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Inspired by a legend

You’ve taken enemy fire in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now the Air Force will recognize you for it.

Air Force Times reported in January that a Combat Action Medal for airmen was in the works [“New award unveiled,”]. On Jan. 26, Air Force officials released criteria for earning the award along with photos of its design.

The medal’s ribbon and eagle are derived from the insignia on the Thomas-Morse MB-3 flown by iconic World War I aviator Billy Mitchell, Air Force spokesman Capt. Tom Wenz said. A difference, though, is the direction that the eagle faces.

On the medal, it faces the olive branch and “emphasizes looking forward to peace,” the Air Force reported. On Mitchell’s plane, the eagle faced the same direction as the arrows, representing “lethal capability.”

The ribbon’s red and gold colors were adopted from the background of Mitchell’s aircraft insignia.

Go here to read the Air Force’s official criteria for the award.

Now share your thoughts on the new combat-action award — both the design and the criteria. Join our discussion or send a letter to the editor.