(NEWSER) – The Pentagon's new medal for drone operators has sparked a backlash from veterans whose medals were earned on the battlefield but are ranked lower than the Distinguished Warfare Medal, the Military Times reports.
The new medal is higher in the military's "order of precedence" than the Bronze Star, awarded for heroic conduct on the battlefield, and the Purple Heart, for troops injured in battle. "To rank what is basically an award for meritorious service higher than any award for heroism is degrading and insulting to every American combat soldier, airman, sailor, or Marine who risks his or her life and endures the daily rigors of combat in a hostile environment," the Military Order of the Purple Heart said in a statement.
