New Air Force Combat Action Award design and criteria unveiled

[CommunityEditor]

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

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. (Read the full story and see what the medal will look like.)

What are your thoughts on the new combat-action award — both the design and the criteria?

[Skweegee_guest]

Enough with the Billy Mitchell throwbacks. It has been obvious for several years that the Air Force leadership despises the current reality that airmen are being used as ground troops - not for the inherent danger to our airmen but because it threatens the iconic Air Force image that these same leaders work so hard to cultivate and manage. In an effort to downplay the ground warfare aspect, our leaders just can't resist using Billy to impose their mindless devotion to the "Airpower" mantra that is being shoved down our throats. Before you know it, Billy's picture will be required to hang in every Air Force office and chapel with a not-too-subtle requirement for all airmen to bow down and worship before him as they chant, "Airpower, Airpower, Airpower".

As for the medal, why are they emphasizing peace with the eagle's direction? The medal is being awarded for action taken by an airman when peace is the last thought on his mind. He is actively attempting to kill the enemy and prevent the death or injury of himself or his comrades-in-arms. We may as well do away with the eagle and just use a good old-fashioned peace sign.

[Hardhat2003_guest]

Who came up with the colors for the combat action award? Why not put an AF spin on the Army Combat Action award and call it a day...this way we'd be paying homage to our Army history while doing it in an Air Force way. Seems rediculous that we have to invent the whole damn wheel every time in order to differentiate ourselves from the other services. I'm proud to be in the Air Force and I bleed AF blue, but it seems like wasted time, money and effort just to be unique. Another good example of this would be our new uniforms.

[Skweegee_guest]

Originally Posted by Hardhat2003_guest

Who came up with the colors for the combat action award? Why not put an AF spin on the Army Combat Action award and call it a day...this way we'd be paying homage to our Army history while doing it in an Air Force way. Seems rediculous that we have to invent the whole damn wheel every time in order to differentiate ourselves from the other services. I'm proud to be in the Air Force and I bleed AF blue, but it seems like wasted time, money and effort just to be unique. Another good example of this would be our new uniforms.

Pay homage to our Army history? Sacrilege!!! Our Air Force began in 1947 and anything prior related to the Army is of no consequence. Except, maybe, Court-martialed, Army Col. Billy Mitchell.

[msgtperr]

While this is a good thing The TOPS again miss the mark completly. Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't the request for a Combat badge they could wear with the BDU? They did not listen when the BDU was designed and now this... Go figure

[vee672_guest]

YES....The TOP missed it again. Another ribbon/medal. Good that the Air Force came up with its own. But is should of been a BADGE. But for the rest of us recognized by sister services...its still a shame. I for one am not applying for another ribbon to add to my fruit salad. I would rather wear my Combat Action Badge already awarded to me by the Army whom which I was assigned with performing convoy ops and engaged by the enemy. Thats the problem with the Air Force... something comes up and WHAM....heres another medal/ribbon for you. A BADGE however could be worn on blues or BDU's....Plus the AF wants witness accounts and all that...Hmmmm I did all that along with my comrades when we were put in for the Combat Action Badge...Im not doing it again for a ribbon. This issue is so simple that even my 11 yr old daughter figured it out and this is what she said while she was sitting here watching me type this..." Dad why dont you guys that have stuff from the Army be allowed to wear that,,,,and whoever gets the AF Award wear that?" Simple huh?.... Let those awarded sister service awards wear them and if you recieve the AF award while assigned with the AF wear that one. If I had my chioce between another ribbon or my Combat Action Badge......Yeah you guessed it.....COMBAT ACTION BADGE! Its just sad that the Greatest Air Force in the World with all the smart people we have cant figure out a simple resolution to this.....I guess its just easier to add a new ribbon/medal....Watch for the Good Conduct Medal to return in the future too probably.........For all the GROUND AIRMEN out there that go above & beyond just supporting AIRPOWER...God Bless....We know what we accomplished and that is good enough ...even if the service we LOVE so much wont let us display it on our uniforms.

[t-bird_guest]

Ok, I think we Air Force members let the Air Force General Officer's sell us a bill of goods.



I don't know who has who's head up their arse but we didn't need a Medal that could be worn but only on a blue uniform at least as a combat badge could be worn with the infamous ABUs. I suspect the CSAF love of AF history setting a another ill advised precedent.









We have a history buff who tells us to be politically correct by pointing the eagle toward the palm leafs with some weak excuse that we are promoting "peace!"



General Moseley get off that think tank you call your butt and live the words you preach we are "AF Warriors!"



The eagle should be pointed towards the arrows because that's where it was earned during "COMBAT!"



What officer on your staff promoted this as the United States Air Force Combat device? Was he looking for brownie points or a Promote Now on his next OPR!



Then to have another lap dog say it is the best deal since slice cake, General Boyd is spending too much time stuffing his face with cake without thinking about this hasty decision. Whose idea was it to have it released earlier? Surely now we’ll see some puzzle palace robot handing these out in Iraq or some AF conference.



If this is what our airmen want so be it! But I think this one needs to go back to the drawing board.



Don’t get me wrong I think the idea of a COMBAT BADGE is way over due! At least the Army thought about their badge. You look at it and it says “Combat Warrior!”



But AF combat medals....sell them to the FA-22 pilots with their Air Medals.

