Do soldiers get extra money for going into combat?

[Gunner]

Geo and Recceguy, well said. 

 

[boondocksaint]

i do deep down agree with what is being said here in the last few posts, the equal treatment thingy goes both ways though is i guess partially the point im trying to make, not a slander/slight to those who didnt leave the wire

i'll leave well enough alone

 

[geo]

Didn't leave the wire cause their work, their skill set is needed inside - not outside.
Ain't their fault - but their contribution, such as it is, is 100% welcome.

 

[1feral1]

I've been outside the wire on a number of occasions now, and its a freaky experience. One feeling I will never EVER forget, thats for sure. As for the Aussie version of the US ICB, we get ours after 90 days of being here.

Been thru a HE 122mm Katyusha rocket experience recently. All landing too close for my liking.


Meanwhile, 69 and a wakie til Santorini!

Wes

 

[silentbutdeadly]

OK we are not cutting down people or calling them less soldiers because they don't leave the wire. We had a very good clerk in our BG and yes her job is for her to stay in camp the whole tour. I can accept that, to tell you the truth she was the one fighting for the extra pay for guys outside the wire, but there should be something Little more for the guys that risk there lives for 30+ days out in Taliban land. Yes we are all one team and we should be, but doesn't turn out that way due to the different jobs we have over there. All i am saying is that when you go out and risk your life outside the wire on a regular basis you should be given something more, something you can maybe wear on your chest. The Americans do it and when the people you don't have these Badges see them they respect them. Seems here we will cut them down for being cocky infantry types and its typical in our army.

 

[geo]

Uhh... Brits don't have nothing like that, do they?

 

[silentbutdeadly]

The British get a rosette on there Iraq and Afghan medals to indicate they were in a fight. The Aussies have one also. Its a bayonet surrounded by a wreath.

 

[geo]

Hmmm.... Rosette sounds fine to me.
any idea on the prerequisites to receive either one?
time to google...

Australia.....
The Infantry Combat Badge (ICB) is now proudly worn above Medals or Medal Ribbons by members of the Infantry Corps who have served in an infantry unit for at least 90 days in operation.

The Infantry Combat Badge or ICB, may only be awarded to a serving member of the Australian Army who has given, either continuous or aggregate, 90 days satisfactory service as an infantryman in operations. 
Service as an infantryman means service as a member of the 
Royal Australian Infantry Corps in an infantry posting in an Australian Infantry Battalion,
Independent Rifle Company, 
Commando Company, 
Special Air Service Regiment, 
or other such Australian unit as may be designated by the Chief of General Staff.
Operations is defined as service in a war or campaign in respect of which a campaign star or medal is awarded. 
Special circumstances exist where members of other Corps may be awarded the badge. 
These are dealt with on a case by case basis by an Infantry Combat Badge Committee

REVISIONS have been made to the policy on awarding the Infantry Combat Badge (ICB) to clarify eligibility issues.   The policy revision also updates the approved operations list.

The only current operation leading to the award of the ICB is Op Bastille, in which the infantry platoon of Secdet in Baghdad is entitled.
The entitlement to the ICB for infantry service in East Timor ceased on August 18, 2003, when operations there were reclassified "non-warlike" to reflect the improving conditions.

Further information is at the ICB questions and answers section at the RAInf Corps webpage on the Defweb and externally on www.defence.gov.au/army/RAINF/index.htm, along with the latest ICB DI(A) 97-5.

AND.... when you create exclusive clubs..... you either get gate crashers OR ..... other exclusive clubs.....
Now there's The Engineer Combat Badge (ECB) Australian designed and manufactured.
Copyrighted in 1997 and worn by over 700 Sappers (all ranks)  BUT the ECB is still not official.

 

[boondocksaint]

to further the whole team thing, our team outside the wire consisted of all cbt arms as well as several support trades,

in the tic on aug 3rd mechanics were recovering 2 ied'd vehicles under contact while we fought within close proximity, as did medics and some other trades-they were cool calm and proffessional

im sure they would like the recognition that not only did they do their job, they did it under fire, in combat and did it well-

when we talk about the outside the wire stuff, we mean everyone who was with us constantly being part of the family we all became- we ( infantry ) just tend to rant louder

 

[geo]

Yup.... aussie infantry do as well (see above post).... where they've excluded all others.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

The British get a rosette on there Iraq and Afghan medals to indicate they were in a fight.

This is not the case.  Rosettes in the British Army work the same as they do in ours - they indicate service in an operational theatre, not participation in "combat".  In our case, for instance, one wears a rosette on the SWASM medal to indicate service in the CENTCOM AOR and award of the "Afghanistan" bar.  It is possible to receive the SWASM without a rosette/bar for service in, say, Tampa.

