SECNAVIST 1650.1F
08 August 1991
14. Combat Action Ribbon
a. Eligibility Requirements
(1) Awarded to members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard: (When the Coast Guard or units thereof operate under the control of the Navy) in the grade of captain/colonel and junior thereto, who have actively participated in ground or surface combat. Upon submission of evidence to their commanding officer, personnel who earned the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge while a member of the U.S. Army may be authorized to wear the Combat Action Ribbon.
(2) The principal eligibility criterion is that the individual must have participated in a bona fide ground or surface combat fire or action during which he was under enemy fire and his performance while under fire was satisfactory. The following amplifying remarks are furnished as guidance.
(a) Personnel in riverine and coastal operations, assaults, patrols, sweeps, ambushes, convoys, amphibious landings, and similar activities who have participated in fire fights are eligible.
(b) Personnel assigned to areas subjected to sustained mortar, missile, and artillery attacks actively participate in retaliatory or offensive actions are eligible.
(c) Personnel in clandestine of special operations such as reconnaissance and SEAL teams are eligible when the risk of enemy fire was great and was expected to be encountered.
(d) Personnel aboard a ship are eligible when the safety of the ship and the crew were endangered by enemy attack, such as a ship hit by a mine or a ship engaged by shore, surface, air or sub-surface elements.
(e) Personnel eligible for the award of the Purple Heart would not necessarily qualify for the Combat Action Ribbon.

19 Members
Join Us!

You need to be a member of Navy Veterans to add comments!

Join Navy Veterans

Comments are closed.

Comments

  • This is  my grandfathers medal from WW1. It looks similar to the combat action ribbon3439447707?profile=original

  • I earned my Combat Action Ribbon aboard the USS Bagley FF-1069 while taking part in Operation Praying Mantis in the Persian Gulf in the 80's.

  • Vietnam - Assigned to Kien An Ops Base [Apr - Sept 1971]; Sandbag Heaven, as it was nicknamed! The base was about over-ran a short while before I was stationed there... We were the replacements. We had screened in barracks to rest in, and we slept in sandbag bunkers at night. I worked on the "Ammi", repair barge, and watch duty in the tower which had a M60 & twin M50 machine guns mounted inside, along with a M79 grenade launcher and my trusty M16. My other watch station was on top of our sleeping bunker, with a M60 machine gun.. It was next to our smaller mortar station. It was a French built base, with a molt. It was a small base with probably around 40 of us stationed there. The only way to it was by boat... the land side was VC territory. Earned my combat action ribbon there!

  • Earn the CAR April 14, 1988 in the PG.

  • A little bit younger then most you guys, but earned the CAR while on the USS Guam (LPH 9) during operations in the Gulf in 91. Just got back from a op in Somalia in time to join the show. Ran some LCACs on the beach for special ops and  Marine amphibious assault.

  • Our river division did not spend time on big rivers in all the films and documentary videos, many canals it was hard to turn around in. I would like to get in touch with some of the Seal Team 1 & 2 guys we worked with in 69 & 70. So many great tales to relate and recall details long ago.

  • 3439429981?profile=original

  • May 69 to May 70, forward gunner in Riv Div 553, 237 combat patrols listed in my Navy commendation medal, but got it 3 times all with Combat V device. Lost 7 good shipmates in that year, and 18 more gone with wounds. Still in touch with some and looking to contact others. Never forget those who did not come back on memorial day.

  • 3439430192?profile=original

  • Got my first CBR while onboard the USS Yorktown (CVS-10) during operations off of Vietnam, second one while serving in Vietnam (COMNAVFORV) and got my third one while serving on the staff of Cruiser-Destroyer Group Seventh Fleet (onboard USS Providence) while conducting Linebacker/Freedom Train Operations off the coast of North Vietnam (was the staff's Intelligence Division Leading Petty officer (IS1) and Lead Targeting Planner for Naval Gunfire Operations.

This reply was deleted.