I'll add some more perspective to what Xtracurricular just said...

For the Navy it has become common to give out a set number of awards for each deployment. For example, let's says a ship fo 500 men gets 10 Navy Commendation Medals and 40 Navy Achievement Medals. The Battle Group Commander's and CO's love to present the awards right before returning home so that the sailors are wearing their new medals when the ship pulls in on day 180....probably a good notion...

BUT! Add in the classic bureaucracy (read: time lapse) with awarding medals and the junior officers and chiefs find themselves writing awards for events that have not even happened!

...So they write, "Fireman Timmy defecated tiffany cufflinks while running backwards at full speed during Operation JOINT HANDJOB OCT-NOV '03. Unlike other Fireman, Timmy's cufflinks were also presented in a decorative wrapping. His performance is clearly in accordance with the highest naval tradtions..."

...in August before the exercise even happens.

There was a long letter to the editor of the Navy Times written by a chief who put in a sailor for an award who had not yet reported aboard the ship. Naturally, the command denied it arguing that the kid was not even onboard yet. The chief argued that he knew the kid from a previous command and that he was a better sailor than the others in the division...clearly he would perform in such a manner during the upcoming exercise (of which he would be aboard for) that he would deserve the award!

Medals have become watered down as a result of all the stuff written on this post. IT reminds me of a story that I heard about a reunion of 101st (Army guys forgive me if I get this one wrong) ....as the tale goes a young 101 trooper proudly addresses an older guy with a pot-belly.

"I have five hundred jumps."
"Wow, that's impressive," says the older gent.
"Uh, how many do you have?"
"Well, after my first five qualifying jumps, only two."
(Sheepishly) "Oh."
"Yeah, D-Day and Market Garden."