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29-648: On 2 May 2005, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army (CSA) approved the creation of the CAB to provide special recognition to U.S. soldiers who personally engaged, or are engaged by, the enemy. The CAB is intended to serve as a companion to the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and Combat Medical Badge (CMB) and was created to recognize the greatly expanded role of non-infantry soldiers in active, ground combat. U.S. Army infantrymen or special forces soldiers with

58-604: A Director for DynCorp , as well as on the advisory boards of Camber Corporation and EWA-Government Systems Inc. Concurrently, Schoomaker was the Director of CAE USA Inc. from November 2007 to February 2009, where he still serves a member of the Human Resources Committee as well as an independent director and consultant on defense matters. Schoomaker is also currently a Director of Aeroflex Incorporated and several private and non-profit companies, including

87-621: A question put to Donald Rumsfeld in an April 2005 Afghanistan town hall meeting by a female military policeman as to why the CCB would not include military police soldiers in its awarding criteria despite the combat nature of the military police's job in Afghanistan and Iraq's 360-degree battlefield. The Combat Action Badge was approved on May 2, 2005, and was retroactively awarded to soldiers who were engaged in combat after September 18, 2001. On June 29, 2005, General Peter J. Schoomaker awarded

116-480: A rectangle bearing a bayonet surmounting a grenade, all silver. In comparison to the CIB, the CAB has a silver rectangle backing rather than blue, and the CAB is 1 inch shorter in length than the CIB. Second and subsequent award of the CAB will be indicated by superimposing one and two stars respectively, centered at the top of the badge between the points of the oak wreath; one star for the second award and two stars for

145-550: A role where they would be eligible for the CIB. In addition to Army soldiers, the CAB may also be awarded to Servicemembers of other U.S. Armed Forces and foreign military personnel assigned to a U.S. Army unit, provided they meet the above criteria (for example, KATUSA in the 2d Infantry Division). The Combat Action badge is unique in that unlike the Combat Infantryman and Combat Medical badges, it can be awarded to soldiers of any rank, including general officers, whereas

174-744: A second lieutenant after participating in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at the University of Wyoming, Schoomaker went to the United States Army Armor School at Fort Knox . He soon became a Reconnaissance Platoon Leader and Rifle Company Commander with 2nd Battalion , 4th Infantry , and a Cavalry Troop Commander with 1st Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany. He then served in Korea as

203-635: A variety of assignments with both conventional and special operations forces – he was the first Special Forces-trained Army Chief of Staff and the second to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (General Henry H. Shelton was the first, when he served as Chairman ). His brother, Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker , was the 42nd Surgeon General of the United States Army . Schoomaker was born on February 12, 1946, in Detroit , Michigan . He

232-667: The EIB /CIB. Despite numerous staff studies and recommendations, the request never gained the support of senior U.S. Army leadership. However, as soldiers from across the spectrum of military occupational specialties engaged in direct contact with enemy forces in the Global War on Terrorism , the proposal gained new traction. It appears that the concept for the Combat Action Badge came when Captain Shawn Monien reignited

261-544: The Navy/Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon created in 1969). However, as ribbons are generally seen as less prestigious than medals and badges, the CAB was then proposed as the "Close Combat Badge" (or CCB), thus granting the award badge status vice ribbon. This was to be a combat award only for soldiers who did not hold the infantry military occupational specialty (MOS), but who were deployed specifically to fulfill an infantry duty. This

290-581: The United States Army who served as the 35th Chief of Staff of the United States Army from June 11, 2003, to April 10, 2007. Schoomaker's appointment as Chief of Staff was unusual in that he was recalled and came out from retirement to assume the position. Schoomaker voluntarily retired from the Army for the second time in 2007 after completing the full four-year term as Chief of Staff. Prior to his last assignment, Schoomaker spent over 30 years in

319-880: The United States Army Command and General Staff College from August 1981 to June 1982 and the National War College from August 1988 to June 1989. Schoomaker participated in numerous deployment operations including Eagle Claw in Iran, Urgent Fury in Grenada , Just Cause in Panama , Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm in Southwest Asia, Uphold Democracy in Haiti , and supported various other operations. After being commissioned as

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348-755: The 1st SFOD-D. Following the National War College in Washington, D.C., he returned to command Delta Force from June 1989 to July 1992. Subsequently, Schoomaker served as the Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division , Fort Hood , Texas, followed by a tour in the Headquarters, Department of the Army staff as the Deputy Director for Operations, Readiness and Mobilization. Schoomaker served as

377-484: The Army. According to the 9/11 Commission , Schoomaker wanted to take action against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan using his special operators but was unable to gain approval for the mission. In 2003 Schoomaker returned to active duty to serve as Chief of Staff of the United States Army, at the request of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld . Schoomaker retired at the end of his tour of duty as Chief of Staff in 2007. After his retirement from active duty, Schoomaker served as

406-535: The CAB cannot convert it to a CAR, though if they were awarded the CIB or CMB they can, by submitting a request to their commanding officer. United States Air Force Airmen are authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge on their uniform if awarded. The CAB does not convert into the Air Force Combat Action Medal as the criteria required for the AFCAM is more stringent. Chief of Staff of

