Posted on Apr 30, 2014
Is it appropriate to receive a CAB for indirect fire?
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I didn't learn until after leaving Afghanistan that some units were being awarded CABs for indirect rocket attacks if the rocket landed within 300ft of them. I was even told that a COL got CABs for just bout everyone in barracks at Bagram because a rocket landed outside. I had at least 1 rocket land very close to me - close enough to feel the concussive wave - but I never felt it would be appropriate to put in for a CAB for simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Seems to me that the point of the CAB/CIB is that you were directly engaged with the enemy.
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
With everyone saying that indirect fire shouldn't count for awarding of the CAB/CIB and that direct fire should always be the case. Then, someone please explain how all these General Officers have the CAB. I was at Basra, and we got mortared/rocketed practically on a weekly basis. One attack, round landed about 200 yrds away. Hell, when we first got into country, within 3 hrs of being at Tallil, we got hit. A round there hit pretty damn close (less than 100 yds). Yet, the lovely standards that the medical task force set forth was that in order to get the CAB, one had to have: 3 sworn statements, drawn strip map of locations of impacts and your location, pictures of the impact and where your location was. And then they all had to be submitted onto the SIPRNET for consideration. Basically, I got the experience the thrill of 46 attacks. If I don't meet the criteria, then how do these General Officers do?
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MSG (Join to see)
SSG Christopher Wheeler - I was at Basra 10-11 with the 200th Preventive Medicine. My "office" was in the ASMC ran by the medical element of the the 36th ID.
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SSG Christopher Wheeler
MSG (Join to see) copy, I think 1ID RIP-TOA after us and 36ID (TX) after that.
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MSG (Join to see)
SSG Christopher Wheeler - Yep. When I got there, it was DHHB, 1st ID in charge of the base. Then, about 2 months later (I think) 36th took over.
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Was fire returned? Was the enemy engaged? I think you have to engage the enemy before either the CAB or CIB are awarded. It's best to check the regulations on that one.
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Sorry, what is a combat action badge. Guess that came after Nam. Otherwise 1.5 million would have it.
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I guess technically it would. Think of it this way, if that mortar took off a leg, he would get a purple heart right?
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The army messed up when they didn't use the same language as the marine combat action ribbon. For the CAR it pretty much says you need to be shot at by the enemy and return fire. The CAB doesn't have that kind of language.
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SSG (Join to see)
And it doesn't need it. The enemy firing rockets and mortars on your position is combat. You can't engage something that you can't see or is beyond the range of your weapon. What the Marines do is their business. The CAB is not designed to be like that and it recognizes those that serve in non-infantry positions who are engaged by the enemy. The great thing is that the soldier doesn't have to wear or accept being put in for one if they feel they didn't earn it.
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COL (Join to see)
AR 600-8-22 does clearly define the requirements for the CAB - "Battle participation credit alone is not sufficient; the (Soldier) must have engaged or been (personally) engaged by the enemy." The CAB is supposed to "recognize the greatly expanded role of non-infantry Soldiers in active, ground combat." Active, Ground Combat is defined as "being personally present, under fire, and engaging in action against the enemy in ground forces combat. It is not awarded for battle participation credit."
Now whether the recommender and the approver actually follow that level of requirement or not, well that is clearly another story. However, the requirements are pretty clear.
Now whether the recommender and the approver actually follow that level of requirement or not, well that is clearly another story. However, the requirements are pretty clear.
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You've got to understand history. The CIB was one of the baby blue trinkets to retain and recruit infantrymen starting in 1943. The CAB does the same for other branches.
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This has been happening since the CAB came into being back in 05. I know of people who had a CAB retroactively awarded for IDF incidents in 03 and 04.
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