Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Ramon L. Gonzalez, USCG sent me information regarding the newly approved CG Combat Action Ribbon. This is a second recently established Coast Guard award, after the CG Presidential Unit Citation of 2006. The ribbon looks very much like the Navy CAR, but has additional white 3/64" pinstripes:

Enclosed is the information I found about eligibility:

ALCOAST 361/08

COMDTNOTE 1650

SUBJ: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COAST GUARD COMBAT ACTION RIBBON

A. MEDALS AND AWARDS MANUAL, COMDTINST M1650.25 (SERIES)

1. ON 16 JULY 2008, THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROVED THE

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COAST GUARD COMBAT ACTION RIBBON (CAR). THE

CAR WILL BE AWARDED TO MEMBERS OF THE COAST GUARD IN THE GRADE OF

CAPTAIN AND JUNIOR WHO HAVE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN GROUND OR

MARITIME COMBAT.

2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: THE CAR IS AN INDIVIDUAL SERVICE AWARD.

THE PRINCIPAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERION IS SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE

UNDER ENEMY FIRE WHILE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN A GROUND OR

MARITIME ENGAGEMENT. NEITHER SERVICE IN A COMBAT AREA NOR BEING

AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL OR A COMBAT AWARD/BADGE FROM ANOTHER

SERVICE AUTOMATICALLY MAKES A SERVICE MEMBER ELIGIBLE FOR THE CAR.

THE FOLLOWING AMPLIFYING GUIDANCE IS PROVIDED:

A. DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE DETONATION OF AN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE

DEVICE (IED) USED BY AN ENEMY, WITH OR WITHOUT THE IMMEDIATE

PRESENCE OF ENEMY FORCES, CONSTITUTES ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN A

GROUND OR MARITIME ENGAGEMENT.

B. PERSONNEL WHO SERVE IN CLANDESTINE OR SPECIAL OPERATIONS, WHO

BY THE NATURE OF THEIR MISSION, ARE RESTRICTED IN THEIR ABILITY TO

RETURN FIRE, AND WHO ARE OPERATING IN CONDITIONS WHERE THE RISK OF

ENEMY FIRE WAS GREAT AND EXPECTED TO BE ENCOUNTERED, MAY BE

ELIGIBLE FOR THE CAR.

C. THE CAR WILL NOT BE AWARDED TO PERSONNEL FOR AERIAL COMBAT,

HOWEVER, A PILOT OR CREWMEMBER FORCED TO ESCAPE OR EVADE, AFTER

BEING FORCED DOWN, MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AWARD.

D. PERSONNEL WHO EARNED THE NAVY COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, ARMY COMBAT

INFANTRYMAN/MEDICAL BADGE, OR AIR FORCE COMBAT ACTION MEDAL WHILE

ON DUTY WITH ANOTHER SERVICE OR AS A PRIOR SERVICE MEMBER, MAY BE

ELIGIBLE TO WEAR THE CAR. APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOLLOW IN

PARAGRAPH 3.A.

3. IMPLEMENTATION:

A. INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EARNED THE NAVY COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, AIR

FORCE COMBAT ACTION MEDAL OR ARMY COMBAT INFANTRY/MEDICAL/ACTION

BADGE FOR ACTIONS ON OR AFTER 1 MAY 1975, MUST REQUEST

AUTHORIZATION TO BE AWARDED THE CAR. REQUESTS WILL BE ROUTED

THROUGH THE MEMBERS COMMANDING OFFICER AND ADDRESSED TO COMMANDANT

(CG-1221). REQUESTS MUST INCLUDE A COPY OF THE RECOMMENDATION FOR

THE ARMY/NAVY/AIR FORCE AWARD. REQUESTS WILL BE REVIEWED

INDIVIDUALLY AND RESPONSES WILL BE PROVIDED IN WRITING FOR UPDATE

IN THE MEMBERS SERVICE RECORD AS APPROPRIATE.

B. EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2009, NO AWARD OF THE NAVY COMBAT ACTION

RIBBON, AIR FORCE COMBAT ACTION MEDAL, OR ARMY COMBAT

INFANTRY/MEDICAL/ACTION BADGE IS AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR ON THE COAST

GUARD UNIFORM, EVEN IF PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED BY WAIVER FROM CGHQ.

