Posted on Apr 5, 2015
COL Charles Williams
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The Combat Action Badge was created in 2005 to honor those who'd engaged or been engaged by enemy forces during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but weren't eligible for similar awards available to medics or infantrymen.

It was made retroactive to Sept. 18, 2001, but since shortly after its founding, lawmakers and veterans groups have pushed to send it back much farther — to the outbreak of World War II.

As Maneuver Support Soldier, I know support personal (like Aviation, Engineers, MPs, Truck Drivers, etc. (in addition to our Medics who accompany maneuver forces) are often also directly engaged in close combat along side of our infantry and armor brothers. So, the CAB made sense to me, to accompany the CIB and CMB.

Despite the frenzy that ensued, and discussions of "CAB hunters," I still believe this is an important award, especially for MOSs like MP and Engineers.... who, as an example, during the surge in Iraq were rivaling our combat arms brothers in daily combat casualties.

I was personally shot at more and returned fire more in Somalia, than Iraq. So, this being retroactive also makes sense.

I think this is a good idea, and deserved, however, the logistics of doing this will be overwhelming.

Before you CAB naysayers chime in... Consider COP Keating... Those guys were not 11Bs. They were scouts and armor crewmen. 2 MOHs and many other medals were awarded there. 8 Soldiers were killed and many were wounded. Does not that merit such an award? There are many others like it.

What are your thoughts?


http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/careers/army/2015/04/04/combat-action-badge-retroactive/25235333/
Posted in these groups: Us medals AwardsHqdefault Badges
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SSG Indirect Fire Infantryman (Mortarman)
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I've seen the CIB and CAB blanketed to entire brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan. I would be more for the award to be retroactive than just being handed out. Just make sure the vetting process is thorough.
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COL Charles Williams
COL Charles Williams
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Roger... I have seen the battle roster method for the CIB, but never for the CAB, at least not in units I have been in. SSG (Join to see). Thanks for your comments!
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SFC John Gemmell
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Hello Colonel Williams.

This is a fantastic idea as long as all service members who would normally qualify, are awarded the badge. This includes African American Soldiers and Women who served under the same conditions of combat as men.
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COL Charles Williams
COL Charles Williams
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SFC John Gemmell There are no stipulations for race or gender for this award now, so why would there be in the past... Interesting thoughts.
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COL Ted Mc
COL Ted Mc
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COL Charles Williams Colonel; I suspect that he is referring to the vetting process which (although not required to do so by the regulations) appears to be (historically) slightly tilted against the non-male, non-white, non-JudeoChristian service member.

As an example, of the 457 Medals of Honor presented during WWII exactly NONE were presented to "Blacks". True, there were 464 Medals of Honor presented for actions during WWII, but the 7 (that's 1.51% of the total [by 1943 approximately 10.3% of the US Army was composed of "Blacks"]) that were presented to "Blacks" were only presented in 1997 and after Congress had voted special exemptions to the law in order to allow them to be awarded.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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COL Charles Williams, and COL Ted Mc, Sirs, that is horrible. That really makes me sad and mad. I'm glad that was changed. The blacks were excellent soldiers in Nam, and were as brave or more brave than many other nationalities.
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LTC Jason Mackay
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I think the Armor branch would want this. Between WWII's massive Armor battles, Armored Cavalry in Vietnam, and the combined arms fights of the 1980s and 90s

A similar argument could be made for Artillery, Engineers. There were proposals for similar combat badges in the post WWII years and they were struck down.

Agree with CSM Uhlig
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LTC Jason Mackay
LTC Jason Mackay
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And roger...
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COL Ted Mc
COL Ted Mc
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LTC Jason Mackay Colonel; What a lot of people won't tell you is actually true.

If it wasn't for the beans, bullets, and bumwipe the combat arms would be about as useful as a pack of Brownies.

As far as I am concerned, "In Range = In Combat". and I don't care what the other staff wienies say.
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LTC Jason Mackay
LTC Jason Mackay
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Yes Sir. Our Brigade Support Battalion had as much "action" as some of our Rifle Battalions when it came to mounted operations. Granted, we were not dismounted, pushing into the hinterland...that was a distinction all theirs, but we went out to recover their vehicles. Our AO was the BDE AO.
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SSG(P) Vertical Construction Oc/T
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10 y
im an engineer , i can say i have been shot at with just about every kind of small arms there is and more while setting t barrers up on road sides and doing rapid road repairs and culvert denial missions to route clearance missions to setting a bridge across a river while in contact. we referred to ourselves as "bait for the day" but ill say this, we gave way more hurt then we took, i have many awards that say under fire or direct fire on them i have never gotten a cab and dont really care im just glad to keep coming home and teaching my soldiers how to do the same.
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SGT Signal Support Systems Specialist
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Absolutely! I think this should've been made available a lot sooner. Hell move it all the way back and award them posthumously.
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LTC John Shaw
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I value my CAB award from Kandahar and believe it should be granted retroactively. I like the recommendation of CSM Michael J. Uhlig of granting it to awardees that combat action is defined in the award. You will have to allow a process for prior service to apply as well. I realize that ultimately this is another 'love me' award, but so are all other and since the award is out there and available, the front end of the time should be expanded.
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PV2 Senior Web Designer, Web Team Lead
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Thank you Sir for tagging me but that was after my time and I do not know of it well enough to speak on it. However, I look forward to learning from others on here about it.
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COL Charles Williams
COL Charles Williams
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Plus, you were a medical field Soldier (?), so you might have been eligible for the CMB. The discussion here, is should this be retroactive to 1941, and the harder part would be how on earth would we handle that? PV2 (Join to see)
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PV2 Senior Web Designer, Web Team Lead
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I doubt I would eligible Sir. Yes I was a medic but the closest I ever came to combat was NTC at Ft Irwin
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SGT Chris Quesenberry
SGT Chris Quesenberry
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I would support the concept as I was awarded the badge back in 2006 for my deployment in 2004. I would only think it would affect korean/vietnam veterans as the majority of ww2 veterans have passed.
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SGT Signal Support Systems Specialist
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why not? I know it would be difficult to notify these folks, but it is the right thing to do.
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SFC Bill Hayes
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I severed in landclearing Bn in Vietnam.with 62n20 mos,which was heavy equipment operator in a Rome Plow D7E catapilla dozer which thousand acres of jungle, was cleared but because we had heavy equipment operators we weren't eligible for the CIB,these men saw as much combat as the infantry and armor that supported them. I think the CAB would be a right move
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SFC Bill Hayes
SFC Bill Hayes
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has the CAB been retoractive back to 1941
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA
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Why not make all three badges retroactive to 1775?
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SPC (Other / Not listed)
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I am in favor of it for my son..who was a 19kilo in Iraq in 2003, TF 2-69...but he often was assigned to drive the First Sargent's humvee..on several occasions he dismounted and was engaged in firefights with the infantry assigned to the Task Force...but he doesn't qualify for a CIB..the CAB would recognize those, particularly enlisted personnel, who fought outside if their primary MOS
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COL Charles Williams
COL Charles Williams
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Well, I agree SPC (Join to see) ...
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CW3 Kevin Storm
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I stated this in a previous post, the USMC & Navy got it right with the combat service ribbon (or whatever there official name is).
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CPO Steelworker
CPO (Join to see)
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CAR, Combat Action Ribbon, Yes we did, the one problem is that to what on ground is different from a ship On ground must receive fire and return fire, but they have added Direct Contact with IED and or disarming them. The one thing that it does state Zero nothing for IDF of any kind period.
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