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A case for changing approval authority for the Combat Action Ribbon
The United States Marine Corps is an organization that unapologetically adheres to a set of rigid core values that defines its role as our Nations premiere force-in- readiness. Of these values, none is esteemed more highly than performance in combat. In the words of former Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC), Gen James T. Conway, "Marines are a breed apart - born of epic battles and tempered in the ultimate crucible of combat."1 In this context, it is only fitting that those engaged in combat service receive appropriate recognition for their actions. After nearly 6^2 years of sustained combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps implemented the use of the improved awards processing system in March 2008, which was designed to "enhance the abilities of commanders to submit, approve, endorse, and track personal and unit awards."2 The upgraded system offers a viable web- bas ed solution to the failing awards processing system that had proved to be only marginally effective but problematic, particularly in a time of war. Although the current system improved the processing and tracking of awards, the implementation of the policy that governs the awarding of the Combat Action Ribbon remains inefficient. Nine years of sustained conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan have revealed the ineffectiveness of restricting approval of the Combat Action Ribbon to senior commanders at the general officer level. Accordingly, the Marine Corps should grant colonels in command the authority to approve the Combat Action Ribbon while deployed in support of combat operations so that deserving Marines receive timely recognition for their performance under fire.
Purpose of the Combat Action Ribbon
The Department of the Navy and Marine Corps awards program is generally divided into three categories of awards: personal, unit, and campaign and Service awards. Of these three categories, personal decorations for military personnel are divided into ribbons and medals that highlight the degree of recognition bestowed on individuals. Of the 14 personal awards Marines are eligible to receive, 1 3 are medals and 1 is a ribbon. The highest personal award is the Medal of Honor, and the lowest is the Combat Action Ribbon.3 In general, medals indicate a higher level of award, while...