Do they now award the CIB for service in the DMZ in South Korea?

SFC Domingo M. — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 22:08:28 -0400

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.

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Apr 15 at 2024 12:51 AM

SSG Roger Ayscue — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:51:23 -0400

No they have not awarded the CIB for service on the DMZ since the late 1970's.

Response by COL Randall C. made Apr 15 at 2024 9:43 AM

COL Randall C. — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:43:08 -0400

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(the only thing that changed regarding the DMZ is that there were special criteria that needed to be met, but that was rescinded a while ago).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

ARN30935-AR_600-8-22-000-WEB-1.pdf