AWARDS & HONORS

In 2004, Cong. Mark Green, (R-Wis), introduced H.R. 3950 to provide for the establishment of a combat artillery badge to recognize combat service by members of the Army in the artillery branch.  The bill ultimately did not make it out of committee. The final demise of (various) unofficial badges began when the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2005 required the Secretary of the Army to establish a Combat Recognition Ribbon (CRR) to recognize the combat service of all branches. The CRR would therefore provide an official award that fulfilled the role of the unofficial branch-specific badges. A combat recognition ribbon was never developed by the army because it was scrapped in favor of a Close Combat Badge (CCB). The CCB would recognize specific Armor,  Cavalry, Field Artillery and Combat Engineer soldiers who served in units purposefully reorganized to routinely conduct infantry-unique close combat missions and were personally present and under fire while conducting those types of missions. This badge would not honor the combat service of soldiers of these branches, but instead signal that their unit had been purposely deployed to fulfill the role of an infantry unit in a combat zone. Finally, these restrictive criteria were scrapped and the Army created the Combat Action Badge for soldiers of any branch in any unit who enter into combat with the enemy. This new badge effectively makes obsolete the unofficial branch-specific combat badges.

so, what is there?

The Combat Action Badge (or CAB) is a military badge worn in the U.S. Army. The emblem features both a M9 Bayonet and M67 grenade. The Combat Action Badge may be awarded to any soldier after the date of September 18, 2001 performing duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is authorized, who is personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy, and performing satisfactorily in accordance with the prescribed rules of engagement. Award is not limited by one's branch of service or military occupational specialty (MOS), but is only authorized for wear on U.S. Army uniforms. A silver badge 2 inches (5.08 cm) in width overall consisting of an oak wreath supporting a rectangle bearing a bayonet surmounting a grenade, all silver. Stars are added at the top to indicate subsequent awards; one star for the second award, two stars for the third award and three stars for the fourth award. In comparison to the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), the CAB has a silver rectangle backing rather than blue, and the CAB is 1 inch shorter in length than the CIB.

......courtesy of Wikipedia