Army to Issue Combat Badge For Soldiers Not in Infantry (incl. women)

Washington Post:
Army to Issue Combat Badge For Soldiers Not in Infantry

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 5, 2005; Page A23


Any Army soldier who has seen active combat while in Iraq or Afghanistan may now receive a new "Combat Action Badge," making tens of thousands of soldiers who are not in the infantry ranks -- including women -- eligible for a combat award for the first time.

The new award, which the Army announced yesterday, means that the thousands of soldiers who are exposed to enemy action but are not officially in combat roles can earn a prestigious badge for being involved in the fight. Army officials said the badge was designed to honor soldiers such as military police, truck drivers and fuel specialists who face perilous situations while doing their jobs in the ongoing wars.

"It recognizes that in the current realities of the battlefield, an insurgency, any soldier could be subject to a combat situation," said Col. Joseph Curtin, an Army spokesman. "It's going to be a tremendous morale booster to soldiers."

The Army has not designed or chosen colors for the badge, which would be worn above the left pocket of a soldier's dress uniform. The badges should begin appearing in military clothing stores by the end of the summer.

The badge is the first non-medical combat distinction to honor women who are caught in battle during U.S. wars, largely because women are not assigned to frontline combat duties....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/04/AR2005050402147.html

There is no front line. They have no control over the situation. Any US forces anywhere within Iraq are targets and just breathing is an act worthy of a medal.

The Bush military gives out medals to everyone in the hope that they'll re-enlist.

The infantry is in the battle every day, and earn their CIBs. Now, clerks, jerks, and spoons who fire a shot in anger get one too.

Just more of Bush's systematic destruction of our military and its traditions.

Just MHO.

But I bet Wolfowitz, Rummy, and all the rest of the high level boys who did a quick fly-in and back out will get one too.

in the states flying into Iraq and back out to get one.


I remember when we were originally suppose to be invading Haiti in 94, it was going to be an Airborne operation. Our specific mission was to secure a DZ so a C-130 full of freaking commisioned officers could jump in and get their gold star, the bird would then land and take them back to the states.

One of the biggest :wtf: I saw in my time in.

thanks for sharing your inside experience.

northern Iraq at the begining of the invasion. But then they area would of probaly still been considered "too hot" for them to feel safe. We were expecting very little resistance.

The funny / sad thing is that the night before the operation was a go, there were these officers all over GITMO which is where we were prepped to go in from. Then after it was called off they all went *poof* back to the states.

The CIB is/was for troops who took the fight to the enemy.

"There are basically three requirements for award of the CIB. The soldier must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties, must be assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and must actively participate in such ground combat. Campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the CIB."

http://www.americal.org/awards/cib.htm

Sounds like this new badge is just for soldiers who get attacked, but make it through without being wounded.

I have to admit I felt a little jaded about it, not being a 11 series but still seeing combat. But I still have respect for it.

....The Combat Infantry Badge (silver crossed rifles worn above the left pocket) is among grunts the highest mark of distinction...you could have dozens of medals and ribbons (and most OFFICERS and lifer NCOs do) but in the words of a drafted combat Viet Vet (my brother) if you don't have the CIB, you ain't shit...The CIB is awarded to infantry soldiers who have been under direct enemy fire. This is one more "feelgood" move like passing out black berets to every clerk,jerk and remf...more Bush BULLSHIT..

man that is still a sore spot here too :grr: :grr: :banghead:

Least now I can say "in my time you had to earn your beret"

"former Ranger Ken Johnson compared making black berets standard issue to giving a degree to someone who didn't attend college."

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/01/22/loc_local_army_rangers.html

Back in my army days it was a single musket-rifle on a blue (Infantry) background. Oh, Combat Engineers were awarded them, too.

...You are correct...not having EARNED such a prestigious award I tried to recall from memory since I couldn't go look...my bad..

wreath. An infantry soldier can get a badge similar to CIB without the wreath just by taking a test and not being in combat.. By the way I have many awards including several for valor but I am most proud of my CIB. It is worn above all other awards including the Medal of Honor...

Amazing what you can learn on one of the internets.

The Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) is a proficiency badge and is not awarded for combat action. The Blue metal badge with the silver rifle in the center without the silver wreath is NOT in any way connected to any type of combat action. You had to be an E-4 or above NCO and be selected to take to take the course. It is a very intense course for infantry MOS's and only a few out of the class reach scores or grades high enough to earn the badge (around 10%). The Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) is worn below all ribbons on the left breast pocket, and above all marksmanship awards and can be worn at same time as CIB.

...when I accidentally came under fire...

On edit:This is NOT to belittle the experiences of those exposed to hostile action but rather to protest the willful cheapening of an award designed to honor those who signed up or were assign to go shoot and scoot for a living...A seperate "I got shot at ribbon" would be more appropriate...

And hammers home the Geneva Convention to his unit on a weekly basis. He's frequently shot at, while trying to save a life - Iraqi or American, it does not matter to R.

He's been agitating for his Combat Medic badge for the last year, but since he's attached to a support unit instead of an infantry unit, he has been denied it.

He'll be pleased.

Right now we have two combat badges: the Combat Infantry Badge and the Combat Medical Badge.

A Combat Infantry Badge is awarded to an infantryman (MOS 11B Infantryman, 11C Mortarman, 11H Heavy Antiarmor Infantryman, or 11M Bradley Fighting Vehicle Infantryman) or a Special Forces soldier (CMF 18-series MOS) who goes into combat against an enemy.

A Combat Medical Badge is awarded to a medic who goes into combat against an enemy with an infantry unit.

If you are a Cavalry Trooper (MOS 19D) in the 82nd Airborne Division and you go into combat against an enemy, you will fight as hard, for as long and suffer the exact same risks and hardships as the 11B soldiers. You will not, however, receive the Combat Infantry Badge because--ta da!--you're not in the infantry.

The medics who went into combat alongside you won't receive the CMB because they're not supporting the infantry.

The engineers, whose job description includes the phrase "fight as infantry," don't have a badge either.

A LOT of jobs in the Army don't have a Direct Combat Probability Code--the whole intent of those jobs is to trade fire with the enemy. If they can keep this badge exclusive to those slots, great.

I have no idea that 18 series were eligible for it. We did have folks in my unit that had CIBs but I thought they earned them before they went through Selection / Q course.


I agree with you though, it could be a good thing if they can keep an inflation cap on it and not belittle the CIB and CMB.

We're talking 20-something guys who aren't old enough to have been shot at before they went to the Q course.

Course it had just been re-activated a year when I arrived, but we always would joke about how 3rd was the retirement center for SFCOM.

The Army has way too many badges, patches, etc. on their uniforms.
(P.S. I didn't invent this idea, I'm just telling you about it. No letter bombs, please!)

always was curious that you guys didn't even have a name patch on your BDUs, fact closest thing I saw to a patch was like a little red square when I was in Airborne school with a bunch of Marines (thinkin that meant they were Recon?)