Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Posted on Feb 15, 2016
Have other Infantrymen have been awarded a Combat Action Badge (CAB) instead of the coveted Combat Infantry Badge (CIB)?
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As an infantry unit we were tasked with convoy escort. Iraq 2010-11. All 11B's who earned a Combat award received the CAB. For this mission/deployment we were told we were 00F's for the deployment thus no CIB's would be awarded. DD214's showed a 4A designator for reclassification training to support this. Just curious how many others saw this or experienced it outside our battalion.
Posted in these groups: 
11B: Infantryman
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Badges
11B: Infantryman Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan Badges
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 21
There are two key differences in the criteria between CAB and CIB. According to AR 600-8-22:
1) For CAB, one has to "be personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy"
2) For CIB, one has to be "[11B] assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat"
So there is a distinction between "being engaged by the enemy" (i.e. receiving IDF), and "engaging in active ground combat." You could argue that if you are just on the receiving end of an enemy activity, there are times when you weren't actively engaging in ground combat (i.e. you were asleep on a FOB and a mortar round landed near by). The difference may be grey is some situations, but clearly the criteria is not the same.
If you follow the regulation, there could be situations where 11B Soldiers assigned to an infantry unit may not qualify for the CIB because they were not "engaging in active ground combat", but were engaged in by the enemy (IDF, etc.). They could therefore possibly not qualify for EITHER the CIB or CAB, since 11B members in an infantry unit can't be awarded a CAB, and may not meet the higher criteria of a CIB.
In general, we know that despite this being the regulation, many people receive a CAB or a CIB with very relaxed interpretation of the reg, which dilutes the award unfortunately.
1) For CAB, one has to "be personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy"
2) For CIB, one has to be "[11B] assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat"
So there is a distinction between "being engaged by the enemy" (i.e. receiving IDF), and "engaging in active ground combat." You could argue that if you are just on the receiving end of an enemy activity, there are times when you weren't actively engaging in ground combat (i.e. you were asleep on a FOB and a mortar round landed near by). The difference may be grey is some situations, but clearly the criteria is not the same.
If you follow the regulation, there could be situations where 11B Soldiers assigned to an infantry unit may not qualify for the CIB because they were not "engaging in active ground combat", but were engaged in by the enemy (IDF, etc.). They could therefore possibly not qualify for EITHER the CIB or CAB, since 11B members in an infantry unit can't be awarded a CAB, and may not meet the higher criteria of a CIB.
In general, we know that despite this being the regulation, many people receive a CAB or a CIB with very relaxed interpretation of the reg, which dilutes the award unfortunately.
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SFC (Join to see)
There is no breakdown as to the classification of IEDs. Any contact with any IED, regardless of how the IED is initiated, is considered direct contact with the enemy. The only grey area that exists in the awarding of these is that which is created by S-1 or G-1 etc. AR 600-8-22 para 8-6 is very clear. If any ONE of the criteria is met the award is to be made. If not one is met the award will not be made. I also know PLENTY of soldiers who did not pull the trigger once and were awarded a CIB and justly so. Leadership in a gun fight is not necessarily pulling the trigger. Me directing 2 fire teams against an enemy is much more lethal than any amount of rounds I've put down range.
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SSG Nick Tramontano
Based on the above mentioned criteria and AR, I'd like to know how there are General officers (Patraeus was one) are awarded a CAB ? Maybe being in the officers' club or back at HQ and a mortar round went off in the next grid square.
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CPT (Join to see)
LTC Weiss is partially correct in his interpretation of the regulations. The regulations do not distinguish between command detonated or remote detonated IED’s. The distinction is meaningless in the context that the enemy emplaces the device and was actively seeking to engage you with it. The reason why you were not awarded the CIB is because your unit was tasked with an alternate overall mission other than ”closing with and destroying the enemy with direct fires.”
I earned my CIB as an enlisted soldier. I later went on to become an Armor Officer. I served as a PL during my second deployment to Iraq. My platoon was task organized to an Infantry Company in my Combined Arms BN. I had both Infantry and Armor soldiers in my platoon. My Infantry soldiers were fillers from IRR and all had their CIB’s. We were doing full-spectrum operations “ground combat.” We got into contact on several occasions. My Infantry soldiers got CAB’s along with my Armor guys. They couldn’t earn a second CIB (you only got one for GWOT) but they got a CAB. That is another way an Infantrtman can get their CAB. They were technically in an a 19K slot although attached to an Infantry Company doing the same thing their 11B brothers were doing. Go figure! But for the limit to one CIB for GWOT participation in AFH and/or Iraq, my 11B would have met the requirements.
I earned my CIB as an enlisted soldier. I later went on to become an Armor Officer. I served as a PL during my second deployment to Iraq. My platoon was task organized to an Infantry Company in my Combined Arms BN. I had both Infantry and Armor soldiers in my platoon. My Infantry soldiers were fillers from IRR and all had their CIB’s. We were doing full-spectrum operations “ground combat.” We got into contact on several occasions. My Infantry soldiers got CAB’s along with my Armor guys. They couldn’t earn a second CIB (you only got one for GWOT) but they got a CAB. That is another way an Infantrtman can get their CAB. They were technically in an a 19K slot although attached to an Infantry Company doing the same thing their 11B brothers were doing. Go figure! But for the limit to one CIB for GWOT participation in AFH and/or Iraq, my 11B would have met the requirements.
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I had guys that were Infantry volunteer back in 2007 to deploy with an Engineer BN. They received a CAB.
We had a convoy escort mission 2009-2010 in Iraq. I put in 10 or so guys for CIB's. They got them. We were in an Infantry BN, in an Infantry Para/Lin, in an Infantry UIC.
I've never heard of being recoded into a 00F. Sounds like a dickhead move by a soft skill MOS to thumb their nose at us.
We had a convoy escort mission 2009-2010 in Iraq. I put in 10 or so guys for CIB's. They got them. We were in an Infantry BN, in an Infantry Para/Lin, in an Infantry UIC.
I've never heard of being recoded into a 00F. Sounds like a dickhead move by a soft skill MOS to thumb their nose at us.
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I am well aware of the regulations on the subjects here. Convoy escort is widely viewed as a non infantry mission. This question is not a whine or a gripe. Just curious how often it happens. On a humorous note, I sure do get tired of explaining the CAB that accompanies my blue cord. Haha. 11th year as an 11B and have never had another MOS. It confuses folks sometimes.
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COL (Join to see)
It would have happened for every National Guard unit mobilized under a SECFOR Deployed Table of Organization and Equipment that used a 00F MOS for the Para/LIN. They way to have avoided that is for Mobilization Branch to build the DTOE with 11B PARA/LIN and for the individual mobilization orders to show the 11B mobilized as an 11B in an Infantry UIC or derivative UIC. Some Infantry units mobilized for SECFOR did just that, ensuring CIB award eligibility in case of "active ground combat". But non-infantry units mobilized with infantry fillers could not obviously do that.
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