on the DUSTOFF.org site they have an article about the Combat Aeromedic Badge and I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this. The article on the DUSTOFF site said that the badge was supposed to be part of the new military budget bill.

SSG Ras

Uh oh, this is gonna be a LONG and fun-filled thread!

Did you hear the one about the Combat Admin Badge? Instead of the knife, they designed it with a Pen, of course. The pen IS mightier than the sword!

Not sure if this helps, but here is some info about a reolution that passed to the political side of the house:

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 172 Session of 2003


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INTRODUCED BY FAIRCHILD, SEMMEL, ALLEN, BAKER, BARRAR, BEBKO-
JONES, BELFANTI, BROWNE, BUNT, CAPPELLI, CIVERA, CLYMER, COY,
CRAHALLA, CREIGHTON, DALEY, DeLUCA, DERMODY, DeWEESE, EGOLF,
FICHTER, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH,
GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GORDNER, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARRIS, HASAY,
HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, JAMES, KELLER, LAUGHLIN,
LEDERER, LEH, MAJOR, McGEEHAN, McNAUGHTON, MICOZZIE,
R. MILLER, S. MILLER, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PISTELLA, READSHAW,
REICHLEY, ROBERTS, SANTONI, SATHER, SCHRODER, SHANER,
B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STERN, SURRA, TANGRETTI,
E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TURZAI, WALKO, WASHINGTON, WATSON,
WHEATLEY, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND ZUG, APRIL 8, 2003


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REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
APRIL 8, 2003


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A RESOLUTION

1 Memorializing the President and Congress of the United States to
2 enact legislation to require the United States Army to
3 retroactively award the Combat Medical Badge to all Vietnam
4 personnel serving in the 91 military occupational specialty
5 (MOS) who were assigned to helicopter ambulances.

6 WHEREAS, The United States Army has denied the Combat Medical
7 Badge to personnel of the 91 MOS who were assigned to duty
8 aboard helicopter ambulances (DUSTOFF); and
9 WHEREAS, From 1962 through 1973, 496,573 missions were flown
10 by DUSTOFF and more than 900,000 casualties were safely
11 evacuated; and
12 WHEREAS, DUSTOFF missions are more hazardous than other
13 rotary-wing operations as proven by the aircraft loss rate
14 versus insertion and extraction missions; and


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1 WHEREAS, The bravery and the medical skills of the aeromedic
2 functioning in the heat of hard combat has often meant the
3 difference between survival and death; and
4 WHEREAS, Aeromedical personnel are able to triage and provide
5 necessary emergency medical treatment en route to a definitive
6 care facility, and many medics leave the helicopter to load
7 multiple casualties, often under the intense enemy fire unarmed
8 medevacs attract; and
9 WHEREAS, Selective expansion of the Combat Medical Badge
10 award occurred in the Persian Gulf War when the United States
11 Army Chief of Staff authorized it for medics assigned to armor
12 and ground cavalry units; and
13 WHEREAS, The conduct of the Persian Gulf War was
14 characterized by armor and ground cavalry operations, while
15 airmobile operations dominated the Vietnam War from logistics to
16 combat to medevac; therefore be it
17 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
18 memorialize the President and Congress of the United States to
19 enact legislation requiring the retroactive award of the Combat
20 Medical Badge to all Vietnam personnel serving in the 91 MOS who
21 were assigned to helicopter ambulances; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That no inference of any diminution of the prestige
23 of this award be assigned to the lawful and realistic expansion
24 of eligibility; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That initial presentations of the Combat Medical
26 Badge be received by survivors of aeromedical personnel whose
27 names appear on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall; and be it
28 further
29 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
30 the President, presiding officers of each house of Congress and
20030H0172R1263 - 2 -


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1 to each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.



http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2003/0/HR0172P1263.HTM

DUSTOFFers are now eligible for the Combat Medical Badge. While it is NOT retroactive – it does help out today’s DUSTOFF Warriors. Here is an excerpt from the regulation recently released:



MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER: 08-190 REVISED CRITERIA FOR AWARDING COMBAT BADGES (CIB, CMB, CAB) Issued: [07/22/2008]

B. COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE (CMB)

(1) PARA 8-7B(4)

(A) CHANGED TO READ: “ON OR AFTER 18 SEPTEMBER 2001: (A) MEDICAL PERSONNEL ASSIGNED OR ATTACHED TO OR UNDER OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF ANY COMBAT ARMS UNITS OF BRIGADE OR SMALLER SIZE, WHO SATISFACTORILY PERFORM MEDICAL DUTIES WHILE THE UNIT IS ENGAGED IN ACTIVE GROUND COMBAT, PROVIDED THEY ARE PERSONALLY PRESENT AND UNDER FIRE. RETROACTIVE AWARDS UNDER THESE CRITERIA ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR SERVICE PRIOR TO 18 SEPTEMBER 2001.”

(B) SUMMARY OF CHANGE: THE LANGUAGE, “NOT TO INCLUDE AVIATION” HAS BEEN DELETED FROM THE POLICY, PERMITTING MEDICAL PERSONNEL ASSIGNED, ATTACHED OR OPCON TO COMBAT AVIATION UNITS TO QUALIFY FOR THE CMB, IF OTHER CRITERIA ARE MET. RETROACTIVE AWARDS WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED FOR SERVICE PRIOR TO 18 SEP 01.

(3) PARA 8-7G

(A) CHANGED TO READ: “THE AWARD APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR THE CMB IS THE SAME AS THE CIB (SEE PARAGRAPH 8-6G ABOVE).”

(B) SUMMARY OF CHANGE: CMB APPROVAL AUTHORITY MAY BE DELEGATED TO ARMY COMMANDERS, COLONEL AND ABOVE.

(C) AS WITH THE CIB, ONLY ONE AWARD OF THE CMB IS AUTHORIZED FOR GWOT, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OR LOCATION OF DEPLOYMENTS.