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The Combat Infantryman Badge


Steve B.
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It seems that these subdued metal insignia (CIB, qual badges, Officer ranks and branches) were produced only around 1969 and seldom used, although you can see the officer ranks and branches worn in Vietnam and in the immediate post-war years.

I have never seen the CIB being worn, but have been told that Army aircrews in Vietnam wore the subdued metal EIB on their uniforms as a substitute for not being authorized the CIB. This has to be verified.

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Gentleman, ask and ye shall receive. thumbsup.gif

The following pictures are members of the US Army Support Command 2nd Security Company Da Nang 1971.

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thumbsup.gifthumbsup.gifthumbsup.gif Great job Mr X!!!!That's right,often it is possible to see subdued metal CIB or other bdges for sale on Ebay,but as pointed out by other users of this forum it seems that te use of these was not so common.That's great to see these pictures!
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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is a new one for me, I got it and two minatures for only $6. This is my first one with acorns. The back is marked L-22, anyone know who the maker is?

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VolunteerArmoury

I secured a bunch of subdued pin on CIBs from our supply about a year or two ago that were in packets with 1968 dates. I think I got the full box with a label on the box of 1968. Who knows where I put them otherwise I'd take a photo of them.

 

We had all sorts of good stuff in there. I had a few boxes of 1968 dated RVN Service Medals and a few M8 scabbards and Basic Nuclear Reactor Operater Badges.

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Maybe the reason the subdued CIB's are so common on e-Bay is because a bunch of them were manufactured but their wear never caught on. It just never made sense to me why anyone would bother wearing one when he could just as easily have an embroidered version sewn on a uniform. As far as I know, a CIB is not a rescindable award, so once you earned it you were always entitled to wear it. It certainly would not be practical to be wearing one in the field where shoulder straps from a rucksack would cause it to dig into your chest or it may get caught on foliage.

 

By the way, I like those pictures from the security unit yearbook. I have always wondered if guys in those types of units earned CIB's in Vietnam. I know that they were infantry, but I think their primary duties were security and protection of built up installations in the "rear". Still, I guess if someone had an infantry MOS, was assigned to an infantry unit and engaged in active combat with the enemy, even such as returning fire from a bunker on the perimeter of an ammo dump or airfield, he met the qualifications for the CIB. Even though people often refer to the requirement of 30 days in the filed to qualify, I think at most that was some sort of local rule in certain units. I don't believe Army regulations ever required a specific number of days either in the filed or under fire to qualify.

 

Finally, the reference to helicopter crews wearing the Expert Infantry Badge in a sort of protest to not being eligible for the CIB is interesting and something I have never hear. However, I don't think it would have been common practice for them to have have worn the pin-on variety, at least not on their flight uniforms. From what I have read, crewmembers preferred not to wear any sort of pin-on metal insignia because if they were involved in a crash that caused a fire, those badges would heat up like a brand and could leave a permanent mark on the skin.

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Hi'

 

here are insignia of GLM posted in page number 3.

I think that the first is a French manufacture.

the type of clamp in the back is typical.

BEING DRAGO or AUGIS.

 

david think.gif

 

 

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post-84-1167611602.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
The EIB is an award for passing skill tests. The CIB is for time in combat. Both were created in WW2. The rules for awarding the CIB has changed several times over the yeras and I'm sure the same is true of the EIB.

 

I always held my EIB in a much higher regard than my CIB because I busted my tail to earn it. All you have to do to earn the CIB is to get shot at.

 

John

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Heres the backs most are maker marked enjoy brian

 

 

ROW 1

V-21

S-21 STERLING

STERLING SB

E & H SIMON STERLING

GEMSCO NY

GERMAN MADE 2ND AWD PIN BACK

 

ROW 2

ASIAN MADE 2ND AWD

L-22

WILLIAMS & ANDERSON

ASIAN MADE

GERMAN MADE PIN BACK

ASIAN MADE SAND CAST

 

ROW 3

VOLUPTE 1/20SF GI

STERLING SB

S-21 STERLING WAS 3RD AWD

STERLING PINBACK

GEMSCO STERLING 2 PIECE SOLDERED

STERLING 2 PIECE

 

ROW 4 STERLING

KREW G-I STERLING

NS MEYER INC NEW YORK STERLING M22 SHIELD

NS MEYER INC NEW YORK 9M SHIELD

NS MEYER INC NEW YORK MEYER NEW YORK SHIELD

NS MEYER INC NEW YORK STERLING MEYER NEW YORK SHIELD

 

MINI'S

STERLING PINBACK

GEMSCO STERLING PINBACK

NS MEYER NEW YORK MEYER NEW YORK SHIELD PINBACK

M-22

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Hi Brian,

 

Nice collection. I love the variety.

