Posted on Oct 17, 2015
Master Infantry Badge, is there a place for it in today's Army?
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My unit will be conducting a EIB in March and I recently seen an article about a possible MIB (master infantry badge) I like the idea, because both cib and EIB are in the same class, also for efmb and cmb for the medical field. What are your thoughts?
11B: Infantryman
SGT
SSG
SFC
Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB)
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 86
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By "article", do you mean a post on RP? I asked the great Google wizard and there were no other articles about a Master Infantry Badge.
I think it sounds ridiculous. In a decade most of the people in the Army won't have seen combat and it will be a moot point.
Plus, the CIB/CAB/CMB have been over awarded as it is. I've seen entire platoons get awarded blanket combat awards for literally doing nothing more than being in a convoy that got hit with an IED, or taking cover during a mortar attack, or - my favorite - being in the vicinity of a stray shot fired from across the river.
I think adding another layer of fluff would actually devalue the CIB.
I think it sounds ridiculous. In a decade most of the people in the Army won't have seen combat and it will be a moot point.
Plus, the CIB/CAB/CMB have been over awarded as it is. I've seen entire platoons get awarded blanket combat awards for literally doing nothing more than being in a convoy that got hit with an IED, or taking cover during a mortar attack, or - my favorite - being in the vicinity of a stray shot fired from across the river.
I think adding another layer of fluff would actually devalue the CIB.
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SFC Lyle Green
SGT William Jackson - I don't know about you, but all this "alphabet stew" of cib, bic, dia, cibs, on and on it goes, I feel like I'm in a Chinese Arithmetic class. Like you, in VN 67-70, I was with the 1st. Infantry Division, assigned to support the 3rd. Battalion's high attrition combat units, POWs, intelligence gathering via civilian insurgency suspects, etc. Corradiated in conjunction with infantry units with separate direct combat related functions working in unison with various Inf. companies in the battalion. Sounds confusing, it was, the bs of interrogations, reports, written summaries of estimates, reports of opinions of documents or items discovered on dead enemy. Others and I had no interest or knowledge about medals, rewards or such at that time. When awarded, Learned the Combat Infantry Badge was awarded, given, or whatever, if qualification was met, must serve 30 consecutive days in direct or supportive actions that exposed you to enemy combat actions that personally exposed you to possible death or injury. Division Regulations, also the !st Division's policy at that time was regardless of one's designated MOS, their secondary MOS was 11B at Division's discretion. What the heck determines a Master's badge, or a CAB, etc., next there will be a CVB (Combat Vicenty Badge) or maybe a IWCB (I want a Combat Badge). Bottom line, I'm lost.
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SFC Lyle Green
SPC (Join to see) - Most BS of idiotic PH "gifts" I ever saw was in VN in the company's chow line, it started raining 122 or 106 rockets, naturally we all dropped everything and raced to the nearest bunker. A 1st. LT, newbie was too dumb, scared or ??? as he darted into the bunker, forgot or just didn't have the sense to duck his head at the bunker entrance and banged his head on the door beam. Caused a fairly deep gash, he went to the aid station, hosp, and was later offered and accepted a PH. Sometime Later, when I am riding in a jeep, drunk as a skunk struggling to find a rack, by the helo pad, 4 lor 5 incoming rounds hit pretty close, detonated. I rolled out of the jeep, still moving, falling into a big drainage ditch, landing in several strands of constantina or razor wire. The many cuts and abrasions I got required trip to the aid station, the attending DR. said he would put me in for a PH, immediately I remembered that 1st. Lt bumping his head entering the bunker, and I adamantly declined the sham award.
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They already have one. It's called "survive to retirement with back and knees intact".
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SFC Lyle Green
Amen to that! Don't have to wait till 60 for those things catch up and begin to fall apart. Have to mention, for me the worst metal I received was a chunk of a 122 in the butt. Praying it was that $1 million ticket out of there. Not to be, was back on the duty rooster in 15 days.
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Not to be negative, but does this go back to the "everybody gets a medal" thing? What would be the honest point in this? A master infantryman...so if he has Ranger school, has NCOER's to show his competence in the MOS, along with CIB/EIB what's the point? And if the other MOS' went out for this award are they going to be allowed to wear it unlike the rules with the EIB now? I think we have MANY "Master Grunts" now who are extremely proficient in their MOS and don't need another piece of "bling" to prove it.
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SFC Rick H
Very interesting and really quite humorous commentary SSG Hunt/SSG Swan- I see you folks are on point as a good NCOs should be on matters such as these- if you had such and award- Master Sick - Call, I'm quite certain you would have more soldiers in formation/at work than the first option!?
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SSG Warren Swan
SFC Rick H - Personally, I'd be working on the second one, and should one of mine tell me he had a case of it, I'd counsel him/her on the importance of conducting your business well in advance of formation, or suffering through it with the problem until released for personal hygiene and work call.
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