While I spent most of a four-year term in the U.S. Air Force back in the 80s, i have zero direct experience with "recognition at high levels." But my sense (from reading about it casually) is that - with the possible exception of the very highest level like the Congressional Medal of Honor - a lot of awards were suffering from . . . for lack of a better term . . . value creep. In other words, events which would have gone without award in WWI or WWII - e.g. just something you were expected to do - now rated recognition, while those which would have rated a lower level of recognition in earlier conflict now rated a comparatively higher level. The process behind conferring such awards were also bureaucratically quite complex, with formal investigations being conducted and political pull being heavily involved, particularly for officers.

On the other hand, recognition at LOW levels (length of service, meritorious unit, campaign participation, etc) was automatically noted in your personnel file and the recipient wouldn't necessarily even be aware of these unless he actively checked his file.