Combat Medical Badge (1st Award)

Criteria: Awarded to any member of the United States Army Medical Department, pay grade Colonel or below, who are assigned or attached to a medical unit (company or smaller size) providing medical support to an infantry or special forces unit during any period in which the unit was engaged in active ground combat. The Combat Medical Badge was first created in 1945 but is retroactive to December 6, 1941. The original decoration was considered a one-time decoration, however, this directive was rescinded in 1951 allowing for multiple awards of the Combat Medical Badge denoted by stars encircling the decoration. The directive was again altered in 1969 to specify that only one award of the Combat Medical Badge is authorized for service in Vietnam, Laos, the Dominican Republic, Korea (subsequent to January 4, 1969), El Salvador, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, and Somalia regardless of whether an individual has served in one or more of these areas. In 1947, a policy was implemented that authorized the retroactive award of the Bronze Star Medal to soldiers who had received the Combat Medical badge during the Second World War. The basis for doing this was that the Combat Medical Badge was awarded only to soldiers who had borne combat duties befitting the Bronze Star Medal and also that both awards required a recommendation by the commander and a citation in orders. The Army also issues the Expert Field Medical Badge for non-combat medical qualification and service.