Combat Infantry Badge

[Spartan]

So I've run into an interesting conundrum.  The Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) appears to have some conflict as to the wear on the AF uniform. 

CAPM 39-1 Dated 26 June 2014 says:

10.8.1. US Military badges may be worn on USAF-style uniforms in accordance with authorizations and instructions found in AFI 36-2903 when appropriate orders granted by competent military authority are present in the member's CAP personnel record.

There is no provision for the CIB like in previous editions of 39-1

AFI 36-2903 updated for 28 May 2008 changes states:

Combat Infantry, Combat Medical and CAB, only while permanently assigned to and performing duties with other services.

It then references note 11:

11. Permanent assignment denotes non TDY status. This rule also applies to other badges or patches i.e., Army Combat Patches earned or awarded by sister service components.  Upon Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to an Air Force unit the member will remove them.

I have my DD214 and awarding orders, covering the granted by a competent military authority part.  I am not permanently assigned to an Army unit.  Any wiggle room here?  I would like to avoid taking the badge off my uniform.

[Sapper168]

The AFI was updated 17 January 2014.  Permanently awarded badges and skill tabs of sister services are now authorized to be worn on USAF uniforms, they even have a whole appendex of those badges.   It basically says for placement on the uniform follow the sister services regulations, ie CIB worn over ribbons.

You can find the updated pdf and a quick list of changes here.....

http://soldiersystems.net/2014/01/21/usaf-updates-afi-36-2903-2/

[Garibaldi]

BITD, WIWAC, my unit commander wore his CIB. I am wondering when the reg changed, if it ever was, or if it was just "smile and nod" as far as allowing it to be worn, along with jump wings and so on.

[lordmonar]

BITD, WIWAC, my unit commander wore his CIB. I am wondering when the reg changed, if it ever was, or if it was just "smile and nod" as far as allowing it to be worn, along with jump wings and so on.

Smile and nod....but the jump wings have been authorized forever.

BTW.....AD and RES military people basically ignored 36-2903 on this sort of stuff for ever and a day.   

The last round of 36-2903 updates really tried to just give up....it codified all the morale and other stuff going on in the service.....in stead of trying to stop it....they decided to just regulate it.

[Spartan]

Thank you for the reference. It is nice to be able to back up my awards and decorations with regulation when I have someone question their being on my uniform. The "eat $!#@ and live! I earned this down range." Does not have the same impact as quoting regulation and walking away.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I have seen people wearing the CIB on the CAP blue uniform for a long, long time.

Is the standard Expert Infantryman Badge still awarded?  I couldn't tell you the last time I saw a Soldier wearing it.

[bosshawk]

With the two major wars taking place in the past 11 years, there probably aren't many Infantrymen going to the trouble of taking the EIB tests: too many of them are earning the CIB in actual combat.  The Combat Action Badge  is awarded(I believe) to non-Infantry troops when they can't earn the CIB.

As far as I know, the EIB is probably still awarded when an individual goes through the test.  Maybe one of the current Infantry guys on CT can verify that.

[THRAWN]

Still testing, and still awarding the EIB....

http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/eib/upcoming.html

Same with the EFMB.

[AlphaSigOU]

BITD, WIWAC, my unit commander wore his CIB. I am wondering when the reg changed, if it ever was, or if it was just "smile and nod" as far as allowing it to be worn, along with jump wings and so on.

All I remember Major Bradford wearing was his CIB and his Vietnam service ribbons (Silver Star, Purple Heart, and the trio of 'I was there and didn't get the clap in the Nam' - NDSM, VNSM and VN campaign medals). No CAP ribbons at all. Georgia Wing uniform Nazis at the time knew better than to press the issue if they valued their lives!

[Garibaldi]

BITD, WIWAC, my unit commander wore his CIB. I am wondering when the reg changed, if it ever was, or if it was just "smile and nod" as far as allowing it to be worn, along with jump wings and so on.

All I remember Major Bradford wearing was his CIB and his Vietnam service ribbons (Silver Star, Purple Heart, and the trio of 'I was there and didn't get the clap in the Nam' - NDSM, VNSM and VN campaign medals). No CAP ribbons at all. Georgia Wing uniform Nazis at the time knew better than to press the issue if they valued their lives!

Dagum right. The man was highly revered and no one...NO ONE...had the cojones to say "no" to him. He paid for those awards with blood and almost his life.

[GroundHawg]

With the two major wars taking place in the past 11 years, there probably aren't many Infantrymen going to the trouble of taking the EIB tests: too many of them are earning the CIB in actual combat.  The Combat Action Badge  is awarded(I believe) to non-Infantry troops when they can't earn the CIB.

As far as I know, the EIB is probably still awarded when an individual goes through the test.  Maybe one of the current Infantry guys on CT can verify that.

