel their skill at flying these things or a decent idea that panned out nicely outweighs the courage and sacrifice of someone who was on the ground in the middle of a fight.

As for Nintendo being involved, I'm sure they're pretty annoyed to be brought into the middle of something they have absolutely no control over, but nicknames are nicknames, and it'll probably be around for a long time.

So they are no argumenting about the name, but about the relevance over other medals?

OH, good, more rewards for killing people, for a second there I thought there weren't going to be enough. Silly me.

Well they not only "save" countless of lives...

Downgrade the medal.

Although I don't have an opinion about where the medal should be placed, it is an interesting topic.

I'm not sure if this medal should be downgraded or not because the fact that it's not just for peeps on the computer. The Nintendo medal is just a nickname if you get the Distinguished Warfare medal by being a tech-wiz*.

I know many people's argument is that people risk themselves in the battlefield get lower medals than the people on the computer, but programming drones isn't a simple task.

My thoughts on it is to downgrade it, but only to the point to be equal with the other medals. If they're all are serving our country and doing great things, what makes on better than the other. What makes a programmer who slaves away at the computer work any harder than someone who goes into the battlefield? And vice-versa.

*Perhaps they should just make the Nintendo medal a medal itself, so that the other troops that go into the battlefield and get this medal awarded more? What do you think guys?

Sorry, how vile and disgusting is this? "Save" lives, how about "taking" them (and I'm talking about civilians ffs). Also there is controversy over legality of drones anyway. Feel sorry for Nintendo being sullied like this. Pathetically stupid.

Personally, seeing as human contact leads to nothing but violence, discord, and madness, I think we should somehow separate each country from each other (nukes or something) and artificially push then as far from each other as possible. Afterwards, each country puts artificial life forms around another country to prevent them from establishing contact with each other, shooting humans dead on sight at the threat of escape.

Even if humanity's problems won't be solved immediately, I can only foresee a better future a century or two down the line, in a society revolving around its own population instead of engaging war with one another. The deeds of mankind sicken me. Nothing but war ensues from contact between humans, so better erase all crossroads between the people.

Of course it should be downgraded.

First off, @Rafie thank you for your service to our country!

Secondly, not to say that piloting a drone isn't hard and stressful, but I think that someone who does something heroic in harms way deserves to be placed higher than someone who controls a drone..

I'm not saying that this sort of medal should be place above others that reward soldiers for service on the battlefield, but I don't think that means drone pilots don't deserve any respect and should be treated as pencil pushers. Drone piloting is a 4 year college degree for a reason: it's actually fairly complex (nothing like piloting a video game plane) and high risk. Without the most precise movements it can cost the military a lot of money in damages or, worse, innocent lives. They're playing with weaponry, not everyone should be given so much responsibility, and any casualties, even intended ones, are deaths that the individual has to face were caused by their hands. Sure, they aren't risking their lives, but they do have immense responsibilities and I think they do deserve to be recognized. Don't necessarily put these medals above those given to soldiers who have fought in battle, but still give them your respect. They give more than most people assume.

@HeatBombastic: These sorts of medals aren't achievements to be unlocked, they're awards for service above and beyond the call of duty. No offense, but I think an officially-named 'Nintendo' medal would be a horrible idea, and if they did follow through with such a thing I'd think Nintendo would be well within their rights to sue to have it changed to something else. Nintendo has always gone out of their way to keep their public image in the realm of good family fun, not politics and the horrors of war. :/

Just another reason for me to dislike out current administration in America.

Now if the building was being attacked and they continued their mission it would make sense. Not saying that knowing that you have killed people with a touch of a button is easy, but it's alot different than getting shot at and defending fellow soldiers lives.

Next Congress will get medals because they "helped " make decisions. ...

I blame Xbox and Playstation for having to many fps games. They should be banned from homes

Beside (our presumed) distress Nintendo has over their branding, isn't the nickname a little rude to the operators?

I've seen videos of drones being controlled by 360 pads. And I've read reports that describe the use of wii remotes with robotic bomb disarmers.

@Ark_Sin Wow, don't you think that's a tad extreme?

Thumbs up to Rafie

I have a good friend who lost his left arm below the elbow and suffered permanent nerve damage during his deployment in Afghanistan. Needless to say when he heard about this he wasn't too amused.

I think it is still something to be awarded for, but not above physical combat (only term I can think of) medals. While drone piloting would be very mentally painful, you're probably not risking losing limbs or your life. However, drone pilots do get a better look at the detestation they just caused.

The funny thing about this topic is Nintendo doesn't even make warfare games but their name is so well known it got chosen over Xbox 360, Activation, and EA, who DO make warfare games.

Nintendo actually does make games about warfare. Advance Wars, anyone?

This honestly has nothing to do with anything. Medalling people for doing stuff in wars is dumb too Stop wars.

Honestly, it should be downgraded. It doesn't really have anything to do with nintendo other than the name.

