Air Force Combat Action Medal
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| United States Air Force Combat Action Medal | |
|---|---|
 USAF Combat Action Medal |
|
| Awarded by United States Air Force | |
| Type | Individual Award |
| Eligibility | 11 Sept 01-to be determined |
| Awarded for | Actively engaged in ground or air combat with the enemy |
| Status | Still Issued |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 2007 |
| Posthumous awards |
Elizabeth Jacobson |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Air Force Achievement Medal |
| Same | Navy/USMC: Combat Action Ribbon |
| Next (lower) | Presidential Unit Citation |
| Related | USN/USMC Combat Action Ribbon Army Combat Action Badge |
The Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM) is a new medal issued by the United States Air Force. It was first awarded on June 12, 2007 for actions from 11 September 2001 to a date to be determined and may be awarded posthumously.
Air Force Chief of Staff General T. Michael Moseley presented six Airmen the Air Force Combat Action Medal during a ceremony at 8 a.m., June 12, at the Air Force Memorial.
For an Airman to wear the AFCAM, a narrative explanation on an AF Form 3994 of the Airman's involvement in combat activities must be submitted by a person with first-hand knowledge of the incident to the first O-6 (colonel) in their operational chain of command. The application will be processed through the chain of command and eventually be approved or disapproved by the Commander of Air Force forces (COMAFFOR).
The AFCAM will be the highest-level Air Force individual award to not earn points under the Weighted Airmen Promotion System. It is worn directly before the Air Force Achievement Medal and after the Presidential Unit Citation.
[edit] Design
In conjunction with the Army Institute of Heraldry, the medal was designed by Susan Gamble, a professional artist and Master Designer for the U.S. Mint. Her husband, Mike Gamble, is an Air Force colonel, and she was quoted by the Washington Post as saying, "It was just a real pleasure to give this back to the Air Force that's been part of my life." She based the medal on an insignia painted on an aircraft piloted in World War I by General Billy Mitchell, generally known as the father of the Air Force.[1]
A laurel wreath surrounds an eagle emblem executed in a simple, linear Art Deco style. The eagle faces right, over the right talon clutching arrows, to reflect that this is a combat medal. The left talon clutches an olive branch. The ribbon's diagonal stripe at first could not be manufactured in the United States; but military medals cannot be manufactured outside the U.S. This design problem was resolved when a mill in Pennsylvania, Bally Ribbon Mills, bought a new loom specifically to weave the diagonal stripe. A Rhode Island firm, Ira Green Inc. in Providence, made the metal parts.[1]
The medal is the only award of the United States military to have a diagonally patterned ribbon, much like various British awards (such as the Distinguished Flying Cross).
[edit] Recipients
The first recipients of the medal awarded on June 12, 2007, were:[1]
- Master Sgt. Charlie Peterson of Detroit, Michigan
- Staff Sgt. Daniel L. Paxton of Abingdon, Virginia
- Capt. Allison K. Black of North Point, New York
- Master Sgt. Byron P. Allen of Birmingham, Alabama
- Senior Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez of Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Maj. Steven A. Raspet of Fountain Valley, California
[edit] References
- ^ a b c For Today's Air Force, a New Symbol of Valor by John Kelly, June 13, 2007. Washington Post, p. B03. Accessed June 13, 2007.
- Airmen to see combat medal in April, 1/26/2007, Air Force Print News
- CSAF to award first AF Combat Action Medals, 6/8/2007, Air Force Link
- Airmen receive first AF Combat Action Medals, 6/12/2007, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs
- [1], 3/10/2008, Air Force Times
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