British Army criteria for Iraq (Op TELIC) are here:  http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/Iraq.htm

The Iraq Medal was awarded for 30 days continuous service on Op Telic in specified qualifying areas of the Middle East between specified dates during the build up to and the conflict in 2003.

The Iraq Medal is now awarded for 30 days continuous service on Op Telic in Iraq. Air crew are awarded the Medal for 10 sorties into Iraq.

The Iraq Medal with Clasp ‘19 Mar to 28 Apr 2003’ was awarded for 7 days continuous service on Op Telic in Kuwait or Iraq between the dates of the conflict (19 March to 28 April 2003). Air Crew were awarded the Medal with Clasp for 2 sorties into Kuwait or Iraq between those dates. Naval personnel were awarded the Medal with Clasp for 7 days continuous service at sea within certain specified geographical boundaries between those dates.

Subsequent tours to Iraq are not recognised by award of bars or numerals. There is no precendent for this in British medals, though it has been the case in NATO medals.

Here are the criteria for Afghanistan:  http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/OsmAfghanistan.htm

Sounds a lot like what we do, does it not?  As for the Aussies, it appears that they award their ICB for mere service as an infantryman on an operation, not for time spent in contact.

Edit:  as I suspected - from the Royal Australian Infantry Corps page

Therefore an eligible ICB recipient does not need to have personally engage in combat but does need to have been part of an infantry unit deployed on warlike operations.

It appears that making coffee in the Bn HQ CP qualifies one for the Australian award as much as actually engaging the enemy.  Goes right back to why I tend to oppose these types of "awards"...

TR

 

[boondocksaint]

there is a fairly heavy 'anti combat medal' feeling in this thread, not sure where it stems from,

as for the exclusivity that would be created, heaven forbid someone in our military be recognized for doing something more then someone else did, what are folks going to do when the other medals are ratifed and handed out to the troops who fought?

ie: medals of varying types denoting bravery etc under fire- more then a few guys have been nominated for medals due to their actions during combat

or is that too exclusive? i mean if we're not going to recognize the combat with a medal, why bother recognizing some amazing things done in combat with a medal

 

[geo]

Not a question of being anti anything..................
Have had my licks in as an infantryman and saw the light
Given the TF structure we've adopted where Tankers, Sappers, Gunners are shoulder to shoulder with the infantrymen, what's the specific meaning of an Infantry combat badge?

 

[Blunt Object]

Can someone PM me the pay scale (1,2,3 and 4) for a Pte in the reserves please.  For some reason I can't access any of the links provided from my computer or my friends.

    Cheers

 

[geo]

lazy bugger.........

here..........http://www.forces.ca/v3/engraph/resources/payandbenefits_en.aspx?bhcp=1

 

[Blunt Object]

Thanks but i still cant get to it.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Thats what the Combat Action Badge is for, everyone other then Infantry.

 

[Gunner]

Given the TF structure we've adopted where Tankers, Sappers, Gunners are shoulder to shoulder with the infantrymen, what's the specific meaning of an Infantry combat badge?

Synergy - sum of the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts.  The point being that battles are won by the team, not the individual.

I've been in long enough to know what you wear on your chest gives you about 5 seconds of credibility.  As soon as you open your mouth, you either maintain it or you lose it completely.  Some of the hardest working people that I have met in the military only have a CD, some of the most useless are working on their 3rd row of ribbons (+). My 2 cents states that those who have proven themselves don't need a piece of plastic/medal to publicize it.   

 

[1feral1]

Yup.... aussie infantry do as well (see above post).... where they've excluded all others.

Its only been the past year or so that the ICB went totally Infantry. The Army now has the ACB for all other Corps. The ACB is what we will get after 90 days of being here in Iraq. I am here with a bunch of paratroopers (no OPSEC here public media knowledge) who will get the ICB. The badges are similar in appearance.

Some can google the ACB, as I don't have the time.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Gunner i agree with part of your statement. You don't need medals on your chest to prove what you did or have done, but it would be nice and would help this army get back to the glory it once had by putting pride back into the combat units. Then the vets that fought so brave in WW1, WW2 and Korea should not wear there medals? of course not, then why are we debating this? because over the yrs in this military we have had this my trade, unit, coy, and platoon bullsh*t. If you do something special in combat or in combat everyone no matter what trade is attached to an infantry unit should given a badge they should be proud of. I dunno, i think it just goes with why we don''t wear jump wings and why the warrior badge failed.