How to misunderstand the CIB
Chief Tango sent us a link to a Washington Post article about a young lieutenant who mistakenly shot a subordinate Pfc. David H. Sharrett II. If there is any truth to the story, he certainly deserves to be investigated. But, it’s clear to me that the Washington Post doesn’t understand the Combat Infantryman Badge. First, look at his headline;
The story goes on to describe how the Army is investigating the award of the CIB to now-CPT Timothy R. Hanson;
Then-Lt. Timothy R. Hanson was given the “combat infantryman badge” specifically for his actions on Jan. 16, 2008, according to a document supplied to Sharrett’s father, David H. Sharrett Sr., last week.
I don’t know how the CIB could have been awarded “specifically for his actions” on a certain day since the CIB is a qualification badge given for a period of service, it not a medal given for specific actions. That’s why it’s called a badge and not called a medal. the Army is fairly specific on that point;
Awarded to personnel in the grade of Colonel or below with an infantry or special forces military occupational specialty who have satisfactorily performed duty while assigned as a member of an infantry/special forces unit, brigade or smaller size, during any period subsequent to 6 December 1941 when the unit was engaged in active ground combat.
Basically, you only have to be assigned to an infantry unit lower than a brigade while they’re being shot at by an enemy. The orders for the award are issued to groups of soldiers who served during the same time period – nothing about it has to do with “specific days”.
The Army compounds the confusion;
Thursday evening, Army spokesman George B. Wright Jr. said that ”the Army takes matters of improper award allegations very seriously. In the case of Lt. Hanson’s Combat Infantryman Badge award order dated March 27, 2008, the Army has directed a formal review of the award. The review is ongoing, and expected to be complete within the next two months.”
I don’t know what the Army could be reviewing. If the Captain served in an infantry unit in combat, he deserves the badge – and the Army should tell the Post that instead of trying to mollify them with false outrage.
I’m not defending Hanson, nor am I trying to make a case for him keeping his CIB, I’m just trying to clarify the award here. Like the Army should have done in the first place.
April 22nd, 2012 at 12:18 pm
One might raise the question if killing one’s soldiers constitutes “satisfactory performance” of their duty as a lieutenant.
April 22nd, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Washington Compost can t even see straight enough to realize they re being duped. I understand that if an ND seriously injured or killed his son, that his father would want to start slinging some mud around in order to kickstart a subsequent 15-6. But if they can t even report that straight, then why bother? The Compost is a pile of shit, always has, always will be.
April 22nd, 2012 at 12:53 pm
I think it opens up another can of worms in terms of who ‘deserves’ a CIB and who does not.
An individual who receives a CIB may ‘technically’ have earned it based on regulations, but whether the person actually ‘deserves’ it based on the opinions of others is another matter entirely (was the person actually engaging in combat or was the person just in the vicinity of an area where others actually engaged with the enemy, things of that sort).
I leave this up to the infantry guys to debate as I am sure it is sure to be a contested view point, as to me an outsider I perceive the CIB to be one of the most esteemed, coveted, and valuable of earned badges in the Army.
April 22nd, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Then again, the “Army Spokesperson” is more likely than not a PAO hack who barely knows how to spell their own name without approval from on high, let alone know all the requirements for a CIB they’ll never wear.
April 22nd, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Yep, WaPo has the crux of the CIB wrong, which isn’t surprising. The CIB itself has gone through some changes in how it’s awarded, though I don’t have the regs at my fingertips. My first award was from Desert Storm, when it was awarded to every Infantryman in qualifying units, whether they actually saw action or not.
By the time I got to Baghdad in 08, the requirements were more stringent, stipulating individual award for specific combat actions, as opposed to merely being theater.
April 22nd, 2012 at 4:11 pm
TMan: “I perceive the CIB to be one of the most esteemed, coveted, and valuable of earned badges in the Army.”
Can’t argue with you but I’ve heard Infantry bubbas say the EIB was really tough.
April 22nd, 2012 at 4:55 pm
The awards I have seen specified that they were involved in action on a specific date. The infantry company to which we were attached submitted everyone involved for a CIB (or CAB for us MI puke augmentees) after our first indirect fire incident. We discussed whether the thing was truly merited for a while, since the mortar fire in question was so far off that we didn’t even know we’d been mortared until the next day.
By the time we left the hill, we’d been attacked four more times (more effectively), and by the time we actually received the approved award order three months later, I kinda lost count, though we only actually returned fire in one of those engagements.
April 22nd, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Gentlemen, I am not trying to stir the pot but I don’t understand the need for all these badges everyone awards. As an Amtracer, I knew I was good at my job every time I got ‘promoted’, i.e. from LVT crew man to gunner to crew chief to squad leader (for admin stuff) to section leader (operational) and as an acting Plt Sgt. I understand specialized badges like jump wings or EOD and such but a badge for being proficient at your job?
April 22nd, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Yat Yas 1833 #18; You haven’t heard Uncle Jimbo brag about his expert driver badge, have you? He hasn’t shown me orders for it yet.
April 22nd, 2012 at 5:37 pm
#19 Jonn, LOL, haven’t has the pleasure but I’ll be on the look out!?:)
April 22nd, 2012 at 8:00 pm
The CIB, along with the CAB and CMB, are no longer blanket awards for all members of a unit. They are now based upon being present and taking action when receiving fire.
April 22nd, 2012 at 9:00 pm
“I don’t know how the CIB could have been awarded “specifically for his actions” on a certain day since the CIB is a qualification badge given for a period of service, it not a medal given for specific actions. That’s why it’s called a badge and not called a medal.”
Wrong. The CIB is awarded to Infantrymen who satisfactorily perform their duties while personally present and under fire. It’s not given as a blanket award for a period of service. It’s been like that for a long time now.
Key words here are “satisfactorily performed his duty.” Hanson walked his guys into an ambush, shot his own dude, then left the field. You can argue “fog of war” all day long, but fuck him.
April 23rd, 2012 at 10:36 am
Yat Yas 1833: So, you’re in favor of the Navy and USMC giving up their rough equivalent to the CAB/CMB/CIB – the CAR?
April 23rd, 2012 at 1:04 pm
When I was awarded mine in 2007, it was for ‘being actively engaged in ground combat.’ Yes, you had to hold the 11 series MOS. Our armor guys (19 kilo) were awarded the CAB. People on our FOB were put in for the CAB for a mortar attack but that fell through. Ours was for fighting our way out of an ambush.
July 1st, 2012 at 6:52 am
[...] Separation In Process July 1st, 2012 Some readers may remember Jonn’s article on CPT (then 1LT) Timothy R. Hanson, who received the CIB in Iraq under circumstances that were later [...]
December 15th, 2012 at 12:53 am
so you can’t recieve a CIB for being caught in a mortor attack which I was in many in Nam went on patrols with Special forces never got hit was just real lucky so what do you think do I qualify for a CIB