Combat Infantryman Badge
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The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is an award of the United States Army which is presented to those officers and soldiers, in the grade of Colonel and below, who participate in active ground combat while assigned as a member of an infantry or special forces unit, brigade or smaller size, during any period subsequent to December 6, 1941. It, and the simultaneously created Expert Infantryman Badge were created with the primary goal of recognizing the sacrifices of the infantrymen who were disproportinately likely to be killed or wounded during World War II.
A primary requirement for the award of the Combat Infantryman Badge is that the recipient must hold an infantry or special forces military occupational specialty; for all other Army personnel a special order must be issued to authorize the award of the CIB to non-Infantry personnel.
The Combat Infantryman Badge may be bestowed more than once for those who participated in multiple conflicts or combat zones. Additional awards of the CIB are denoted by stars centered above the decoration. However, subsequent to 1969, multiple awards are awarded only for specified conflicts. This is commonly referred to as the "decade rule", and is thought to be an attempt to limit the number of multiple awardees by allowing only one award of the CIB per decade. The most prominent example of this restriction are the nearly-sequential campaigns in Panama and Kuwait, where soldiers who earned the CIB in Panama were not allowed to receive a second award for participation in Operation Desert Storm
In 1947, a policy was implemented that authorized the retroactive award of the Bronze Star Medal to soldiers who had received the Combat Infantryman Badge during World War II. The basis for doing this was that the CIB was awarded only to soldiers who had borne combat duties befitting the Bronze Star Medal and also that both awards required a recommendation by the commander and a citation in orders.
The Combat Infantryman Badge is easily one of the most recognizable Army badges and is considered a “badge of honor” in that those who are awarded the decoration have participated in direct combat with an enemy force. The badge is similar in appearance to the Expert Infantryman Badge which is a recognition of infantry skills, rather than combat participation.
A Combat Medical Badge also exists for those medical personnel who serve in front line combat medic roles. In 2005, the Combat Action Badge was created to recognize service in combat by those Army personnel who would not otherwise qualify for the Combat Infantryman Badge.
See also: Military badges of the United States
External links
- Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia (http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r670_1.pdf)
- Military Awards (U.S. Army) (http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_8_22.pdf)