Army Creates Medal for Troops Who Come Under Fire

NY Times ^ | February 13, 2005 | THOM SHANKER

[xm177e2]

If you get a medal for getting shot, I don't see why you shouldn't get a ribbon for getting shot at.

[Lokibob]

Not only that, but it distinguishes between the trooper on guard duty who comes under fire, and the trooper who goes after the bad guys.

[joedelta]

I believe that the CIB [Combat Infantryman's Badge] is for exposure to 24 consecutive hours of hostile fire.

Actually, the reg was for 6 months in a free-fire area. However, with the short durations of Power-Pack, Urgent Fury, Just Cause & Desert Shield, the 6 months was waived by Congress.

[Lokibob]

Not only that, but it distinguishes between the trooper on guard duty who comes under fire, and the trooper who goes after the bad guys.

[Feckless]

Or, in some of our cases, the Unit patch of the major theater headquarters when their unit had no patch. I was in a TDA unit in Desert Storm but wear (wore, when on AD) the 3rd Army patch on the right shoulder. Ours was the only TDA unit in Army history to be awarded the Valorous Unit Award.

[bethelgrad]

All this fuss is why I like the Marines way of awarding medals and ribbons---you don't get jack unless you really do something--and even then you might not get it!

[TADSLOS]

It will not be given to members of support units attacked while performing their missions, even though supply convoys have been a regular target of the insurgency in Iraq.

I submit that being caught in the kill zone of an ambush and fighting your way out of it is as close combat as you can get. The bad guys and their bullets don't give a damn if your a grunt, a cook or a mechanic, but our Army leadership does?.

Why should the Army come up with a close combat badge with specific criteria for earning it, then make a blanket discriminator that it's only eligible to those who serve in combat arms units? What happens when a female truck driver assigned to the FSC of a combat arms battalion gets caught up in a close combat situation? Is she more deserving now than her male counterpart in a truck company of a transportation battalion caught in similar circumstance? This has all the makings of the Army shooting itself in the foot at a time when it can ill afford to.

[CitizenHelper]

How about a badge, medal or ribbon for spouses, parents and children?

http://citizenshelpingheroes.org

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

Thats right.....MACV itself was very small, but many many thousands of Vn Vets wear/wore it after serving there. Come to think of it, the same was so for USARV.

A combat patch, combat hash marks, and combat theatre service/campaign ribbons are sufficient. We don't need a medal in addition to all of those!

[Ben Hecks]

"I submit that being caught in the kill zone of an ambush and fighting your way out of it is as close combat as you can get."

I agree and would suggest that the individuals who established the criteria for this award be given an option of riding from Baghdad to Fallugia in an M1A1 Abrams or a 5 ton S&P.

[PzLdr]

The CIB (Combat Infantryman's Badge) is restricted to Infantry soldiers, or non Infantry MOS troops serving in an infantry unit that comes under hostile fire. CIBs are not, and were not authorized for artillery, armor, armored cavalry, or any non-Infantry assigned troops engaged in combat with enemy forces.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

There is one medal that always commands repect, the "Combat Infantryman's Badge"

http://www.3ad.org/desertstorm/awards_badges/combat_badges/badge_cib.gif

[LegendHasIt]

In my day, ONLY guys with an Infantry (Primary) MOS (11 B etc.) could get a CIB.

Always kind of made me jealous that because I was Commo, I couldn't get one, even though I did all the same stuff the 11s did PLUS having additional responsibilities.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

The Army has so many new ribbons I can't keep up. A couple of years ago I hired a guy who's wife had his ribbons mounted in a shadow box. I asked what one was and he says it's for serving over seas ........ in Hawaii!!!

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

how long will it be until they establish a ribbon for not "telling", LOL?

[CDB]

See also:

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/badges/combat%20infantryman%20badges.htm

"The complete criteria for each area and inclusive dates are listed in Army Regulation 600-8-22."

Personally, I like the combat patch on the right shoulder, but like someone who posted said, there's always a "powerpoint ranger" who wants to tell his grandson that he didn't "shovel sh*t in Louisiana."

[fso301]

...such as truck drivers.I'd hope such badge requires more than that.

[semaj]

I always considered close combat to involve hand-to-hand.

[Ben Hecks]

I failed to use the sarcasm tag. I would not minimize the risks that truck drivers have faced in Iraq, however. From accounts, we have had a significant number of casualties from roadside IEDs and conventional attacks on convoys. Given a choice, I would ride in a Bradley rather than the cab of a 5 ton truck.

[hazegreyunderway]

I guess the USN/USMC CAR (Combat Action Ribbon) isn't shiney enough for the Army?

Does this mean the NAV will start to issue Brown shoe/ Black shoe/Bluewater/Gator/Brownwater/USMC/???? versions of the CAR now?

Jes curious.