Combat Medical Badge
Authorized in 1945,
the CMB was created as a "companion" badge to the CIB with criteria for
its award intended to parallel that of the CIB. It was designed to
provide recognition to the field medic who accompanies the infantryman
into battle and shares with him the experiences unique to the infantry
in combat. There was never any intention to award the CMB to all medical
personnel who served in a combat zone or imminent danger area, that is a
division level medical company supporting an infantry brigade.
As with the CIB, the infantry unit to which the medical personnel are
assigned or attatched must engage the enemy in active ground combat.
Since inception, the intent of the Department of the Army regarding this
requirement has been that medical personnel must be personally present
and under fire in order to be eligible for the awarding of the badge
So stringent was this requirement during the Vietnam era that
recommending officials were required to document the place (in six digit
coordinates), time, type, and intensity of fire to which the proposed
recipient was exposed. This fact naturally precludes the awarding of the
badge to those medical personnel who accompany infantry units into a
potential engagement area but do not come under enemy fire.
*****
Combat
Medical Badge
Paragraph 8-7, Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards)
25 February 1995
a. History.
(1) Originally established as the Medical Badge, the Combat Medical
Badge (CMB) was created by the War Department on 1 March 1945. It could
be awarded to officers, warrant officers, and enlisted men of the
Medical Department assigned or attached to the medical detachment of
infantry regiments, infantry battalions, and elements thereof designated
as infantry in tables of organization or tables of organization and
equipment. Its evolution stemmed from a requirement to recognize medical
aidmen who shared the same hazards and hardships of ground combat on a
daily basis with the infantry soldier. Though established almost a year
and a half after the CIB, it could be awarded retroactively to 7
December 1941 to fully qualified personnel.
(2) Like the CIB, the Regimental Commander was the lowest level at which
the CMB could be approved and it also carried with it a separate
provision for enlisted badge holders to receive a $10 per month pay
stipend.
(3) The CMB could be awarded to Medical Department personnel assigned or
attached to infantry units of Allied Forces when the duties performed
were identical with those performed by medical personnel assigned or
attached to U.S. Forces.
(4) The CMB could also be awarded to U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force
medical personnel provided they met all the requirements of Army medics.
(5) Effective 20 December 1989, special forces personnel possessing
Military Occupational Specialty 18D (Special Operations Medical
Sergeant) became qualified for award of the CMB provided they were
otherwise qualified.
(6) In 1991, the Chief of Staff, Army authorized a limited expansion of
CMB eligibility to include medical personnel assigned or attached to
armor and ground cavalry units provided they meet all other qualifying
criteria. This expansion was retroactive to 17 January 1991 to cover the
period of Operation DESERT STORM.
b. Intent.
(1) The CMB was created as a "companion" badge to the CIB with criteria
for its award intended to parallel that of the CIB. It was designed to
provide recognition to the field medic who accompanies the infantryman
into battle and shares with him the experiences unique to the infantry
in combat. There was never any intention to award the CMB to all medical
personnel who serve in a combat zone or imminent danger area, that is, a
division-level medical company supporting a maneuver brigade.
(2) As with the CIB, the infantry unit to which the medical personnel
are assigned or attached must engage the enemy in active ground combat.
Since inception, the intent of the Department of the Army regarding this
requirement has been that medical personnel must be personally present
and under fire in order to be eligible for the awarding of the badge. So
stringent was this requirement during the Vietnam era that recommending
officials were required to document the place (in six digit
coordinates), time, type, and intensity of fire to which the proposed
recipient was exposed. This fact naturally precludes the awarding of the
badge to those medical personnel who accompany infantry units into a
potential engagement area but do not come under enemy fire.
(3) Over the years, there has been some confusion concerning the phrase
"...in direct support of an infantry unit...". The CMB is intended for,
and awarded to, those medical personnel who accompany the infantryman
into combat. The Army has never approved of deviations from this purpose
and its restrictive criteria. During the World War II era, medical
support for infantry units in combat was provided by the medical
detachments and companies of battalions and regiments. These medical
personnel and units were termed direct support. This concept lasted
until Vietnam. Today, medical personnel are assigned as organic
personnel to infantry companies and are regarded as participants as
opposed to being categorized as those providing direct medical support.
For example medical personnel serving in division-level medical
companies, ground ambulance and medical clearing companies, mobile-Army
surgical hospital (MASH), combat-support hospital (CSH), and field
hospitals, and aeromedical evacuation units are not eligible for the CMB.
The sole criteria which qualifies medical personnel for award of the CMB
is to be assigned or attached to an infantry unit engaged in active
ground combat. Medical personnel other than those medics organic to
infantry units may qualify only if they serve as medical personnel
accompanying infantrymen. Conceivably, this could occur if an infantry
unit lost all its medics and as a temporary or permanent measure medical
personnel were attached to an infantry unit, but remained assigned to a
hospital or other non-infantry unit.
c. Specific eligibility requirements:
(1) The following medical personnel, assigned or attached by appropriate
orders to an infantry unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size, or
to a medical unit of company or smaller size, organic to an infantry
unit of brigade or smaller size, during any period the infantry unit is
engaged in actual ground combat, are eligible for award of the CMB,
provided they are personally present and under fire during such ground
combat:
(a) Subsequent to 6 December 1941-Army Medical Department (colonels and
below), the Navy Medical Department (captains and below), the Air Force
Medical Service (colonels and below), assigned or attached to the Army,
who have satisfactorily performed medical duties
(b) Subsequent to 19 December 1989-Special Forces personnel possessing
military occupational specialty 18D (Special Operations Medical
Sergeant) who satisfactorily performed medical duties while assigned or
attached to a special forces unit during any period the unit is engaged
in actual ground combat, provided they are personally present and under
fire. Retroactive awards are not authorized.
(c) Subsequent to 16 January 1991-Personnel outlined in (a) above,
assigned or attached to armor and ground cavalry units of brigade or
smaller size, who satisfactorily perform medical duties while the unit
is engaged in actual ground combat, provided they are personally present
and under fire. Retroactive awards are not authorized.
(2) Awards will not be made to general or flag officers.
d. Subsequent awards.
(1) To date, a separate award of the CMB has been authorized for
qualified soldiers who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the
Vietnam Conflict. Service in the Republic of Vietnam conflict 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 CMB for service in any of
the Vietnam era areas, that soldier is not eligible to earn the Combat
Infantryman Badge.
(2) Second and third awards of the CMB are indicated by superimposing 1
and 2 stars respectively, centered at the top and bottom of the badge.
e. Special provisions - Republic of Vietnam,
(1) Subsequent to 1 March 1961, a soldier must have been assigned to a
Vietnamese unit engaged in actual ground combat or as a member of a US
army infantry unit of brigade or smaller size, including Special Forces
Detachments, serving with a Republic of Vietnam unit engaged in actual
ground combat. The Republic of Vietnam unit must have been of regimental
size or smaller and either an infantry, ranger, infantry-type unit of
the civil guard, infantry-type unit of the self-defense corps, or of the
irregular forces. The soldier must have been personally present and
under hostile fire while assigned as specified.
(2) Subsequent to 24 May 1965, soldiers serving in U.S. units
must meet the requirements of c(1) above. Soldiers 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, the 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, the soldier must-
(1) Have served in the hostile fire area at least 60 days and be
authorized hostile fire pay.
(2) Have satisfactorily performed medical duties while assigned or
attached to a medical unit of an infantry unit of brigade, regimental,
or smaller size, or as a member of a medical platoon of an infantry or
airborne brigade headquarters company; must have been physically present
during any period in which the infantry unit was engaged in active
ground combat involving an exchange of small arms fire at least five
times.
(3) Be 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 medical personnel killed by enemy action, the requirement
for at least five engagements ((2) 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 five 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.
i. Grenada (Operation URGENT FURY). From 22 October 1983 to 21 November
1983, the soldier must meet the criteria prescribed in c(l) above.
j. Panama (Operation JUST CAUSE). From 20 December 1989 to 31 January
1990, the soldier must meet the criteria prescribed in c(l) above.
k. Persian Gulf War (Operation DESERT STORM). From 17 January 1991 to 11
April 1991, the soldier must meet the criteria prescribed in c(l) above.
l. Who may award. Same as for the Combat Infantryman Badge (para 8-6)