CIB criteria

[SEATJERKER]

...would someone post up the criteria for earning the CIB...

...met a guy yesterday who is in need of help...

...

[Gimpy]

Combat Infantryman Badge
Paragraph 2-6, Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards)
25 February 1995

a. History.

(1) The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) was established by the War Department on 27 October 1943. Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair, then the Army Ground Forces commanding general, was instrumental in its creation. He originally recommended that it be called the "fighter badge." The CIB was designed to enhance morale and the prestige of the "Queen of Battle." Then Secretary of War Henry Stinson said, "It is high time we recognize in a personal way the skill and heroism of the American infantry."

(2) Originally, the Regimental Commander was the lowest level at which the CIB could be approved and its award was retroactive to 7 December 1941. There was a separate provision for badge holders to receive a $10 per month pay stipend, which was rescinded in 1948. Several factors led to the creation of the CIB, some of the most prominent factors are as follows:

(a) The need for large numbers of well-trained infantry to bring about a successful conclusion to the war and the already critical shortage of infantrymen.

(b) Of all soldiers, it was recognized that the infantryman continuously operated under the worst conditions and performed a mission which was not assigned to any other soldier or unit.

(c) The infantry, a small portion of the total Armed Forces, was suffering the most casualties while receiving the least public recognition.

(d) General Marshall's well known affinity for the ground forces soldier and, in particular, the infantryman. All these factors led to the establishment of the CIB, an award which would provide special recognition of the unique role of the Army infantryman, the only soldier whose daily mission is to close with and destroy the enemy and to seize and hold terrain. The badge was intended as an inducement for individuals to join the infantry while serving as a morale booster for infantrymen serving in every theater.

(3) In developing the CIB, the War Department did not dismiss out of hand or ignore the contributions of other branches. Their vital contributions to the overall war effort were certainly noted, but it was decided that other awards and decorations were sufficient to recognize their contributions. From the beginning, Army leaders have taken care to retain the badge for the unique purpose for which it was established and to prevent the adoption of any other badge which would lower its prestige. At the close of World War II, our largest war in which the armor and artillery played key roles in the ground campaigns, a review was conducted of the CIB criteria with consideration being given to creating either additional badges or authorizing the badge to cavalry and armor units. The review noted that any change in policy would detract from the prestige of the badge.

b. Intent.

(1) There are basically three requirements for award of the CIB. The soldier must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties, must be assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and must actively participate in such ground combat. Campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the CIB.

(2) The definition or requirement to be "engaged in active ground combat" has generated much dialogue over the years as to the original intent of the CIB.

(a) The 1943 War Department Circular required infantrymen to demonstrate "satisfactory performance of duty in action against the enemy." The operative words "in action" connoted actual combat.

(b) A War Department determination in October 1944 specified that "action against the enemy" for purposes of award of the CIB was to be interpreted as "ground combat against enemy ground forces."

(c) In 1948, the regulation governing badges stipulated that "battle participation credit is not sufficient; the unit must have been in contact with the enemy." This clearly indicated that an exchange of hostile fire or equivalent personal exposure was the intent of the Army leadership.

(d) In 1963 and 1965 HQDA messages to the senior Army commander in the Southeast Asia theater of operations authorized award of the CIB to otherwise qualified personnel "provided they are personally present and under fire." U.S. Army Vietnam regulations went so far as to require documentation of the type and intensity of enemy fire encountered by the soldier. The intended requirement to be "personally present and under fire" has not changed.

c. Specific eligibility requirements

(1) A soldier must be an Army infantry or special forces Officer (SSI 11 or 18) in the grade of colonel or below, or an Army enlisted soldier or warrant officer with an infantry or special forces MOS, who subsequent to 6 December 1941 has satisfactorily performed duty while assigned or attached as a member of an infantry, ranger or special forces unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size during any period such unit was engaged in active ground combat. Eligibility for special forces personnel (less the special forces medical sergeant) accrues from 20 December 1989. Retroactive awards for special forces personnel are not authorized.

(2) A recipient must be personally present and under hostile fire while serving in an assigned infantry or special forces primary duty, in a unit actively engaged in ground combat with the enemy. The unit in question can be of any size smaller than brigade. For example, personnel possessing an infantry MOS in a rifle squad of a cavalry platoon in a cavalry troop would be eligible for award of the CIB. Battle or campaign participation credit alone is not sufficient; the unit must have been in active ground combat with the enemy during the period.

