By Army Sgt. Matthew Acosta
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, Tikrit, Iraq - Non-infantry combat arms Soldiers may now be eligible for a badge similar to the coveted Combat Infantry Badge awarded to infantrymen who have been in combat operations.
Soldiers in specific armor, cavalry, field artillery and combat engineer units who have served as "purposefully reorganized" units and have performed "infantry-unique close combat" missions while deployed during Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom, may now be awarded the new Close Combat Badge.
The Army gathered a panel of retired Soldiers, to include several generals to determine the qualification standards for the badge and to decide if the badge was warranted to certain units.
The CCB was designed to recognize the efforts of non-infantry Soldiers in units which have been used as infantrymen during combat operations since Sept. 11, 2001, said Lt. Gen. F.L. Hagenbeck, Army Deputy Chief of Staff, personnel.
Several Soldiers in Task Force Liberty said they thought the badge was a good thing.
"I think it's great to get some official recognition because prior to this the cavalry had their own unofficial traditions with spurs and Stetsons," said Pfc. Jaemyung Lee, cavalry scout, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Hagenbeck said the idea for the award came from commanders in the field who have reorganized existing units into formations designed to mirror infantry units and should specifically be awarded for their efforts.
"Our job is to do reconnaissance for the infantry, but here we do pretty much the same thing the infantry does and we're usually right there along side them," said Pfc. Matthew Meyers, cavalry scout, 3rd BCT. "We take the same risks they do and it's only fair to finally get recognized for it."
Unlike the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia-Foreign Service, commonly known as the "combat patch" awarded to those who served in a combat theater, the CCB is awarded to those who specifically meet the eligibility criteria and is not to have any impact on the 60-year tradition of the CIB.
"It's about time we (cavalry scouts) got something official to wear on our battle dress uniforms," said Lee.
The non-infantry Soldiers must have been present under enemy fire to qualify for the CCB and is strictly for those who have been "pulled out of their tanks and away from their guns to perform infantry missions."
The badge will be retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001 for those who qualify for it.
Although the design of the badge has not been determined yet, it will begin to be awarded in March and should be in AAFES Clothing and Sales stores by autumn.
(Editor's Note: Some information in this article was taken from a story written by Eric Cramer of the Army News Service.)