SERVICEMEMBERS MAY WEAR THE NEW RIBBON IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT OF

AUTHORIZATION FROM COMMANDANT (CG-1221).

C. RETIRED/SEPARATED SERVICEMEMBERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO RETAIN

PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED ARMY/NAVY/AIR FORCE COMBAT SERVICE AWARDS.

D. AWARDS OF THE NAVY COMBAT ACTION RIBBON FOR SERVICE PRIOR TO 1

MAY 1975 REMAIN AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR ON THE COAST GUARD UNIFORM AND

WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR CONVERSION TO THIS AWARD.

4. ELIGIBLE OPERATIONS: THE COMMANDANT DETERMINES WHICH OPERATIONS

MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THIS AWARD. CURRENTLY, THE AWARD IS

AUTHORIZED FOR OPERATIONS ALLIED FORCE (KOSOVO), DESERT STORM,

ENDURING FREEDOM AND IRAQI FREEDOM. THIS LISTING IS NOT ALL

INCLUSIVE, AS THE CAR MAY BE AWARDED IN MINOR OPERATIONS, AS WELL

AS FOR SPECIFIC ACTIONS.

5. ADMINISTRATIVE:

A. ENLISTED MEMBERS AWARDED THE CAR WILL RECEIVE ONE AWARD POINT

TOWARD THEIR SERVICEWIDE EXAM. MEMBERS WHO PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED

CREDIT FOR A COMBAT SERVICE AWARD FROM THE NAVY, ARMY, OR AIR FORCE

WILL NOT RECEIVE ADDITIONAL CREDIT FOR CONVERSION TO THE CAR.

B. SUBSEQUENT AWARDS. A 3/16-INCH BRONZE STAR WILL BE WORN TO

DENOTE SUBSEQUENT AWARDS. A 3/16-INCH SILVER STAR WILL BE WORN IN

LIEU OF FIVE BRONZE STARS. ONLY ONE AWARD PER OPERATION IS

AUTHORIZED.

C. GUIDANCE AND CRITERIA FOR THIS AWARD WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE

NEXT CHANGE TO REF (A).

6. AWARD DESIGN AND AVAILABILITY: THE AWARD DESIGN ADDS A SMALL

WHITE BAND TO EITHER SIDE OF THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE BANDS IN THE

CENTER OF THE NAVY AWARD. A GRAPHIC OF THE NEW RIBBON IS AVAILABLE

AT THE MEDALS AND AWARDS WEBSITE, HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/MEDALS.

INITIALLY, THE RIBBON WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE FROM CGHQ AND WILL BE

PROVIDED WITH AUTHORIZATIONS FOR THE AWARD. THE RIBBON WILL BE

AVAILABLE COMMERCIALLY IN ADVANCE OF THE 1 JANUARY 2009 FINAL

IMPLEMENTATION DATE FOR PERSONNEL WHO HAVE THEIR RIBBONS

PROFESSIONALLY MOUNTED.

7. DIRECT QUESTIONS TO MR. GABLE AT (202) 475-5385, CWO HUGHES AT

(202) 475-5384 OR MS. DAY AT (202) 475-5386.

8. RDML DANIEL A. NEPTUN, DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, SENDS.

9. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

[Paul R]

I remember them passing this information to us last week... I just wish that we as a service would have a little more imagination when it comes to award designs.

I am just upset that:

Personnel who have earned the Combat Action Badges and ribbons from other services will have to convert to the CG ribbon if they come in. I would be pissed if I earned in CAR in the Marines or the CAB in the Army and had to convert it when joining the Coast Guard.

I would also be upset if my Combat Action did not count for promotion if performed in another branch of service. I see a lot of heat coming from these new regs.

BTW, anyone else notice that Rear Admiral's name at the bottom of the message(releasing authority).

[Hugh]

Were Coast Guard members eligible for the Navy CAR prior to this establishment? I seem to remember Viet Nam era Coasties wearing it.

Hugh

[Paul R]

Were Coast Guard members eligible for the Navy CAR prior to this establishment? I seem to remember Viet Nam era Coasties wearing it.

Hugh

Absolutely correct. The cutter crews in Iraqi Freedom(in the opening days of the war) received the Navy/Marine Corps CAR. I kinda liked it that way!

[David S]

BTW, anyone else notice that Rear Admiral's name at the bottom of the message(releasing authority).

Absolutely . . . I love coincidences like that :cheeky: