How many of you have one?
Do you wear it proudly and is it something you cherish? and always on your mind?
FM
Do you wear it proudly and is it something you cherish? and always on your mind?
FM
CIB Combat Infantryman Badge
- Thread starter Foul Mike
- Start date
Something I cherish and wear proudly and always will. Especially since now I'm in a MEDCOM. I always get double takes and funny looks from the 11 and 19 series when they see the big guy getting ready to shuck their teeth is rocking a CIB. Still have my blue cord at home, but can't wear it on my ASU's since I'm not in an 11 series anymore.
The reason I asked this question is because I don't see as many of them on Army people as I did years ago.
There was much abuse of awarding the CIB to REMF lifers just getting their tickets punched but it was also awarded to troops with other than an 11 MOS that were sent to the bushes because of casualties and the upper end needed more boots on the ground so they got some OJT, On the Job Training, and if they were good, didn't return to the rear to their MOS but stayed in the field humping.
Now I see more of these CAB Combat Action Badges on troops and wonder if it filled a gap?
In my platoon we had a Cook that volunteered to go out in the bush after we took a lot of casualties and stayed with us for 8 months of his 12 month tour.
He was cautious, but a real kick ass MFer out in the boonies and by the end of his tour had a Silver Star and a Bronze Star V and a Purple Heart, All earned the hard way.
He was awarded the CIB, his name is on the same orders that my CIB is on but his MOS was still listed as a Cook, I don't remember the numbers, I will have to dig them out.
The only thing he cooked was C rations out of his ruck and to have awarded him anything other than a CIB would have been a slap in the face.
He was promoted to Spec-5 through the Mess section and did not want hard stripe 11B E-5 Sgt. as he felt that was not his MOS.
RIP Spec5 Gillium FM E.Co. 5/7 Cav. 1st. Cavalry Div. 69/70
There was much abuse of awarding the CIB to REMF lifers just getting their tickets punched but it was also awarded to troops with other than an 11 MOS that were sent to the bushes because of casualties and the upper end needed more boots on the ground so they got some OJT, On the Job Training, and if they were good, didn't return to the rear to their MOS but stayed in the field humping.
Now I see more of these CAB Combat Action Badges on troops and wonder if it filled a gap?
In my platoon we had a Cook that volunteered to go out in the bush after we took a lot of casualties and stayed with us for 8 months of his 12 month tour.
He was cautious, but a real kick ass MFer out in the boonies and by the end of his tour had a Silver Star and a Bronze Star V and a Purple Heart, All earned the hard way.
He was awarded the CIB, his name is on the same orders that my CIB is on but his MOS was still listed as a Cook, I don't remember the numbers, I will have to dig them out.
The only thing he cooked was C rations out of his ruck and to have awarded him anything other than a CIB would have been a slap in the face.
He was promoted to Spec-5 through the Mess section and did not want hard stripe 11B E-5 Sgt. as he felt that was not his MOS.
RIP Spec5 Gillium FM E.Co. 5/7 Cav. 1st. Cavalry Div. 69/70
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It's rare to see an 11b or 18 series without a cib in today's army although it's starting to swing back as less guy deploy.
All other MOS besides medics now get a CAB. Medics still get their combat medic badge.
I have never heard of any mos being awarded a CIB besides 11 and 18 series.
All other MOS besides medics now get a CAB. Medics still get their combat medic badge.
I have never heard of any mos being awarded a CIB besides 11 and 18 series.
I too have one (OIF 06-07),and almost always have a mini CIB on my sports coat for formal business meetings and dining. Don’t wear it at weddings and non-military funerals cause that shit is about them and not me.
As for non-11 series being awarded CIB’s, I’ve never heard of that. Always thought is for 11’s from E1 through O6. I will say that when we ran the EIB lanes, after our Brigade ran through, the pogues got a chance to run the lanes. My reward for earning my EIB was grading cooks and shit at the 240B station. They could “earn” an EIB, but couldn’t wear them. Good for promotion points I think.