I think the medal should definitely be downgraded. But I do think it is relevant and it would be good for people on this blog commenting that it's nonsense to fully understand what these soldiers (yes, they're still soldiers) go through. A lot of people don't realize the mental as well as physical demands placed on remote operators. They are still soldiers and they deal in real death. They take it to bed with them whether they want to or not. They are witness to the death and destruction en mass that their payloads deal in a way that even soldiers on the ground often do not see. The closest to compare would be that of a real pilot. A lot of these drone pilots also have a very difficult time in relating with the simplisity in which they kill and the finality of their actions. This can be very traumatic and a lot of these soldiers also suffer post traumatic syndroms like the men and women with boots on the floor. Just a different varietly.

And they do save a crap load of lives as well. I think you'd have a hard time convincing a grunt on the ground who has been dug in for 12 hours with bullets picking off his squad mates left and right, down to his last clip, if the guy or girl expertly piloting that drone who just blew a hole in the blockcade allowing his escape didn't deserve recognition.

Yes, it should be downgraded. But it's still relevant. Those soldiers take a lot of burden onto their shoulders each night. Their casualties may not be missing limbs or death but their caualties are often fractured minds and tarnished souls. They do their part and deserve recognition as well.

Couldn't have said it better Five-seveN! A very good way of putting it to someone who probably has years ahead of his or her life to learn this for themselves as well.

My brother is a Marine who has seen multiple deployments. Operating a Drone is not the same as being a grunt. The hardships and trauma as drone operator are not nearly as dramatic as that of a grunt's. This medal should definitely be downgraded.

Definitely downgrade it. The fact that it's higher than a purple heart is frankly appalling.

@SMEXIZELDAMAN The U.S military (most militarys really) doesn't start any wars. War is declared upon a nation or politicians start it. Why should the men who valiantly fight for there country to protect its citizens not be reckonized for there service. Not giving medals would do nothing to stop war and simply not give the reckonition they deserve to the men who sacrifice so much or everything so you can be safe.

So, can we at least try and keep this comments section from going down in flames?

@AcesHigh Exactly what I meant, except you probably worded it better. The worst part is that these drone operators are often not included as one of the soldiers who are sacrificing themselves. They may not sacrifice their body, but they sacrifice their minds, they have to deal with knowing they have taken lives, and the exclusion of acknowledging their value can leave them to feel even more alone, especially after they come back from war and everyone is trying to help the other soldiers readjust and not considering that these men and women too must readjust and overcome what they've seen and done. I'm not saying these medals should be any higher than those for the ones who sacrifice their lives, but they still deserve recognition and respect.

Why has this been published on NintendoLife? It's completely irrelevant to videogames, as the comment section proves. The name "Nintendo Medal" is totally arbitrary, and could as easily have been the Playstation Medal or Xbox Medal.

This is not even about the fact that it's called the Nintendo Medal. It's about politics within the military. Unless Nintendo comments on the nickname, it's irrelevant, and even then it would only be tangentially relevant. Really disappointed in NintendoLife for publishing this.

Well... I was going to say something, but I think my opinions on these issues are very much at odds with most others here. There you go, +10 XP for thinking 'aloud'. Carry on..

@ Stipey

Being a bit oversensitive I think. It was dubbed 'The Nintendo Medal' NOT the 'XBox' or 'Playstation' medal, therefore it has relevance to discussions related to Nintendo.

Gosh.

Drone strikes on a Nintendo site.

Defending drone strikes on a Nintendo site.

Oh deary me.

Oh gods, I didn't realise there was an Arwing photoshopped into that picture of a drone.

Why???

ShadJV. Totally agree! The thing is, most of the people on his blog haven't lived long enough our endured enough mental strain and anguish to know that pain comes in more forms than physical. As soon as they hit the real world and have to make decisions that have serious reprecussions on themselves and others, reality will hit real quick and they'll understand. For now I guess we're just here to give some levity to whats already put there.

@LEGEND_MARIOID #11
Please keep such opinions to yourself. America actually has one of the kindest militaries out there. If we were such civilian killers, then children and women with bombs on them wouldn't have been such a problem in the Middle East. Our soldiers would stop for these women and children at roads and even offer aid only to get blown up.

Stipey, sometimes its ok to learn something when you weren't expecting it!

@grimbldoo

Drone strikes kill civilians. That is a stone cold fact. The dispute is over how many, with the US government claiming only single digits, whilst other evidence suggests hundreds of civilian deaths.

Somebody said this once but: can we not prove how much we love war on this topic at least? I know for one that I tend to fire arguments but please, at least on the subject of REAL warfare... can we not do that?

@Ark_Sin Think about that a little more. Do you really think that just because people are under the same banner of a country, with the few million of them separated from the rest of the world, they wouldn't find something to disagree on? Civil wars do exist you know.

@hamispink
I wonder if any countries had those within the last few centuries >_>.

I echo the sentiments of many here - why is this on NL?

For a site that's so scared to have discussions of religion, sex and politics on it, this is a strange and out-of-character choice. Not to mention that it has nothing at all to do with video games bar the nickname.