[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5806-S5808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL:
  S. 2450. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to revise the 
requirements for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Combat 
Medical Badge with respect to service in Korea after July 28, 1953; to 
the Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Korean 
Defense Service Combat Recognition Act of 2004 which would amend Title 
10, United States Code, to revise the requirements for award of the 
Combat Infantryman Badge and the Combat Medical Badge with respect to 
service in Korea after July 28, 1953.
  The Army awards the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) to recognize members 
of infantry units who have been engaged in ground combat. The Combat 
Medical Badge (CMB) recognizes field medics who accompany infantry 
troops into battle. A 1968 Army regulation makes it much more difficult 
for U.S. troops serving in South Korea to be awarded the CIB or CMB 
than for troops serving almost anywhere else in the world. 
Specifically, infantrymen stationed in South Korea must be in five 
firefights in order to qualify for the awards. In other combat zones, 
the requirement is one firefight.
  In addition, to be awarded the medals, troops in South Korea must 
also have served in theater for sixty days in a hostile fire area, be 
authorized hostile fire pay, and be recommended by each superior up the 
chain-of-command to the division level.
  My bill normalizes the rules so that all troops, no matter where they 
serve, are subject to the same eligibility requirements for these two 
prestigious medals.
  Unfortunately, the Army regulation has had the unintended consequence 
of making it extra difficult for infantry and medical units serving 
along the DMZ in South Korea to earn combat recognition medals. A 
spokesman for the Korean Defense Veterans of America (KDVA) has 
described these requirements as making it nearly impossible to be 
awarded the CIB for infantrymen serving in Korea, short of getting 
killed in combat. The KDVA is a group of veterans and active soldiers 
who are serving, or who have served, in South Korea since 1953.
  This language is supported by the KDVA and the Combat Infantryman's 
Association. The Combat Infantryman's Association is a group of Army 
infantrymen who have been awarded the Combat Infantry Badge.
  It is unfair and wrong to require five firefights in South Korea, but 
only one firefight in Grenada, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Laos, 
Vietnam, and almost every other location in the world. The Korean 
Defense Service Combat Recognition Act of 2004 normalizes the rules so 
that all troops, no matter where they serve, are subject to the same 
eligibility requirements for these two prestigious medals.
  I urge my colleagues to support its passage and ask unanimous consent 
that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

[[Page S5808]]

                                S. 2450

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Korea Defense Service Combat 
     Recognition Act''.

     SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARD OF COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE 
                   AND COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE WITH RESPECT TO 
                   SERVICE IN KOREA AFTER JULY 28, 1953.

       (a) Standardization of Requirements With Other Geographic 
     Areas.--(1) Chapter 357 of title 10, United States Code, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new section:

     ``Sec. 3757. Korea defense service: Combat Infantryman Badge; 
       Combat Medical Badge

       ``The Secretary of the Army shall provide that, with 
     respect to service in the Republic of Korea after July 28, 
     1953, eligibility of a member of the Army for the Combat 
     Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge shall be met 
     under criteria and eligibility requirements that, as nearly 
     as practicable, are identical to those applicable, at the 
     time of such service in the Republic of Korea, to service 
     elsewhere without regard to specific location or special 
     circumstances. In particular, such eligibility shall be 
     established--
       ``(1) without any requirement for service by the member in 
     an area designated as a `hostile fire area' (or by any 
     similar designation) or that the member have been authorized 
     hostile fire pay;
       ``(2) without any requirement for a minimum number of 
     instances (in excess of one) in which the member was engaged 
     with the enemy in active ground combat involving an exchange 
     of small arms fire; and
       ``(3) without any requirement for personal recommendation 
     or approval by commanders in the member's chain of command 
     other than is generally applicable for service at locations 
     outside the Republic of Korea.''.
       (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter 
     is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``3757. Korea defense service: Combat Infantryman Badge; Combat Medical 
              Badge.''.

       (b) Applicability to Service Before Date of Enactment.--The 
     Secretary of the Army shall establish procedures to provide 
     for the implementation of section 3757 of title 10, United 
     States Code, as added by subsection (a), with respect to 
     service in the Republic of Korea during the period between 
     July 28, 1953, and the date of the enactment of this Act. 
     Such procedures shall include a requirement for submission of 
     an application for award of a badge under that section with 
     respect to service before the date of the enactment of this 
     Act and the furnishing of such information as the Secretary 
     may specify.

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