Combat Infantryman Badge - History

History

After the United States' declaration of war in 1941, the U.S. Army had difficulty recruiting Infantry branch volunteers, unlike its other, more glamorous branches (e.g. the Tank Corps, the Army Air Forces). To increase recruitment and raise its esprit de corps, General Lesley J. McNair, the Army Ground Forces commander, conceived of two ideas—(i) a large, recognizable combat service badge, for the infantry ranks, and (ii) replacing the title Private with the title Fighter, thereby, raising the soldier’s morale when addressing “Private Jones” as “Fighter Jones”. The badge idea was accepted, the title idea rejected; however, the General insisted upon the Fighter Badge title. On 7 October 1943, the War Department formally established the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) awards in Section I, War Department Circular 269 (27 October 1943):

The present war has demonstrated the importance of highly-proficient, tough, hard, and aggressive infantry, which can be obtained only by developing a high degree of individual all-around proficiency on the part of every infantryman. As a means of attaining the high standards desired and to foster esprit de corps in infantry units; the Expert Infantryman and the Combat Infantryman badges are established for infantry personnel.

Moreover, War Department Circular 269 stipulated: …only one of these badges will be worn at one time and the Combat Infantryman badge is the highest award; the awarding of the CIB was officially authorized with an executive order dated 15 November 1943; later, on 10 June 1944, the U.S. Congress approved an extra ten dollars in monthly pay to every infantryman awarded the CIB—excepting commissioned officers. The WWII regulations did not formally prescribe a specific combat service period establishing the infantryman’s eligibility for being awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge, thus, in 1947, the U.S. Government implemented a policy authorizing the retroactive awarding of the Bronze Star Medal to World War II veteran soldiers who had been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, because the CIB was awarded only to soldiers who had borne combat duties befitting the recognition conferred by a Bronze Star Medal. Both awards required a commander’s recommendation and a citation in the pertinent orders. General Marshall initiated this after Medal of Honor–recipient Major Charles W. Davis noted to him that: It would be wonderful, if someone could design a badge for every infantryman who faces the enemy, every day and every night, with so little recognition.

War Department Circular 105, dated 13 March 1944 amended WD Circular 269. Page 2, paragraph IV. BADGE--- Section 1, Circular No. 269 War Department, 1943, is amended by adding paragraph 8 as follows: 8. Retroactive award of Expert and Combat Infantryman badges may be awarded to any infantryman who, on or after 6 December 1941, has established eligibility and been recommended for such award under the provisions of paragraph 2b or paragraph 3. b. The Expert Infantryman badge may be awarded under paragraph 2a, only to those infantryman who have established eligibility and been recommended for such award on or after 27 October 1943.