EIB or CIB which badge do you choose to wear?

SFC Jacob Hinkkanen
To each his own. I have heard numerous Soldiers complain about their CIB/CAB or complain about someone else's CIB/CAB. If someone feels like deploying to a hostile area, possibly being killed or seriously wounded in defense of their country and fellow Soldier is less important to them than completing tasks directly related to their job with little to no risk of injury or death that's their prerogative.

I wouldn't say that the EIB "fell off the charts" it has always been an item looked at by boards for promotion. I think it is more of an opportunity to compete for it opposed to "I have my CIB that's good enough". Nowhere in the centralized promotion board memos or the Infantryman's career path does it say CIB.

I do not want to bash on the EIB because our branch says it's important but, like I said above they are skill level one tasks. Having an EIB tells me that you are as proficient as an E-1 thru E-4 Infantryman, every 11 series Soldier should have one...don't you agree?

As the GWOT continues to slow down you will see the EIB become more prominent as units will have time to conduct it and Soldiers will be deployed less and able to compete.

CSM (Join to see) SFC Jacob Hinkkanen This is EXACTLY what I have said when NCOs claim earning their EIB is an automatic "Excellent" block under Competence. "Congratulations, SSG. You did the same thing that PFC over there did." I get that timing and opportunity to test is a factor.
I am very proud of my EIB because I earned it as a PFC. I am equally proud of my CIB, which is what I wear. The CIB has a lot to do with timing. When you wear in, when your unit deployed and to where, what your job was, etc. I know an Infantry 11Z that only has an EIB because he was a DS from 2003-2006, then went to a unit that was resetting. By the time he got into theater the first time, he was working in BN S-3. He was never in the right place at the right time, and doesn't have a CIB. I also know an 18Z SFC(P) without one, even though he went on multiple missions in Iraq and Afghanistan on multiple deployments, but never met the qualification standards. Just because some units "gave away" CIBs doesn't make me any less proud of what I did to earn mine.

CIB no contest. 

CSM (Join to see) SFC (Join to see) I agree that every CMF 11 Soldier should have their EIB. This is especially true with NCOs. There should be no special credit given to a SSG who earns it. There are situations where it takes a guy longer to have the opportunity to compete due to deployments and NCOES but that should be getting better given the GWOT drawdown. I also agree that earning an EIB should not be an excellence on a guy's NCOER. SSG met the Army standard on a bunch of tasks is not a very strong bullet. I am proud of both because I know what I did to get them. Regardless of everybody else's stories of how they got theirs, situations and experiences vary greatly.

Well said sir.

Coolest? I would think an O-6 would have a greater appreciation of awards. Lets put it in perspective. Its not cool compared to the ruptured duck that US Army Soldiers in the Solomons got in 1945. In fact its an insult...

Not exactly in answering the initial question but an interesting addition to my wearing a CIB. I was in Schofield Barracks Hawaii after serving in Vietnam. I came home to Florida in uniform. My Dad observed my CIB. Later at home, my Dad got his CIB that he was awarded during WWII. He served with the First Special Service Force (1/2 of the soldiers were Canadian and 1/2 were American) the German soldiers called them the Devil’s Brigade. He noticed that the blue background on my CIB was considerably wider than my Dad’s was. He swapped with me and I wore his for 24 years after that. As a sergeant, promoted with only 9 months in service and less than a month in combat and was a young weapons squad leader in an Infantry Company. During a formal, in ranks inspection my Platoon Leader a 2 Lt noticed something different about my CIB. He asked about it. I told him that it was my Dad’s and that I swapped it. He also noticed that my Purple Heart ribbon was a much different shade of purple because it was also my Dad’s. He told me to replace those items with newer ones. My Combat experienced Captain (Company Commander) overheard some of it. After the formation he and the Battalion Commander talked to myself and the Lt. Both of those officers said that if they had a Dad with those awards that the would proudly wear them. My CO told me to not say anything about what they said. The Platoon Leader soon told our platoon that the CIB was an award that all of those that EARNED a CIB can wear one that was awarded to an immediate relative. Two others in our platoon got them mailed to them from their fathers. One of the guys said that is Dad broke down when his mom read his letter asking for a swap. Yes the CIB means more to those that earns one than others would ever understand. I think that my Dad wanted for others to know that it was a family tradition.