After getting flak from all directions—including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and members of Congress—the Defense Department has pulled the plug on a proposed medal of valor for drone operators and cyber warriors. The Distinguished Warfare Medal, which was announced two months ago by outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, was shelved by new Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on April 15.

The medal was intended to be awarded to members of the military engaged in cyber operations or in drone operations that saved the lives of those on the battlefield, going above and beyond the call of duty. The Distinguished Warfare Medal's "order of precedence"—its position in the ranking of decorations and how they are worn by those who receive them—placed its level of importance just below the Distinguished Flying Cross and just above the Bronze Star. Both of those medals are awarded for valor in actions on the battlefield and have frequently been awarded posthumously.

The medal was also to be ranked higher than the Purple Heart, awarded to those who have been wounded in battle. That consequence immediately drew the ire of the VFW, which launched an e-mail campaign to rally members behind House and Senate legislation to kill the award—largely because of a perception that it honored people off the battlefield at a higher level than those on it. "The VFW adamantly believes that medals that can only be earned in combat must rank higher than new medals awarded in the rear!" wrote John E. Hamilton, the commander-in-chief of the VFW in a March 9 e-mail.

But the outrage wasn't universal. One current service member involved in cyber operations who received the VFW e-mail and shared it with Ars responded by pointing out the level of vetting the medal required to be awarded, which "requires approval from so far up the chain that the likelihood of it being issued when unjustified is virtually nil. Further, as laid out, this medal will be for people whose actions resulted DIRECTLY in saving American lives; not indirectly like fixing a Humvee that is then used to extract people, but directly preventing the loss of american lives beyond the normal call of their everyday job."

After a review of the medal ordered by Hagel, the Joint Chiefs of Staff determined that no new medal is needed. Instead, a special "device" will be authorized to be attached to existing medals, such as the Meritorious Service Medal or Army Commendation Medal, to indicate that the medal was awarded for drone or cyber operations. The DoD is now developing criteria for awarding the drone and cyber pins for those awards.