Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is an award from the US Army . It was created on November 15, 1943 and can be awarded to all ranks up to and including Colonel . The criterion here is a deployment as an infantryman in direct firefight with the enemy. For multiple assignments, a star is added to the award as a corresponding upgrade up to the fourth award. The badge has been awarded to all infantry operations in the United States since World War II . In the Second Gulf War alone, 21,877 soldiers received the award, in Afghanistan so far 36,518 soldiers.
The award is an elongated badge. A stylized rifle on a silver wreath can be seen on a blue background. Up to three stars can be added to the wreath, depending on the award.
Similar awards include a. the Combat Medical Badge , the Combat Action Badge , the Parachutist Badge or the Marksmanship Badges .
Variants and qualification periods
A CIB can be awarded for wars, conflicts and operations for the following periods:
- Qualification period 1:
- Second World War (December 7, 1941– September 3, 1945)
- Qualification period 2:
- Korean War (June 27, 1950– July 27, 1953)
- Qualification period 3:
- Vietnam War (March 2, 1961– March 10, 1975)
- Laos (April 19, 1961- October 6, 1962)
- Dominican Republic (April 28, 1965– September 1, 1966), Operation Power Pack
- Korea (January 4, 1969– March 31, 1994), at the DMZ
- El Salvador (January 1, 1981– February 1, 1992), civil war
- Grenada (October 23 – November 21, 1983), Operation Urgent Fury
- Korea (November 23, 1984), JSA , skirmish over Russian defector
- Panama (December 20, 1989– January 31, 1990), Operation Just Cause
- South-West-Asia Conflict (Middle East) (January 17 – April 11, 1991), e.g. Operation Desert Storm
- Somalia (June 5, 1992– March 31, 1994), e.g. Operation Restore Hope
- Qualification period 4 (still ongoing):
- Afghanistan (since December 5, 2001), e.g. Operation Enduring Freedom , Operation Freedom's Sentinel
- Iraq (March 19, 2003– December 31, 2011), e.g. Operation Iraqi Freedom , Operation New Dawn
- Iraq / Syria (since June 15, 2014), Operation Inherent Resolve
A soldier can be awarded the CIB several times if he has fulfilled the appropriate qualifications in several of the above periods . For example, a soldier who fought in Somalia and Afghanistan can be awarded the CIB twice (award with a star), while a soldier who has fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and Syria can only be awarded one CIB (award without a star). The multiple award of the CIB is symbolized by stars in the badge.
CIB, first award
CIB, second award
CIB, third award
CIB, fourth award
(theoretical)
After the introduction of the CIB in 1943, the US Army introduced stars in the badge during the Korean War in 1952 to mark multiple awards. The second through fourth awards should be indicated by silver stars, awards going beyond this should be indicated by gold stars. However, since Army Regulation 600-8-22 only provides for three award levels, the higher award levels are only of a theoretical nature. In reality, the badge with two stars (third award) is therefore the highest possible version of this award.