FMF Badge on CAP uniforms

[Stonewall]

Here's the deal. If you are in the Air Force, you will get the Air Force Combat Action Medal if you are in direct combat with an enemy force.  Same thing in the Marine Corps/Navy, you get a Combat Action Ribbon. The Army, instead, is badge crazy and issues you a badge.

It pisses me off when AF people say "I earned my CAB".  No, you earned a combat action medal and the Army gave you a CAB as a gift.  Same thing for combat patches.  Neither te AF nor CAP have combat patches, ie they don't wear them, so don't get butt hurt over not being able to wear them. 

[Duke Dillio]

If it were me, knowing what TACP's do and where they are embedded, I would give them CIB's instead.  They are basically infantryman with different radios in my mind.  The CAB was designed b/c someone got butt hurt that they couldn't earn a CIB or CMB.  Horrible way to do business.  I'd tell them people, if you are butt hurt go join the infantry and earn your CIB and stop complaining about the food.

[Stonewall]

If it were me, knowing what TACP's do and where they are embedded, I would give them CIB's instead.  They are basically infantryman with different radios in my mind.  The CAB was designed b/c someone got butt hurt that they couldn't earn a CIB or CMB.  Horrible way to do business.  I'd tell them people, if you are butt hurt go join the infantry and earn your CIB and stop complaining about the food.

Here's the deal.  Each branch has their own way of recognizing its fighters for serving in direct combat.  They are equal in meaning, but worn differently.

A CIB is for an Army Infantryman serving in an 11 series MOS.
A CAB is for an Army Soldier who is engaged in direct combat, but is NOT an 11 series (Infantryman).
a CMB is for an Army medic serving in a 91 series MOS (it may be different series now)

The Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy had it right all along, it just doesn't look as cool because it's a ribbon.

In the USMC, whether you're an Infantryman or a Tank Mechanic, if you are in direct combat, you get the CAR (Combat Action Ribbon).  Same for the Navy, a Corpsman and a Master at Arms will get the same CAR.

In the AF, whether you're a TACP, PJ, CCT, or a cook that happened to go outside the wire, you're going to get the CAM (Combat Action Medal). 

They are ALL for the same thing...direct enemy combat.

[AlphaSigOU]

In the AF, whether you're a TACP, PJ, CCT, or a cook that happened to go outside the wire, you're going to get the CAM (Combat Action Medal). 

They are ALL for the same thing...direct enemy combat.

Ex-Air Force cook... DEATH FROM WITHIN!!! 

[68w20]

If it were me, knowing what TACP's do and where they are embedded, I would give them CIB's instead.  They are basically infantryman with different radios in my mind.  The CAB was designed b/c someone got butt hurt that they couldn't earn a CIB or CMB.  Horrible way to do business.  I'd tell them people, if you are butt hurt go join the infantry and earn your CIB and stop complaining about the food.

A CIB is for an Army Infantryman serving in an 11 series MOS.
A CAB is for an Army Soldier who is engaged in direct combat, but is NOT an 11 series (Infantryman).
a CMB is for an Army medic serving in a 91 series 68 series MOS (it may be different series now)

FTFY.

[Hawk200]

And it still bothers me that when a member of the USAF wears the CAB, they have to wear it below their occupational badges. Just not right.

Nothng says it has to be. I've seen CMB's, CIB's, worn by airman both ways(above and below.)  Seen a number of Air Guardsmen wearing EIB's below occupational badges. Might be a case of "Well, you shouldn't be wearing it, but at least you're wearing ours higher."

[LGM30GMCC]

I suspect it's more of a 'most people don't realize the CIB, CAB, and CMB are supposed to come off when you are no longer assigned to an Army unit' thing.

Despite what some may think, most USAF folks I know don't go wandering around with a 36-2903 with us. I'm a little less worried about an Airman I'm not interacting with or have assigned to me and which badges he has on as I am about 'what the heck is a 'weekly lighting check' and how the hell do I need to accomplish one for the controlled area I am now in charge of?'

The NCO or officer that airman works for can/should be aware of that. If I am having to dig in and figure it out, especially at a glance. Now I'm aware of the rule so I can be more aware of it...but prior to now I really had minimum reason to give a crap.

[Flying Pig]

When I was in the Marines....   We had the 82nd Airborne come up to Lejuene for a royal butt spankin.... but I digress....  Anyway, they had TACPs with them that wore the 82nd patch.  Some had been in combat in the first gulf war.   This was in 94, so it was only a couple years later.  They had their stripes plus the 82nd patch on both sleeves in their BDUs.  It actually looked pretty cool. 

[Stonewall]

  They had their stripes plus the 82nd patch on both sleeves in their BDUs.  It actually looked pretty cool.

This was (and still sort of is) the norm back when we wore BDUs.  Now, TACPs are required to wear their ABUs when training and/or in CONUS.  And Army patches don't go on AF ABUs.  However, if they deploy and are wearing ACUs or Multi-Cams, then yes, they'll wear the unit patch of the Army unit they're supporting.  In fact, ALL Air Force personnel do this if they're attached to an Army unit.

My uniform in Afghanistan at the time was ABSGs, a special deployment uniform that had Velcro on the sleeves.  We fell under an Army unit and while unauthorized, many of the Airmen threw on the Army unit's patch to the Velcro.  I personally got handed one from their Sergeant Major, but only threw it on my back pack.  When my old Army Division (29th ID) came rolling through, I had to snatch one of their patches and proudly wore that off and on since I spent 5 years in the unit to include a deployment.