(3) Personnel with other than an infantry or special forces MOS are not eligible, regardless of the circumstances. The infantry or special forces SSI or MOS does not necessarily have to be the soldier's primary specialty, as long as the soldier has been properly trained in infantry or special forces tactics, possesses the appropriate skill code, and is serving in that specialty when engaged in active ground combat as described above. Commanders are not authorized to make any exceptions to this policy.

(4) Awards will not be made to general officers nor to members of headquarters companies of units larger in size than brigade.

d. Subsequent awards.

(1) To date, a separate award of the CIB has been authorized for qualified soldiers in any of three conflicts: World War II (7 December 1941 to 3 September 1945), the Korean Conflict (27 June 1950 to 27 July 1953), and the Vietnam Conflict. Service in the Republic of Vietnam conflict (after 1 March 1961) combined with qualifying service in Laos (19 April 1961 to 6 October 1962), the Dominican Republic (28 April 1965 to 1 September 1966), Korea on the DMZ (after 4 January 1969), Grenada (23 October to 21 November 1983) Panama (20 December 1989 to 31 January 1990), and the Persian Gulf War (17 January to 11 April 1991) is recognized by one award only regardless of whether a soldier has served one or multiple tours in any or all of these areas. If a soldier has been awarded the CIB for service in any of the Vietnam era areas, that soldier is not eligible to earn the Combat Medical Badge.

(2) Second and third awards of the CIB are indicated by superimposing 1 and 2 stars respectively, centered at the top of the badge between the points of the oak wreath.

e. Special provisions - Republic of Vietnam

(1) Any officer whose basic branch is other than infantry who, under appropriate orders, has commanded a line infantry (other than a headquarters unit) unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size for at least 30 consecutive days is deemed to have been detailed in infantry and is eligible for award of the CIB notwithstanding absence of a written directive detailing that soldier in the infantry, provided all other requirements for the award have been met. Orders directing the officer to assume command will be confirmed in writing at the earliest practicable date.

(2) In addition, any officer, warrant officer, or enlisted man whose branch is other than infantry, who under appropriate orders was assigned to advise a unit listed in (4) and (5) below or was assigned as a member of a White Star Mobile Training Team or a member of MAAG-Laos as indicated in f (l) and (2) below will be eligible for award of the CIB provided all other requirements have been met.

(3) After 1 December 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.

(4) Subsequent to 1 March 1961, a soldier must have been-

(a) Assigned as advisor to an infantry unit, ranger unit, infantry type unit of the civil guard of regimental or smaller size, and/or infantry-type unit of the self defense corps unit of regimental or smaller size of the Vietnamese government during any period such unit was engaged in actual ground combat.

(b) Assigned as advisor of an irregular force comparable to the above infantry units under similar conditions.

(c) Personally present and under fire while serving in an assigned primary duty as a member of a tactical advisory team while the unit participated in ground combat

(5) Subsequent to 24 May 1965, to qualify for the CIB, personnel serving in U.S. units must meet the requirements of c (l) above. Individuals who performed liaison duties with the Royal Thai Army or the Army of the Republic of Korea combat units in Vietnam are eligible for award of the badge provided they meet all other requirements.

f. Laos - From 19 April 1961 to 6 October 1962 a soldier must have been- '

(1) Assigned as member of a White Star Mobile Training Team while the team was attached to or working with a unit of regimental (groupment mobile) or smaller size of Forces Armee du Royaume (FAR), or with irregular type forces of regimental or smaller size.

(2) A member of MAAG-Laos assigned as an advisor to a region or zone of FAR, or while serving with irregular type forces of regimental or smaller size.

(3) Personally under hostile fire while assigned as specified in (1) or (2) above.

g. Dominican Republic - From 28 April 1965 to 21 September 1966, the soldier must have met the criteria prescribed in b and c above.

h. Korea - Subsequent to 4 January 1969, a soldier must have-

(1) Served in the hostile fire area at least 60 days and been authorized hostile fire pay.

