Combat Infantry Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army decoration awarded to soldiers who fought in active ground combat as members of either an infantry or Special Forces unit, of brigade size or smaller, any time after 6 December 1941. The award is given only to soldiers at the rank of colonel and below.
The CIB and its non-combat contemporary, the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB), were created in November 1943 during World War II to boost morale and increase the prestige of infantry service. It recognizes the inherent danger and sacrifice of infantrymen, who face greater risk of being becoming a casualty than any other military occupational specialty
After the United States entry into World War II, the War Department had difficulty recruiting into the Army Infantry Branch when men were given the opportunity to choose their branch assignment. Infantry morale remained low, as “infantryman continuously operated under the worst conditions” and “suffer[ed] the most casualties while receiving the least public recognition.”[3] As a result, Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair, commanding officer of the U.S. Army Ground Forces, championed the idea of creating an award recognizing the unique dangers faced by infantrymen.