As for non-11 series being awarded CIB’s, I’ve never heard of that. Always thought is for 11’s from E1 through O6. I will say that when we ran the EIB lanes, after our Brigade ran through, the pogues got a chance to run the lanes. My reward for earning my EIB was grading cooks and shit at the 240B station. They could “earn” an EIB, but couldn’t wear them. Good for promotion points I think.
Not sure about current regs, but I believe it is still the same as when I was awarded mine (2004). You had to be 11 series MOS holding a 11 series slot on the UMR in a combat theater greater than 30 days and been exposed to direct fire combat. I am sure some CIB's were awarded for indirect fire, but if you weren't an 11 series you got a CAB. (Combat Action Badge) unless you were a medic. They still get awarded the CMB.
Always heard the scuttlebutt but never personally witnessed it of higher ranking individuals coming into Baghdad, hanging out in the green zone for 31 days and getting a CAB for a mortar or rocket that whizzed overhead and then returning to their duty station. I'm sure those stories cross every theater of operations and every major conflict we have had since VN.
Always heard the scuttlebutt but never personally witnessed it of higher ranking individuals coming into Baghdad, hanging out in the green zone for 31 days and getting a CAB for a mortar or rocket that whizzed overhead and then returning to their duty station. I'm sure those stories cross every theater of operations and every major conflict we have had since VN.
remember the big goofy guy at the mall in the stolen valor video...he had three of them............
I'm thinking SgtMaj Plumley will have a chat with that dude at some point in time.
There will always be that shit just to piss us off
I saw a Msgt TOC fuckup get a Silver Star for going up on top of the TOC and firing a M-2 about 10 rounds during a minor probe.
The probe was all over and we caught them at the edge of the wire when about 10 minutes later he waddled his fat ass up on top of the bunker and let a few fly. The troops up there for that night had to charge the gun as Msgt. didn't know how to, then he fired off a few then waddled back down to the close comfy confines of the big bunker where he lived.
I hope he is proud of himself and lives with the knowledge he was a ChickenShit Motherfuck and will always be a ChickenShit Motherfucker.
He scared the shit out of us on the perimeter firing after there was nothing to shoot at and only God knew where those rounds were going.
I feel certain he had a CIB too. The abuse I mentioned above. FM
I saw a Msgt TOC fuckup get a Silver Star for going up on top of the TOC and firing a M-2 about 10 rounds during a minor probe.
The probe was all over and we caught them at the edge of the wire when about 10 minutes later he waddled his fat ass up on top of the bunker and let a few fly. The troops up there for that night had to charge the gun as Msgt. didn't know how to, then he fired off a few then waddled back down to the close comfy confines of the big bunker where he lived.
I hope he is proud of himself and lives with the knowledge he was a ChickenShit Motherfuck and will always be a ChickenShit Motherfucker.
He scared the shit out of us on the perimeter firing after there was nothing to shoot at and only God knew where those rounds were going.
I feel certain he had a CIB too. The abuse I mentioned above. FM
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Probably means as much as the Combat action ribbon. Commonly awarded to REMF who heard a gun shot during a radio check in the COC.
Back in 2004-2007 if you saw a Senior Enlisted or any officer with some swag, there was a high chance it was a bullshit award.
Back in 2004-2007 if you saw a Senior Enlisted or any officer with some swag, there was a high chance it was a bullshit award.
Silver Star for this? Kind of degrades the entire concept. Where and when was this? Sounds like RVN...
Yes it was RVN, LZ Mary July-Aug 1970. Near the Cambodian border. Probably wrote it up himself then gave it to FF6 to sign in a stack of papers needing signed.
Fuck that fat slob, he at least gets to live with his heroic actions.
Were it me I don't know if I could sleep at night.
Probably doesn't bother him at all.
Once a Chicken Shit, always a Chicken Shit.
Fuck that fat slob, he at least gets to live with his heroic actions.
Were it me I don't know if I could sleep at night.
Probably doesn't bother him at all.
Once a Chicken Shit, always a Chicken Shit.
