Why do so many infantrymen say they don't like to wear their CIB because it is a free award (I earned mine in Logar so I am proud of it)?

SFC Dennis Pettitt - Unless someone is throwing these awards out there in a manner NOT in keeping with regulation "been there, done that" means you've been shot at or taken human life in this case. Personally I don't know whether that just doesn't mean anything to you or you're just butthurt that there's no Combat Cav Scout badge, but I've both been shot at and taken human life while serving as an Infantryman and wear my CIB with the same pride that I carry in knowing that I served my country with honor, pride, and dignity.

SGT Richard H. - I was in OSUIT at Benning. It might have been in the AIT of training and it has 30 years this months since I was in Basic Training.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_Infantryman_Badge

I was stationed at Fort Ord in the 7th ID (Second to last rotation) before it closed.

Did most of that stuff back then before GPS.

I was in the Navy in the '80s. Had a couple of old cross dressers with those. One gunners mate, one fire control tech.
I know you know what I mean.

These guys were drafted into the army under LBJ, retired from the Navy by Bush 1.

CSM Charles Hayden - I do as well...I was using the fact that an EIB has most likely never been awarded posthumously (as this CIB was)...it was more in response to the OP saying that some people consider a CIB to not be "earned"

SGT Richard H. Actually my brother was only ‘in-country’ for a few days, (not the 30 days, I believe the reg specifies), His trip to and from ‘Nam totaled 26 days. Los Angeles Greyhound Station to ‘Nam, to Los Angeles Train Depot.

CSM Charles Hayden - The only thing I'm finding about 30 days looks to be specific to Vietnam era, and to Command Sergeants Major. It's odd, but here it is:

"(ii) After December 1, 1967 for service in the Republic of Vietnam, noncommissioned officers serving as Command Sergeants Major of infantry battalions and brigades for periods of at least 30 consecutive days in a combat zone are eligible for award of the CIB provided all other requirements have been met."

CSM Charles Hayden - If an Infantryman is KIA on his very first day in a combat zone, he's eligible for the CIB. A cousin of mine was KIA during Tet '68 very early in his tour and received the CIB.
SSG (Join to see), you should be proud of your CIB despite the fact that many awards (Purple Hearts, Commendations w/V Defice, Bronze Stars, etc.) have been awarded outside the Regs. Those recipients KNOW they didn't earn them, but for those who did, wear them with PRIDE.
As a Navy Corpsman, it was part of my duty to report wounds deserving of Purple Hearts. I received two minor shrapnel wounds during firefights, and did NOT submit myself, UNLIKE the Senior Corpsman who was being rotated back stateside due to his third (bogus) PH. I encountered him when he was on his way back to BN HQ's and asked where he'd been hit. He had a TINY (and I mean TINY) scratch in the area of his right temple and I laughed at him! The point is, SOME awards are bogus and those that are not, can & should be worn with pride.

Couldn’t have said it better Sgt!

Indeed.

You are right it isn’t free you need to be in certain job with certain mos to get it. The Arty FO right beside you on rt not the combat engineer on your left can not be awarded that badge because of their mos but all three of you did the same thing at the same time. Now you have to work to get the EIB

CPT William Jones - And you don't have to work for a CIB? LOL...I'll leave that one alone and just remind you that the Arty FO and the Combat engineer would be awarded a CAB in the same situation. You guys call that "equivalent", right?