435-541: The CAB for the first time to Sergeants April Pashley, Michael Buyas, Manuel J. Montano, Timothy Gustafson and Sean Steans. Over one hundred thousand CABs have been awarded since the creation of the award. Most commanders do not issue the CAB to qualified soldiers unless they are directly engaged in combat. Notably, it is granted exclusively for contact with enemy combatants, so actions by noncombatants like detainees or rioting civilians do not qualify. The soldier must be personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by

464-459: The CIB and CMB are both restricted to colonels and below. Award of the CAB is not automatic and will not be awarded solely based on award of the Purple Heart . The only open qualifying period for the CAB is the Global War on Terrorism . Only one CAB can be awarded to any soldier. Retroactive awards of the CAB are not authorized prior to 18 September 2001. Award of the CAB is authorized for

493-784: The Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command from July 1994 to August 1996, followed by command of the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina through October 1997. His most recent assignment prior to assuming duties as the Army Chief of Staff was as Commander, United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida, from November 1997 to November 2000, after which he retired from

522-797: The S-3 of 1st Battalion, 73rd Cavalry , 2nd Infantry Division . From 1978 to 1981, he commanded a squadron of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta (1st SFOD-D), commonly known to the public as " Delta Force ", at Fort Bragg , North Carolina . Following a year at the army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , Schoomaker served as the Squadron Executive Officer, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany. In August 1983, he returned to Fort Bragg, to serve as Special Operations Officer, J-3, Joint Special Operations Command. From August 1985 to August 1988, Schoomaker commanded another squadron of

551-507: The U.S. Army Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 197718852 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:41:24 GMT Peter J. Schoomaker Peter Jan Schoomaker (born February 12, 1946) is a retired four-star general of

580-473: The U.S. Army and were awarded the CAB cannot wear it on their uniform though they may convert it to the Combat Action Ribbon by submitting a request to the Chief of Naval Operations through their commanding officer. If said sailors were awarded the CIB however, approval is only necessary by the commanding officer. U.S. Marine Corps personnel who were formerly U.S. Army soldiers and were awarded

609-792: The debate on establishing combat/expert badges for all soldiers of the United States Army in his September–October 2003 Armor magazine article, "Reinstating the Combat Tanker Badge" drawing historical references to General George S. Patton in World War I and other historical vignettes from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. Monien's article encouraged former United States Army Chief of Armor, Major General Thomas H. Tait to re-join

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638-478: The effort: Major Matthew De Pirro continued the narrative of a combat badge in 2004 with an article written for Armor magazine in Spring 2004 describing the need for such a badge based upon the evolving face of warfare and the ongoing transformation of the army. De Pirro stated: The Combat Action Badge was originally planned as a ribbon which was to have been known as the " Combat Recognition Ribbon " (similar to

667-540: The enemy, and performing satisfactorily in accordance with the prescribed rules of engagement. There is no specific requirement for the enemy hostile contact to be direct. The Combat Action Badge may be awarded to any soldier not assigned or attached to a unit that would qualify the soldier for the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) or Combat Medical Badge (CMB) after the date of September 18, 2001, and: The CAB may be awarded to any army branch or military occupational specialty including infantrymen except when serving in

696-492: The following qualifying wars, conflicts, and operations. A separate award of the CAB has been authorized for qualified soldiers in the following qualifying period: Award for qualifying service in any previous conflict is not authorized. Subsequent award of the CAB is not authorized for the same qualifying period, as outlined. The emblem features both an M9 bayonet and M67 grenade . A silver badge 2 inches (5.08 cm) in width overall consisting of an oak wreath supporting

725-724: The rank of colonel or below and who are a member of a brigade-sized or smaller infantry or special forces unit, receive the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) instead of the CAB. Since the Combat Infantryman Badge was introduced in 1943, followed by the Combat Medical Badge in 1945, other army branches argued in favor of their own badges, but a War Department review board just after the war ruled these out. Unofficial combat badges for non-infantry soldiers were in some instances worn in violation of uniform regulations or included in personal award displays wherein

754-536: The rifle and blue field of the CIB were replaced with the appropriate army branch insignia and color. These unofficial combat badges began to appear shortly after the creation of the Combat Infantryman Badge and while the practice continued until the creation of an official non-infantry combat badge it never became widespread. Throughout the Vietnam War and afterward, soldiers serving in combat engineer and armored units continued to lobby for their own version of

783-473: The third award. However, like the CIB and CMB, only one can be awarded per "qualifying period;" as defined in AR 600-8-22. When worn, the CAB is worn on the left side of a jacket or blouse. On combat uniforms it is worn on the blouse above the "U.S. ARMY" nametape and on dress and service uniforms it is worn on the shirt or jacket above any ribbons and medals. Since 2013, U.S. Navy sailors who were formerly soldiers in

812-474: Was in response to the large number of non-infantry (Tank crews, Field Artillerymen example) who were deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and whose units were reorganized to function as infantry (motorized or light) due to the lack of need for tanks, Artillery and shortage of infantry. The change from the Close Combat Badge to the Combat Action Badge may have come about thanks to

841-500: Was raised in an army family. After attending East Lansing High School , Schoomaker graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education administration . A football player, he was a starter on Wyoming's Sugar Bowl team. He holds a Master of Arts degree in management from Central Michigan University , and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Hampden–Sydney College . Schoomaker attended

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