(2) Been assigned to an infantry unit of company or smaller size and must be an infantry officer in the grade of captain or lower. Warrant officers and enlisted men must possess an infantry MOS. In the case of an officer whose basic branch is other than infantry who, under appropriate orders, has commanded an infantry company or smaller size infantry unit for at least 30 days, the award may be made provided all the following requirements are met .

(3) Been engaged with the enemy in the hostile fire area or in active ground combat involving an exchange of small arms fire at least 5 times.

(4) Been recommended personally by each commander in the chain of command and approved at division level. If killed or wounded as a direct result of overt enemy action, he must be recommended personally by each commander in the chain of command and approved at division level. In the case of infantrymen killed by enemy action, the requirement for at least 5 engagements ((3) above) and the requirement for the incident to have taken place in the hostile fire area, including the 60-day requirement ((1) above), will be waived. In the case of individuals wounded, even though outside the hostile fire area, the 5 engagements requirement and the 60 day requirement may be waived when it can be clearly established that the wound was a direct result of overt hostile action.

(5) Been eligible for award of the CIB after 4 January 1969, for service in the Republic of Vietnam, as noncommissioned officers serving as Command Sergeants Major of infantry battalions and brigades for periods of at least 30 consecutive days in a combat zone.

i. Grenada (Operation URGENT FURY) - From 22 October 1983 to 21 November 1983, the soldier must have met the criteria prescribed in b and c above.

j. Panama (Operation JUST CAUSE) - From 20 December 1989 to 31 January 1990, the soldier must have met the criteria prescribed in b and c above. Special forces personnel (less the special forces medical sergeant) are eligible for the CIB effective 20 December 1989. Retroactive awards are not authorized.

k. Persian Gulf War (Operation DESERT STORM) - From 17 January 1991 to 11 April 1991, the soldier must have met the criteria prescribed in b and c above. Retroactive awards are not authorized.

l. Who may award.

(1) Current awards. Current awards of the CIB may be awarded by the Commanding General, Eighth U.S. Army, any commander delegated authority by the Secretary of the Army during war time, and the Commanding General, PERSCOM.
(2) Retroactive awards. Retroactive awards of the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Combat Medical Badge may be made to fully qualified individuals. Such awards will not be made except where evidence of injustice is presented. Active duty soldiers will forward their applications through command channels to Commander PERSCOM, ATTN: TAPC-PDA, Alexandria, VA 22332-0471. Reserve Component soldiers, retirees, and veterans should address their application to Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN; DARP-PAS-EAW, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200.


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Curtis---Hope this helps.

[SEATJERKER]

... A Brother, March 1969...

...

[Keith_Hixson]

The Infantry Badge, what does that entail? The one without a wreath.

I know people with 11B Mos who don't have one. Just curious.

Keith


P.S. Gimpy you are a beaurcrat! Good research.

[Gimpy]

Here you go!

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EXPERT INFANTRY



I. DESCRIPTION: A silver and enamel badge 7/16 inch in height and 3 inches in width, consisting of an Infantry musket on a light blue bar with a silver border.

II. SYMBOLISM: The bar is blue, the color associated with the Infantry branch. The musket is adapted from the Infantry insignia of branch and represents the first official U.S. shoulder arm, 1795 model Springfield Arsenal musket. It was adopted as the official Infantry branch insignia in 1924.

III. AWARD ELIGIBILITY: Personnel must meet Department of the Army established testing requirements and must possess a military occupational specialty within Career Management Field 11 (Infantry) or 18 (Special Forces), less MOS 18D.

IV. DATE APPROVED: The Expert Infantryman Badge was approved by the Secretary of War on 7 October 1943 and announced in War Department Circular 269 dated 27 October 1943.

V. SUBDUED BADGE: The subdued badge is authorized in metal and cloth. The metal badge has a black finish. The cloth badge has an olive green base cloth with the rifle and border of the bar embroidered in black.

VI. MINIATURE BADGE: A miniature badge, 1 3/4 inches in length and 3/8 inch in height, is authorized in lieu of the regular size badge. A dress miniature badge, 1 1/4 inches in length and 3/16 inch in height, is also authorized.


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[Andy]

I had no idea there were so many rules. When I got to the 25th ID they told us, after 90 days or your first Purple Heart you'll get a CIB. Two of the six of us got our CIB prior to the 90 days.
I wonder why the 25th said 90 days and the regulations said just 30 days? It wasn't like we were getting shot at once ever three months, wasn't like that at all.

