Who is eligible to be awarded the Combat Medical Badge (CMB)?
The
following medical personnel, assigned or attached by appropriate orders to an
infantry unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size, or to a medical unit of
company or smaller size, organic to an infantry unit of brigade or smaller
size, during any period the infantry unit is engaged in actual ground combat
are eligible for award of the badge, provided they are personally present and
under fire during such ground combat:
Subsequent
to 6 December 1941
– Army Medical Department (Colonels and below), the Navy Medical
Department (Captains and below), the Air Force Medical Service (Colonels
and below), assigned or attached to the Army, who have satisfactorily
performed medical duties.
Subsequent
to 19 December 1989 – Special Forces personnel possessing military
occupational specialty 18D (Special Operations Medical Sergeant) who
satisfactorily performed medical duties while assigned or attached to a
Special Forces unit during any period the unit is engaged in actual ground
combat, provided they are personally present and under fire. Retroactive awards are not authorized.
Subsequent
to 16 January 1991 – Personnel outlined in (1) above, assigned or attached
to Armor or ground Cavalry units of brigade or smaller size, who
satisfactorily performed medical duties while the unit is engaged in
actual ground combat, provided they are personally present and under fire. Retroactive awards are not authorized.
Subsequent
to 11 September 2001 – Personnel outlined in (1) and (3) above, assigned
or attached to or under operational control of any ground Combat Arms
units (not to include members assigned or attached to Aviation units) of
brigade or smaller size, who satisfactorily performed medical duties while
the unit is engaged in actual ground combat provided they are personally
present and under fire. Retroactive
awards are not authorized.
Awards
will not be made to general or flag officers.
Specific eligibility requirements by geographic area are listed in Army
Regulation 600-8-22.
