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The Combat Infantryman Badge


Steve B.
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While the regulations are fairly clear cut, I'm sure sure their implementation tended to vary from unit to unit. That is probably where the 30 days on the line requirement came from. Maybe some commanders felt anyone who had served on the line that long had paid his dues. I know in the case of my father's CIB earned in Vietnam, the orders were dated about 2 1/2 months after he arrived in-country. But some of the guys from his company who were listed on the same orders had been in-country for six months. There is a passage in Michael Lee Lanning's book "The Only War We Had" where he mentioned that one day, while serving as an infantry platoon leader in the 199th Infantry Brigade, he asked the company 1st Sergeant when he was going to get his CIB. The sergeant responded basically that the Lt. would get it when he (the 1st Sgt.) felt he had earned it. However, the orders came down within a few days.

 

I think the purpose of the Combat Acton Badge is to rectify some of the inequities raised in this thread. When the CIB was created it was reasoned that of all soldiers in the Army, the combat infantryman uniquely bore the brunt of the fighting and hardships of combat. The Combat Medic Badge recognized the medics who shared the same hardships serving side by side with the infantryman. But some have argued that others such as some combat engineers, artillery forward observers and even some signalmen basically live the same life as the frontline infantryman. In my opinion, the CAB was the right compromise because it gives recognition to anyone, regardless of MOS, who has actually been in combat while preserving the prestige of the CIB. I think anyone who sees the CIB should recognize that it really symbolizes two things - one, that the recipient has served in actual combat, but just as importantly it symbolizes the hardships, stress and frequent deprivations of the soldier whose day to day job is th hunt down the enemy and kill him.

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I got away from CIB's for a while, but finally picked up this German made piece.

 

What makes this special for me is that it came out of the Gary Morlang collection.

 

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I got away from CIB's for a while, but finally picked up this German made piece.

 

What makes this special for me is that it came out of the Gary Morlang collection.

 

post-78-1229712763.jpg

Nice piece Jim! Any idea when this piece was made, or who it was made by?

 

Sivart

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Hi Sivart,

 

No idea. There are no markings at all. It also does not look like silver. I was always told these pins are German.

 

40's - 50's would be my guess though.

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Hi Sivart,

 

No idea. There are no markings at all. It also does not look like silver. I was always told these pins are German.

 

40's - 50's would be my guess though.

I have many German items with identical pinbacks, I wonder if anyone has cataloged the various unmarked German makers in the immediate post war period. I am fairly certain I saw this item on Ebay, glad that it went to a good home!

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Laury Allison

Here is my display of my metal CIB/EIB, CMB, EFMB. and CABs. I think there is a thread with this one listed on here somewhere...dont remember or know where it is though.

 

Laury

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I know there are a lot of badge collectors out there. I'm not sure how many have seen what official orders look like so I decided to scan some copies to share with everyone. One is for the CIB and the other is for the EIB. As far as a I know there is no official "certificate" that goes with these badges. If so they are probably local unit certificates produced at the Battalion or Brigade level. The same goes for the Army Parachutist Badge and the Army Air Assault Badge. Typically the awardee would only receive the badge and a copy of the orders.

John


A picture says a thousand words! My dusty jungle boots, after a 12 mile road march in a 105 degree Texas Heat, posed next to my first Army Achievement Medal and coveted EIB.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am interested if anyone has been able to attribute the variations between the removable wreaths on some EIB's to a country, time period, or even a specific maker. After a quick look online, found these different wreaths. I only used pictures of the reverse of the wreaths.

The first two have the same overall style, but the first one appears to have a smoother border than the second.

The third wreath is mine and is of a different style entirely.

 

Can anyone add information about these variations? Perhaps one style or the other is modern reproduction??

 

Sivart

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Would someone please post a scan of the appropriate reg that rquires 30 days in combat for award of the CIB?

 

This is a common belief, but I've never seen it in print in an official Army-wide regulation or publication.

 

I believe the 30-day rule may have been a local unit poilicy only.

Here is a copy of the orders awarding the CIB to members of the 506th Parachute Infantry for the Normandy campaign. Note that the orders are dated June 15, 1944, only nine days after D-Day when the unit first went into combat. So obviously the 506th did not consider 30 days on the line to be a requirement. In fact, some of the recipients never technically engaged in ground combat against the enemy. For example, 1st Lt. Thomas Meehan, whose name is first on the second column, was commander of Easy Company of "Band Of Brothers" fame. His plane was shot down on D-day and he was killed before he ever jumped, so his award was posthumous even though it is not indicated as such.

 

Here is a link to the full document if the scan is too small to read: http://www.506infantry.org/officialDocuments/official.html

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Ah, the exceptions! They are what can make this hobby and history in general so interesting. As was mentioned earlier by MR-X, some airborne artillery did receive the CIB for Normandy, but I'm not sure they got to keep them. I have the uniforms of the late Maj. Morton Harris who was 101st Division Artillery. He wore the CIB, but years later when I finally got some of his papers from St. Louis there was no mention of it. I'm sure he was blissfully unaware he was wearing something he shouldn't have, but there is no question he felt he had earned it. It was given to him so he wore it with pride.

Another unit that was technically not infantry, but definitely was issued the CIB, was the 1st Special Service Force. I believe that even the Canadian members were issued the badge unofficially during the war.

Jim

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I can't scan it, but this link and reference may contribute to the misunderstanding about the 30 day policy: www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_8_22.pdf is the link to the current version (11 DEC 2006) of AR 600-8-22, Army Awards. Per para 8-6e(1), page 99:

"e. The special provisions authorized for the Vietnam Conflict, Laos, and Korea on the DMZ are outlined below.

(1) During the Vietnam Conflict, 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."

 

I don't see a requirement in para 8-6b (page 98-99) for 30 consecutive days in combat for award of the CIB. It appears the 30 consecutive days requirement was unique to non-infantrymen who commanded line infantry companies during the VN conflict, as I read this. It's an interesting point to discuss, and I wonder what the regulatory requirements for award of the CIB were during the VN Conflict? Apparently, the period reference was US Army Vietnam Regulation 672-1, per the info at boards.law.af.mil/ARMY/BCMR/CY2006/20060005828C070205.doc but I haven't yet found a copy of the reg online.

 

There's a transcription of the 1995 version of AR 600-8-22, para 2-6 at www.amervets.com/replacement/cib.htm#isr which provides some interesting insight to the history of the CIB, and approval. In the interest of brevity, I won't copy and paste it here.

 

HTH,

Thrasher

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Then of course there is the EIB. Expert Infantryman Badge which is identical in appearance (silver rifle on blue background) as the CIB .......only without the impressive surrounding wreath.

All AIT Infantry School Grads may wear this lesser cousin of the CIB.

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All AIT Infantry School Grads may wear this lesser cousin of the CIB.

 

Not true!

 

The EIB requires a separate set of tests.

 

A recent grad of Infantry AIT may be more prpared to pass the tests, but it is NOT automatically issued when they graduate.

 

Steve

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Training for the EIB test is a big part of the training program for an infantry unit and the yearly tests are difficult. A percentage of those taking the test fail to win their EIB's.

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Hi Doyler,

 

Well, curiousity got the best of me. We'll get a better look at it when it gets here. ;)

 

 

Im no expert but Im leaning toward Japan.I would have thought VN period but it does look like old stock clutches.At any rate a nice piece.

 

I may have an armored ike to post for ya later

just bought it last night.

RON

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