Combat Action Badge Certificate

Combat Action Badge Criteria

Effective date: Sept. 11, 2001 (retroactive)

Eligibility: Colonel or below for officers; all enlisted soldiers are eligible.

Specific eligibility requirements.

(a) May be awarded to any Soldier.

(b) Soldier must be performing assigned duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is authorized.

(c) Soldier must be personally present and actively engaging or beingengaged by the enemy, and performing satisfactorily in accordance with the prescribed rules of engagement.

(d) Soldier must not be assigned/attached to a unit that would qualify the Soldier for the CIB/CMB. (For example, an 11B assigned to Corps staff is eligible for award of the CAB. However, an 11B assigned to an infantry battalion is not eligible for award of the CAB.)

(3) Other Services and foreign soldiers. May be awarded to members from the other U.S. Armed Forces and foreign soldiers assigned to a U.S. Army unit, provided they meet the above criteria (that is, KATUSAs in 2d ID).

(4) Qualifying periods. Award of the CAB is authorized from 18 September 2001 to a date to be determined. Award for qualifying service in any previous conflict is not authorized.

(5) Subsequent awards.

(a) Only one CAB may be awarded during a qualifying period.

(b) Second and third awards of the CAB for subsequent qualifying periods will be indicated by superimposing one and two stars respectively, centered at the top of the badge between the points of the oak wreath.

(6) Retroactive awards. Retroactive awards for the CAB are not authorized prior to 18 September 2001. For service on or after 18 September 2001, applications (to include supporting documentation) for retroactive awards of the CAB will be forwarded through the first two star general in the chain of command to CG, USA HRC, ATTN: AHRC-PDO-PA, Alexandria, VA 22332-0471.

(7) Wear policy (see AR 670-1). The CAB is categorized as a Group 1 badge.

d . Multiple awards. Soldiers may be awarded the CIB, CMB and CAB for the same qualifying period, provided the criteria for each badge is met. However, subsequent awards of the same badge within the same qualifying period are not authorized.

Note: Approved in HQDA Letter 600-05-1 on 5 June 2005

Source: U.S. Army

U.S. Army Combat Action Badge Certificate