Hey Jerker: if your friend was in Vietnam and spent a year there in '69 and had an Infantry MOS, it sure seems it would be hard not to get a CIB. What's the rest of the story? I've heard that people who got a "bad paper", dishonorable discharge, had areas on the discharge left blank, hence there would be no mention of a CIB or other awards. That's not the case is it? Has this guy let you see his DD-214?

Stay healthy,
Andy

[SEATJERKER]

...just in the begining stages of meeting him...

...was not an in the infantry, but went to a "jungle school for 30+ days under hostile conditions/over run/ lost a LT to a "misadventure" ???...

...something about the 65th engineers, and maybe the 25th??? in the area at the time, was hard hearing everything(i'm deafish under certian conditions,eg: lots of backround noise) during the "flag day" parade yesterday...

...???Cu Chi???...

[SuperScout]

One of the criteria used in the 2-47th Infantry (Mech), 9th Infantry Division, was to have been engaged in hostile action, (for those of you in Rio Linda, that means getting shot at). 'Course, you also had to be wearing an 11B MOS, be an infantry occifer, or if not, assigned to an infantry unit. Got mine after about 3 weeks in country. There should not any criteria for the Purple Heart, as this award has nothing to do with the CIB. BTW: in my new email address, I use the CIB part as my identifier.

[exlrrp]

Well, I got mine in the 21st century, it took a Congressman to do it but it happened.
That would be my reccommendation--save yourself a lot of time, go right to the Congressman. I had statements from 6 people I served with in 2 different units--one of them was my LRRP platoon leader and another was my former LRRP team leader (who retired as a colonel) The Army records, which I later obtained, clearly had me stationed at the right place at the right time with the right MOS.
The military records division turned me down flat after over a year--said there was not enough evidence to supprt the claim.
Thats when I went to the Congressman-guess I had enough of that bullshit in the Army.
Sure enough, 2 months later , there was another letter from the same colonel who turned me down telling me what a great honor it was and how much my country appreciated my humble efforts. The citation read: For satisfactory performance under fire--My, that was generous of them. Not exactly " Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty" but I guess it will have to do. I don't claim to have been really brave but I do claim to have been really there
I don't kid myself it's much of an honor if I had to apply twice for something everybody else I served with got as a freebie but there was a great amount of personal satisfaction in finally making the Army do what's right, no doubt.
Still, it did give me another cool LRRP story to tell--who else was given his CIB in the 21st Century by a Congressman with his son there to see it?

Good luck to your friend

James

PS. don't start at the Records Division, they don't have the authority to grant medals
Start at:
Lt Col Deborah Ivory
Dept of The Army
Military Awards Branch
US Total Army Personnell Cmmand
Alexandria, VA
22332-0471

Tell her James sent you

[Andy]

If this guy was an engineer with the 25th, there is no doubt that he came under fire. But if he was an engineer and not a grunt, he can't get a CIB. As Scout said no 11B, no CIB. There really should be something for engineers who were in combat, just like what medics get, unfortunately I'm not in charge of the army.

Super, your right a CIB and a PH are apples and oranges. However, if you are an 11B and you do get a PH in a combat zone, the CIB goes without saying.
They really ragged us when we were cherries. When we drew our basic equipment older guys told us supply had made a mistake not issuing us PH's, no need to wait to the last minute. They also told us to go back to supply to get some white lamp black and a skyhook. (I didn't bit.)
Then an officer, 2-6 ordered two other guys and me to clean out a track. It was still filled with all the equipment you'd expect inside an APC that had just come in from the field. But this one had been hit in the side with an RPG. Two guys had been squatting down in the cargo bay during a fire fight. They had taken out the bodies but not all the "parts". If there had been any glamor to the idea of war, it all went away that day.

James congrads again on the CIB. At least you got paperwork, a little late but paperwork. CIB was on my DD-214 but I never saw so much as a note written on a piece of C-rat toilet paper. They just told me to get the thing sewn on to my shirts - black out of course. Had to pay for it myself. Just the same it was a raw deal for you and I'm glad it worked out.

Stay healthy,
Andy