The movie example was just that, an example. Build your own cyber example if you'd like.

The Legion of Merit is less appropriate than the Bronze Star as there is no relation to combat and the LoM is usually reserved for flag officers. Hence, the requirement for a new medal, unless you want a cyber guy to wear a Bronze Star? Your call.

Back to the devaluation argument:

In one example, we have a medal that is being newly created, with no inference of flight ops, with no inference of direct combat action, and without even an inference of a deployment built into the criteria.

In a second example, we have Air Medals (a medal that infers extraordinary achievement or efforts to most) given out for sortie counts alone, nothing distinguishing required.

In a third example, we have Bronze Stars (a medal that infers some distinguishing combat service to most) being given for processing awards packages

Your theory is the first example is the most damaging to the value of your Air Medal or Bronze Star?

I hate to break it to you, but the value of an award is influenced by the lowest threshold for which it is awarded, hence the requirement for criteria or standards. I don't care what that citation that Gunship referred to said or why the individual received the award, the guy standing next to him got his for his sortie count. That's now what that medal is worth.

You see, the way it works is that when people see your medal, they attribute what you had to do to get that medal with what the lowest action someone else took to get the same medal. Unless you carry your citation around with you, no one knows the difference. Your MSM does not deflate the value of my small arms ribbon. However; if they give you a small arms ribbon for nothing more than holding the gun, then your small arms ribbon WOULD devalue mine.

Feel free to actually articulate with real logic how their completely separate and distinct medal devalues yours.

Participation medals are worthless, and based on the lowest common denominator, the Air Medal and Bronze Star are now participation medals. Regardless of what you say the medal "could" be awarded for, I'll focus on what they "are" awarded for. Don't try to blame that devaluation of your new medal on this new medal, I already scoffed your Air Medal years before they announced this new medal.