[fletcher75_guest]

I think the Air Force leadership should have taken a two-pronged approach to to this. First of all I must quote General Brady, "This is for people who are in combat as a part of their duty, If you are walking across the base at Balad and you are injured by a mortar, you will likely get the Purple Heart. You may even get a Bronze Star, depending on your performance in your duties. But that scenario would not lead to the award of the AFCAM." Taking a mortar round from a terrorist is by anyone's definition combat. If that isn't, then I don't know what is. Does it really matter if a person is injured by a bullet off base or a mortar on base? I was stationed at Balad myself and saw people injured and killed by mortars during my stay. So does that make me worthy of the combat action medal? I say yes and no. Obviously, we all respect the soldiers, Marines, and airmen who go outside the wire. It's a dangerous job, and not one I would ever want to do myself. I would take duty on base at Balad over going outside the gate any day. So if being shot at by a mortar or rocket at Balad is combat, but it isn't the same thing as what those in combat arms MOS's and AFSCs do, then what is the solution? I say that first of all they should honor the airmen who have earned combat badges while attached to Army units and allow them to wear those on their uniforms for the rest of their careers. Secondly, I think they should also honor the airmen who were in harm's way on a daily basis, but who are not eligible for the honor of a combat badge. Maybe that is what this ribbon/medal is best suited for. It is not suited for those who served in Qatar, Kuwait, etc though. Duty there is an inconvenience, but certainly not combat. Service in Iraq or Afghanistan is combat. If you have served there, you have been shot at and you should be recognized in some way. Give the combat arms AFSC's who served, a combat action badge that they can wear on their BDUs and dress uniforms, and the support people a combat action ribbon to recongize their sacrifice as well. That's my two cents at least.

[Semper-Fi_Aim-High_guest]

I am against the idea. I think the Air Force has MORE than enough awards and decorations. What I think needs to happen is this:

- Get rid of this Billy Mitchell idea; kill it.

- Kill the existing criteria for the Air Force Expeditionary Ribbon with Gold Border. Change the criteria to match what is required of the Navy/Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon (face-to-face engagement of the enemy) and change the name of the ribbon to the Air Force Combat Action Ribbon (make the gold border permanent, not dependent upon where your served as it already is) and elevate it to the same order of seniority as the Navy/USMC CAR, i.e. senior to service awards, junior to personal decorations, thus making it acceptable for wear on the uniforms of the other services or at least substituted with the other services' combat recognition if the person were to transfer, i.e. trade off the AF CAR for the Navy/USMC CAR or Army CAB.

- Modify the criteria of the Air Force Combat Readiness Medal and kill the medal portion. Make it a ribbon. Change the criteria to include all who have been in hot combat zones but have not actively engaged an enemy, or who have but from high altitudes or far distances where the enemy would have no hope of landing a round (predator "pilots," missile battery operators, etc.) It should be junior to an Air Force Combat Action Ribbon.

- Expand the criteria of the Air and Space Expeditionary Service Medal to match the criteria of the Navy Expeditionary Medal and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, and elevate it to the same position of seniority as the the two (senior to the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal), thereby causing it to be allowed for wear on any U.S. military uniform.

- Otherwise, do not award Bronze stars or other high decorations for anything less than extreme heroism in life-or-limb threatening situations. Award Purple Hearts, AF Commendation Medals, AF Achivement Medals, etc. where they are truly rated and not just for being there, doing that.

Give credit where credit is due, but stop allowing Airmen to come home from one or two tours in Iraq or Afghanistan with more fruit salad than most of the WWII veterans who served 4 consecutive years bouncing around two or three theatres of more death and destruction than we have seen in anything since.

Speaking as a former active duty Marine (force reductions in the early 90's) now reserve Airman with OEF/OIF under my belt, I am beginning to feel ridiculous among my other service counter-parts. I have one ribbon shy of 7 rows but only 4 rows can be worn on the other services' uniforms (only one personal decoration, and that was from the USMC). That should tell you something. "I ain't no war hero," but all my "been there done that" Air Force candy makes me look like I am.

True combat veterans, I salute you! Semper Fi, stay faithful, come home safe.

[fletcher75_guest]

You have some great points. The Air Force uniform is ridiculous. I wonder when the day will come when people have ribbons wrapping around the backside as well. The Marine Corps has it down perfect. My dad is a retired Marine who spent 23 years in and went to many far off hostile places, and it is ludicrous that I have more ribbons than he does. One thing you can always say about a Marine’s uniform is that every ribbon/medal they have MEANS something. The Air Force should take a look at the Marine Corps and make all their ribbons/medals equal over and be the same. They should eliminate all the useless ribbons like basic training (That is why you have a uniform), NCO ribbon (That is why you have rank), expert arms ribbon (Get a badge and make the criteria harder. No more video games), recognition ribbon (what the hell!?), Exp service ribbon (Make it a medal like the Marines/Navy and only give it out when a campaign medal isn’t authorized), Short/Long tour overseas ribbons (1 is enough!), just to name a FEW. Then stop giving out medals for just doing your job! No one should get an achievement, commendation, or especially a Bronze Star for doing their job. These citations should be reserved for acts beyond your day to day duties. This and many other things hurts the reputation of the Air Force and also hurts moral among the Troops. Ooops, Airmen.