Still being awarded, still highly coveted. I was in one of the very few National Guard units that earned the EIB Streamer.

[Shuman 14]

The Combat Action Badge  is awarded(I believe) to non-Infantry troops when they can't earn the CIB.

You are correct Sir.

All 11-Series and 18-Series (Non-medical) MOS's are awarded the CIB.

All Medical MOS's CMB.

Everyone else CAB.

EIB's and EMB's are still awarded as well.

[GroundHawg]

The Combat Action Badge  is awarded(I believe) to non-Infantry troops when they can't earn the CIB.

You are correct Sir.

All 11-Series and 18-Series (Non-medical) MOS's are awarded the CIB.

All Medical MOS's CMB.

Everyone else CAB.

EIB's and EMB's are still awarded as well.

11 series can be awarded the CAB as well. To be awarded the CIB an 11 series must be in an 11 series billet downrange. A lot of us on my first deployment were pulled into 19, 13, 31, and 15 series MOS's. This made all of ineligible for the CIB. An Infantryman wearing a CAB is a social pariah however, and most wouldnt wear it. 

[Shuman 14]

The Combat Action Badge  is awarded(I believe) to non-Infantry troops when they can't earn the CIB.

You are correct Sir.

All 11-Series and 18-Series (Non-medical) MOS's are awarded the CIB.

All Medical MOS's CMB.

Everyone else CAB.

EIB's and EMB's are still awarded as well.

11 series can be awarded the CAB as well. To be awarded the CIB an 11 series must be in an 11 series billet downrange. A lot of us on my first deployment were pulled into 19, 13, 31, and 15 series MOS's. This made all of us ineligible for the CIB. An Infantryman wearing a CAB is a social pariah however, and most wouldn't wear it.

Good point and a good catch, thanks.

[68w20]

The Combat Action Badge  is awarded(I believe) to non-Infantry troops when they can't earn the CIB.

You are correct Sir.

All 11-Series and 18-Series (Non-medical) MOS's are awarded the CIB.

All Medical MOS's CMB.

Everyone else CAB.

EIB's and EMB's are still awarded as well.

11 series can be awarded the CAB as well. To be awarded the CIB an 11 series must be in an 11 series billet downrange. A lot of us on my first deployment were pulled into 19, 13, 31, and 15 series MOS's. This made all of us ineligible for the CIB. An Infantryman wearing a CAB is a social pariah however, and most wouldn't wear it.

Good point and a good catch, thanks.

Sorry, but I have to be that guy and nitpick further.  Medical MOSs must be "assigned or attached to or under operational control of any ground Combat Arms unit" to be eligible for the CMB.  For example, a 68W assigned to a vertical engineer company could not be awarded a CMB for providing care under fire as part of that unit.

http://tinyurl.com/CMB-criteria

[Shuman 14]

Since when are Engineers not considered a combat arms unit? 

[Devil Doc]

I ordered my FMF Badge, Cant wait for it to get Here. Nice to see yo again, SPARTAN.

[GroundHawg]

The Combat Action Badge  is awarded(I believe) to non-Infantry troops when they can't earn the CIB.

You are correct Sir.

All 11-Series and 18-Series (Non-medical) MOS's are awarded the CIB.

All Medical MOS's CMB.

Everyone else CAB.

EIB's and EMB's are still awarded as well.

11 series can be awarded the CAB as well. To be awarded the CIB an 11 series must be in an 11 series billet downrange. A lot of us on my first deployment were pulled into 19, 13, 31, and 15 series MOS's. This made all of us ineligible for the CIB. An Infantryman wearing a CAB is a social pariah however, and most wouldn't wear it.

Good point and a good catch, thanks.

Sorry, but I have to be that guy and nitpick further.  Medical MOSs must be "assigned or attached to or under operational control of any ground Combat Arms unit" to be eligible for the CMB.  For example, a 68W assigned to a vertical engineer company could not be awarded a CMB for providing care under fire as part of that unit.

http://tinyurl.com/CMB-criteria

I thought that for a medic to get the CMB they had to be embedded with an infantry unit. You learn something new everyday.

[JK657]

Since when are Engineers not considered a combat arms unit? 

You know Engineers aren't Combat Arms, they are Combat Support. Just like MP and Chemical. That's why we go to Fort Leonard Wood for all of our MOS courses and not Benning or Sill.

[Shuman 14]

Since when are Engineers not considered a combat arms unit? 

You know Engineers aren't Combat Arms, they are Combat Support. Just like MP and Chemical. That's why we go to Fort Leonard Wood for all of our MOS courses and not Benning or Sill.

Actually they are considered all three: Combat, Combat Support, and Service Support.

Engineers, jacks of all trades... masters of none.