 

If you type CIB in the search engine, there is a lengthy thread on these you might enjoy.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is a picture of my Combat Infantryman's Badge which I acquired back in the early 90's shortly after returning from the Gulf War. It is much more detailed and fancy than the standard CIB's they had available at the Army Clothing & Sales store which is why I purchased it. It is made of sterling silver and is marked "J. Balme, France". I picked it up at an off base military store and have never seen these types of CIB's for sale since then. I was curious if these are still made? If so...where can I purchase one?

I remember getting harassed a lot when I wore this fancy CIB by some G.I.'s who claimed it wasn't "authorized" since it was too different from the normal CIB's out there. When I attended the Basic Non-Commissioned Officers Course (BNCOC) at Ft. Stewart, GA the cadre gave me a real hard time about it because it didn't conform to the standard CIB or EIB's that were out there. They threatened to kick me out if I didn't replace it with a standard one. Of course I knew they were bluffing, ignored them, and kept it displayed on my class A uniform for inspection. smokin.gif

If anybody out there can give me more information on the maker of this badge and if it's still available I'd greatly appreciate it...THANKS!

John

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I just posted these pics on the regular forum but figured I'd add them here as well.

I picked up this extremely fancy and detailed CIB from a military store back in the early 90's shortly after returning from the Gulf War. It is made of sterling and is very thick and heavy. It is marked "J. Balme, France" on the back. I was curious if anybody out there can provide more info or history on this style of CIB and if they are still available. I would love to acquire a second copy for my award case (this one is displayed on my old class A uniform).

Thanks!

John

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This was the only thing I could find on the internet about "J. Balme".

 

"Combat Infantry Badge CIB Sterling Silver. This is a very rare CIB and a very heavy one weighing 34 grams, that’s over a ounce. Notice the rifle butt and the scroll work on it. This was originally made in France by J Balme and famious for their designs. But never approved by the US because they were not a US Company. The Balme CIB is one of the hardest to find of all the Balme insignia and therefore not in many collections."

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This was the only thing I could find on the internet about "J. Balme".

 

"Combat Infantry Badge CIB Sterling Silver. This is a very rare CIB and a very heavy one weighing 34 grams, that’s over a ounce. Notice the rifle butt and the scroll work on it. This was originally made in France by J Balme and famous for their designs. But never approved by the US because they were not a US Company. The Balme CIB is one of the hardest to find of all the Balme insignia and therefore not in many collections."

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These were made circa 1983 -- after the Grenada ops -- at the behest of Phillips Publications, as were very nicely detailed (striated feathers) jump wings. But, as said, the fancy scrollwork drew the wrath of the establishment. BTW the scrollwork was NOT ordered; it was added in by the balme people because they thought the GI design was too plain. The jump wings also drew fire because the combat jump stars were renderedin gold instead of bronze; they were a bit larger too.

 

BTW Balme is best known for holy medals and a few French govt non-militayr medals. Don't know if they are still in business, or have made anything military in the late 25 years.

 

Jim Phillips may have some left. Try writing himat P.O. Box 168, Williamstown NJ 08094 or Fax (609) 561-4967

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FightenIrish35

Hey Guys,

I thought of this question randomly when I was reading combat records of various ordnance and armored crew records and realized that these guys would have had to pass the same qualifiaction as an infantryman. My basic question to al of you is when was a comaby infatry badge presented and also what are the only companys that can recieve one. Can lets say an Ordnance company recieve the combat infaftry badge after a heavy encounter with the enemy or somthing along those lines with other companys.

 

Thanks ahead of times pals thumbsup.gif

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