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Posted on Apr 15, 2017
Do the Army combat identification badge and the combat action badge not go hand in hand?
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Why do some soldiers have both and some have either or?
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Combat Patch (SSI-FWTS)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 22
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I'm authorized 2 CSIBs but do not have a CAB or CIB. The CSIB indicates the unit a Soldier deployed with. Everyone who deploys to a combat zone, regardless of their role or level of contact experienced, earns the right to wear one. A combat action badge is awarded for direct contact with the enemy. Many people have deployed multiple times and not had direct contact with an enemy force.
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MCPO (Join to see)
CPL M Miller - Not wrong at all. If you want the CIB, you should have chosen the 11 or 18 series for your MOS. You want the CMFB, you should have chosen to be a medic.
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Sgt Dale Briggs
Seems strange to be an 03 and you get a badge for pulling the trigger, it’s your job and it’s what your supposed to do. Don’t need a badge.
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CPL M Miller
MCPO (Join to see) - So what you say is that all MOS are not soldiers first? If an MOS outside of that you describe does all required but does not get recognized for the same job? simply because they were not in an MTOE SLOT?
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SGT(P) (Join to see)
CPL M Miller - They get a CAB not a CIB, the truth is, only certain MOS do direct action. Other MOS may simply be put in the situation an infantryman could be in, but the fact still stands that you didn't sign up as a "Human Resources Specialist" to kick doors in. But to be honest who cares? Do you really want to be that desk jockey that brags about that one time he got shot at?
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The CIB is for your Infantry guy's that engage in combat actively. The CAB created because of the conflicts and type of warfare we have been fighting for over 15 years. The intent was to give all non combat MOS's a device just like the CIB, because only Infantry can receive that device for coming in contact with enemy. The battle field of these conflicts changed because of IED's and support forces needing to operate outside the wire in the same Areas as Infantry unit's, but not exactly direct Action Combat, more defensive turning into offensive to kill the enemy or defend themselves. Todays Battlefield does not have the old FEBA (Forward Edge Battle Area) and FLOT (Forward Line Of Troops) concept. You can also be an Infantry guy and because you are on a JTF that is none infantry and come in contact you can not receive the CIB, because it is not an Infantry type unit, but yet they are still exposed to enemy contact. Now I am Navy but was on a JTF in Iraq and was NCOIC, so I had to write some up and did write one Infantry and Marine up, the 11B did not like it because CIB is what an infantry guy should have.
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SSG Matthew Searcy
1SG David Spalding - Not even close to correct, Top. With all due respect, unf*ck yourself. (Source - Pogue with a CAB and Bronze Star for engaging in a complex IED/DF attack in Iraq.)
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SPC Herold Bush
CPO (Join to see) - Chief , I think you might be overlapping on some of your breakdown of the Army Branches,, Combat Arms is made up of the following branches: Combat Arms : Air Defense Artillery, Armor, Aviation, Engineers, Field Artillery, Infantry, and Special Operations Forces, Cyber. Combat Support is made up: Chemical Corps, Military Intelligence, Military Police Corps , Signal Corps , Combat Service Support is Adjutant General Corps ,Chaplain Corps, Finance Corps, Medical Corps, Ordnance Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Transportation Corps. And the Cavalry is definitely a combat mos.
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MSG Thomas Currie
LTC Gene Moser - NO Armor units received CIBs in Vietnam - some people in some Armored Cavalry units did receive a CIB.
Consider the situation back then. An Armored Cavalry platoon consisted of 10 identical combat vehicles. Nine of those ten identical vehicles were crewed by 11D personnel, one was crewed by 11B personnel. All performed exactly the same mission under exactly the same conditions every minute of every day. The 11B personnel automatically got the CIB. The 11D personnel got nothing. So, yes, some commanders would use their valid authority to reclass some of the 11D's to 11B and rotate everyone through the TO&E slots to legitimately receive the badge they earned.
Was that the right thing to do? Maybe, maybe not. It certainly would have been morally and logically better if the army had been willing to acknowledge that Infantry had ceased to be the only or even primary combat arm, but that never happened - and never will.
Throughout most of GWOT the Army insisted on believing that "A brigade is a brigade is a brigade" with every combat arms brigade equal and interchangeable. The entire unit deployment system hinged on that false assumption. That same attitude trickled down within the brigades, so that commanders pretended that A Battalion is a battalion is a battalion and even a company is a company is a company -- regardless of branch, regardless of TO&E, regardless of unit strength, regardless of unit organization. That's how the Army ended up rotating out a light infantry company and replacing it with an artillery battery assigned the same mission covering the same area. That's how the Army ended up rotating tank battalions to Iraq without any tanks, letting them use the same HMMWVs that the infantry battalion before them used to patrol the same area. But, of course, "Infantry" are the only soldiers who really engage in direct combat.
Consider the situation back then. An Armored Cavalry platoon consisted of 10 identical combat vehicles. Nine of those ten identical vehicles were crewed by 11D personnel, one was crewed by 11B personnel. All performed exactly the same mission under exactly the same conditions every minute of every day. The 11B personnel automatically got the CIB. The 11D personnel got nothing. So, yes, some commanders would use their valid authority to reclass some of the 11D's to 11B and rotate everyone through the TO&E slots to legitimately receive the badge they earned.
Was that the right thing to do? Maybe, maybe not. It certainly would have been morally and logically better if the army had been willing to acknowledge that Infantry had ceased to be the only or even primary combat arm, but that never happened - and never will.
Throughout most of GWOT the Army insisted on believing that "A brigade is a brigade is a brigade" with every combat arms brigade equal and interchangeable. The entire unit deployment system hinged on that false assumption. That same attitude trickled down within the brigades, so that commanders pretended that A Battalion is a battalion is a battalion and even a company is a company is a company -- regardless of branch, regardless of TO&E, regardless of unit strength, regardless of unit organization. That's how the Army ended up rotating out a light infantry company and replacing it with an artillery battery assigned the same mission covering the same area. That's how the Army ended up rotating tank battalions to Iraq without any tanks, letting them use the same HMMWVs that the infantry battalion before them used to patrol the same area. But, of course, "Infantry" are the only soldiers who really engage in direct combat.
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