Posted on Apr 14, 2024
Do they now award the CIB for service in the DMZ in South Korea?
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AR 600-8-22 is different from what I remember. I served in the DMZ in 1970/'71 and 1975. My units were C 1/38 Inf 2nd Inf Div, and C 1/31st (Mech Inf.) 2nd Inf Div.
Posted 8 mo ago
Responses: 2
To be awarded the CIB, you must meet a location/period of eligibility and you must meet the qualifying criteria. In other words, the circumstances surrounding the award of the CIB could be exactly the same in two different location/timeframes and it would be awarded in on and not in the other.
So for the first one ("location/period of eligibility"), then yes, you would meet that criteria. The CIB is authorized for service in Korea and on the DMZ between 4 JAN 69 and 31 MAR 94 (Table 8-2, AR 600-8-22)*.
However, do you meet all of the other qualifying criteria? The CIB isn't like an "I was there" campaign ribbon and there are three criteria you must meet:
(1) The Soldier must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties.
(2) Must be assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat.
(3) Must actively participate in such ground combat. (Campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the CIB). In other words, 'personally present and under fire'.
The AR may have changed since your time, but those three basic criteria haven't (the only thing that changed regarding the DMZ is that there were special criteria that needed to be met, but that was rescinded a while ago).
The one that trips most people up is the unit requirement. You could be an infantry Soldier, involved in active ground combat with the enemy at a qualifying time/location and not be eligible for the CIB because your unit was not involved "in active ground combat to close with and destroy the enemy with direct fires".
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* AR 600-8-22 - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30935-AR_600-8-22-000-WEB-1.pdf
* HRC FAQ on the CIB - https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/6057
So for the first one ("location/period of eligibility"), then yes, you would meet that criteria. The CIB is authorized for service in Korea and on the DMZ between 4 JAN 69 and 31 MAR 94 (Table 8-2, AR 600-8-22)*.
However, do you meet all of the other qualifying criteria? The CIB isn't like an "I was there" campaign ribbon and there are three criteria you must meet:
(1) The Soldier must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties.
(2) Must be assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat.
(3) Must actively participate in such ground combat. (Campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the CIB). In other words, 'personally present and under fire'.
The AR may have changed since your time, but those three basic criteria haven't (the only thing that changed regarding the DMZ is that there were special criteria that needed to be met, but that was rescinded a while ago).
The one that trips most people up is the unit requirement. You could be an infantry Soldier, involved in active ground combat with the enemy at a qualifying time/location and not be eligible for the CIB because your unit was not involved "in active ground combat to close with and destroy the enemy with direct fires".
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* AR 600-8-22 - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30935-AR_600-8-22-000-WEB-1.pdf
* HRC FAQ on the CIB - https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/6057
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SFC Domingo M.
As an infantryman who patrolled in the DMZ for 13 months in 1975, there was exchange of fire between the North Korean GP's and the Rock Army GP's. At night, we fired M72 rounds out in front of our GP's as harassing fires nightly. Our units were assigned there. We drew hazardous fire pay and we were dressed for bear on those ambush patrols. When I left this tour I got a Letter from my company commander stating that I had led or was a member of a total of 126 ambush patrols but there was never contact with infiltrators trying to get across to South Korea. I'm not asking for the CIB, it would be nice but I have my EIB which took some doing to be awarded it.
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No they have not awarded the CIB for service on the DMZ since the late 1970's.
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SFC Domingo M.
I was there in 1970 but back then the qualifier was making contact with the enemy. It must still be the same.
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