The "Cool" Bad Lawyer in the Navy: Myth vs Reality

Maybe...just maybe...this explains why all those douche canoes in my unit got NAMs...just kidding. But for real, how does it work where, as an attorney, you lose a case in the most bonkers and ridiculous way then get a NAM for it?Several attorneys assigned to the Eddie Gallagher case as part of the prosecution team were awarded Navy Achievement Medals (NAMs) for their role in the prosecution, three dudes whose names we know (Scott I. McDonald, Brian P. John, and George O. Hageman) and one lady whose name was withheld/redacted. The awards were presented less than two weeks after the team got shat on and lost their case.It must be cool to be a bad lawyer in the Navy. We can only imagine the Navy JAG talking to his sailors and Marines before the trial for Eddie Gallagher.

"Here is this high profile case, don't worry about crossing your t's or dotting your i's, just you know, do whatever and we're still gonna give you a Navy Achievement Medal. Yes Steven, even if you FUBAR it, you're still getting a NAM."

We wonder how that would work in other high profile job professions.What are we gonna start doing, handing out the Nobel Peace Prize for people who start wars? Oh, wait...already did that...(if you know you know). Are people going to fire Bill Belicheck and hire Jeff Fisher or Hue Jackson? Are the Marines who got caught smuggling people and drugs going to get Good Conduct Medals for this three year period? Is the entire 2nd Marine Division going to get a Presidential Unit Citation for all their "good" behavior this year?We know some of these examples are mildly humorous, but seriously, HOW do you violate both the 4th and 6th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and get awarded a Navy Achievement Medal? Was there an office pool that they won, seeing how close they could get to disbarment without actually getting disbarred?