Combat Medical Badge

Combat Medical Badge
Type	Badge
Awarded for	Performing medical duties while being engaged by the enemy
Presented by	United States Army
Eligibility	An army medic supporting a ground combat arms unit brigade or lower. Restricted to ranks of colonel and below at time of award.
Status	Currently awarded
Established	January 1945
First awarded	6 December 1941 (1941-12-06) (retroactive)
Last awarded	Ongoing
Precedence
Next (higher)	Combat Infantryman Badge
Next (lower)	Combat Action Badge[1]
Related	Expert Field Medical Badge

The Combat Medical Badge is an award of the United States Army which was first created in January 1945. Any member of the Army Medical Department, at the rank of colonel or below, who is assigned or attached to a ground combat arms unit of brigade or smaller size which provides medical support during any period in which the unit was engaged in ground combat is eligible for the CMB. According to the award criterion, the individual must be performing medical duties while simultaneously being engaged by the enemy; strict adherence to this requirement and its interpretation (e.g., distant mortar rounds vs. direct small arms fire) will vary by unit. As of 3 June 2005, Special Forces medics are no longer eligible for award, but may now receive the Combat Infantryman Badge.^[2] A revision has allowed aviation medics to be eligible for the CMB.^[3] The non-combat proficiency equivalent is the Expert Field Medical Badge.