Under, how do you feel about the admin clerk who never leaves Bagram (or even Al Udied, if that's an eligible location) getting an award that ranks higher than a Purple Heart?

You've got no issue with an NCO who processes awards getting the same medal as those in direct combat action or a higher medal than a purple heart, but this one gets you spun up?

BTW, it's above the Bronze Star. The DoD provides no separation between the w/ V and w/o V, but everyone else does. Of those three airmen on stage in that Charleston link I posted, were their medals equivalent - yes. Were their actions to get the medal equivalent - no. How about if the EOD guy would have been awarded the w/ V device, would their three medals been equivalent? To the DoD - yes, to you - no. We all know that the V is a distinguisher regardless of recognition by the DoD. Since the new medal is ineligible for the V without direct combat action, why the manufactured concern? No casual observer would ever confuse the actions of the wearer of the new medal with the actions of the wearer of a Bronze Star w/ V.