Combat Action Badge

Criteria: Awarded to United States Armed Forces personnel after the date of September 18, 2001 performing duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is authorized, who is personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy, and performing satisfactorily in accordance with the prescribed rules of engagement. Award is not limited by serviceman’s branch of service or military occupational specialty, but is only authorized for wear on U.S. Army uniforms. The emblem features both a M9 bayonet and M67 grenade wrapped with an oak wreath supporting a rectangle bearing the bayonet surmounting a grenade. Stars are added at the top to indicate subsequent awards: one star for the second award, two stars for the third award, and three stars for the fourth award. The CAB was originally planned as a ribbon which was to have been known as the "Combat Recognition Ribbon.” However, as ribbons are generally seen as less prestigious than medals and badges, the CAB was then proposed as the "Close Combat Badge" (or CCB), thus granting the award badge status vice ribbon. This was to be a combat award only for soldiers who did not hold the infantry military occupational specialty (MOS), but who were deployed specifically to fulfill an infantry duty. The CAB creation was approved by the U.S. Army on May 2, 2005 and can be retroactively awarded to soldiers of all MOSs who engaged in combat after September 18, 2001.