The whole deal is kind of fucked up in a way. Not that the people who earn them shouldn't get them, but there were a whole bunch of people who didn't get the equivalent for years. They may have awarded CIB's to guys who got sent up in front, but to cover it, they gave them the 11 series as a secondary MOS. Then it's legit. Not everybody got that. Infantry commanders were the ones who put a stop to most of them that did get stopped.
When we went to Grenada, the Rangers spearheaded the operation, but only stayed for four days. They awarded all Infantrymen the CIB. I wasn't particularly proud to wear mine as my understanding was you had to be in a combat zone for 30 days. Turns out it was the Operational Commanders choice to award it, if that timeline hadn't been met. He did. So, we were supposed to wear it. I'm a lot better about wearing it now.
If you didn't blow up on the first line, the reason I have issues with it, is during my time and after, people who went into combat, but weren't Infantry, didn't get it, or the promotion points for it. I'm talking RTO's that fought right alongside their buddies when needed. During the "Jessica Lynch" debacle, only one guy had his rifle ready and did some serious defending of those still alive, before he lost his own life. He wasn't Infantry so he wasn't even awarded the CIB posthumously.
Along came the CAB. Which, in spite of abuse, much like the CIB had been abused, at least awarded combat time for non-infantrymen.
When we went to Grenada, the Rangers spearheaded the operation, but only stayed for four days. They awarded all Infantrymen the CIB. I wasn't particularly proud to wear mine as my understanding was you had to be in a combat zone for 30 days. Turns out it was the Operational Commanders choice to award it, if that timeline hadn't been met. He did. So, we were supposed to wear it. I'm a lot better about wearing it now.
If you didn't blow up on the first line, the reason I have issues with it, is during my time and after, people who went into combat, but weren't Infantry, didn't get it, or the promotion points for it. I'm talking RTO's that fought right alongside their buddies when needed. During the "Jessica Lynch" debacle, only one guy had his rifle ready and did some serious defending of those still alive, before he lost his own life. He wasn't Infantry so he wasn't even awarded the CIB posthumously.
Along came the CAB. Which, in spite of abuse, much like the CIB had been abused, at least awarded combat time for non-infantrymen.
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In my time you didn't get one unless you were 11 designate as primary no matter what you did.
I say fair enough to. Other combat arms have their own thing going on and know who is who and what is what.
I say fair enough to. Other combat arms have their own thing going on and know who is who and what is what.
Besides grunts only get to do one thing, show pity on them and let them have this one thing they call their own. Son is proud of his.
I'm all about keeping CIB for infantrymen. It distinguishes what they do full time in combat vs what others don't do full time.
infantryman and 18 series. no one else. tough tits.
when i got to bragg, everyone was just returning from desert storm. everyone had their CIB, except a handful of us that didnt make it in time for the “party”. one of the guys was a model trooper, field, and garrison. you could always count on jones. anywho, jones would often wear his EIB instead of his CIB. and one day i asked him why. in his words, everyone got the CIB, but damn few of them earned the EIB, and he was more proud of his EIB.
i am of two minds about not earning my wreath. i feel like i was cheated; and i feel like i was blessed. and the answer is “yes”.
when i got to bragg, everyone was just returning from desert storm. everyone had their CIB, except a handful of us that didnt make it in time for the “party”. one of the guys was a model trooper, field, and garrison. you could always count on jones. anywho, jones would often wear his EIB instead of his CIB. and one day i asked him why. in his words, everyone got the CIB, but damn few of them earned the EIB, and he was more proud of his EIB.
i am of two minds about not earning my wreath. i feel like i was cheated; and i feel like i was blessed. and the answer is “yes”.
I don't have a CIB, I have my combat medic badge. I only wear it on my dress uniform. I was earned it on the same date as my wedding anniversary. I thought that was going to be my funeral date also.
However I don't feel the need to brag about what I have done. My patients and the guys I've served with know exactly what I have done. I only wear my combat patch from the 10th Mountain everyday. In remeberance of the great guys I was allowed to serve with.
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