RTTUZYUW RUEWMCS0000 1491411-UUUU--RUCRNAD.
ZNR UUUUU
R 281411Z MAY 08
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//DNS//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 152/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/DNS/MAY// 
SUBJ/POLICY ON CONVERSION OF THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE AND COMBAT 
MEDICAL BADGE TO THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON// 
REF/A/MSG/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/051544ZMAY08// REF/B/DOC/SECNAV 
WASHINGTON DC/29APR2008/NOTAL// REF/C/DOC/SECNAVINST 
1650.1H/22AUG2006// NARR/REF A IS THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY'S MESSAGE 
ANNOUNCING THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY'S POLICY ON CONVERSION OF THE 
COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE AND COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE TO THE COMBAT ACTION 
RIBBON. REF B IS THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY'S MEMO APPROVING THE POLICY 
CHANGE FOR NAVY PERSONNEL. REF C IS SECNAVINST 1650.1H, NAVY AND MARINE 
CORPS AWARDS MANUAL.// 
RMKS/1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS NAVADMIN IS TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE REGARDING 
U.S. NAVY POLICY ON CONVERSION OF U.S. ARMY COMBAT BADGES AND THE U.S. 
AIR FORCE COMBAT ACTION MEDAL TO THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON (CR) FOR NAVY 
PERSONNEL.
2. PER REFS A AND B, THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY HAS APPROVED POLICY 
CHANGES FOR THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, U.S. NAVY 
PERSONNEL ASSIGNED EITHER PERMANENTLY OR TEMPORARILY TO U.S. ARMY 
COMMANDS IN COMBAT, WHO, WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE CNO, ARE AWARDED 
THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE OR COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE, ARE AUTHORIZED TO 
WEAR THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON UPON COMPLETION OF THEIR ASSIGNMENT WITH 
THE ARMY.  
3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
A. THE BASIC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE CR CONTAINED IN ARTICLE 
230.14 OF REF C REMAINS UNCHANGED. ARMY AUTHORIZED THE COMBAT 
INFANTRYMAN BADGE, THE COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE, AND THE COMBAT ACTION 
BADGE FOR SERVICE MEMBERS OF OTHER U.S. ARMED FORCES ON 3 JUNE 2005 
RETROACTIVE TO 18 SEPTEMBER 2001.
B. U.S. NAVY PERSONNEL ASSIGNED EITHER PERMANENTLY OR TEMPORARILY TO 
U.S. ARMY COMMANDS IN COMBAT, WHO, WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF CNO, ARE 
AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE
(CIB) OR COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE (CMB), ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THE CR UPON 
COMPLETION OF THEIR ASSIGNMENT WITH THE ARMY. PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE 
APPROVALS SUBSEQUENT TO 18 SEPTEMBER 2001 OF THE CIB OR THE CMB WILL BE 
ENTERED INTO NAVY DEPARTMENT AWARDS WEB SERVICE (NDAWS) BY THE CNO 
AWARDS OFFICE NO LATER THAN 16 JUNE 2008. FOR ALL FUTURE AWARDS, CNO 
AWARDS OFFICE WILL UPDATE NDAWS TO REFLECT CONVERSION OF THE CIB OR THE 
CMB AT THE TIME CONCURRENCE IS APPROVED.  
C. U.S. NAVY PERSONNEL ASSIGNED EITHER PERMANENTLY OR TEMPORARILY TO 
U.S. ARMY OR U.S. AIR FORCE COMMANDS IN COMBAT, WHO EARN THE U.S. ARMY 
COMBAT ACTION BADGE (CAB) OR THE U.S. AIR FORCE COMBAT ACTION MEDAL 
(CAM), ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY ELIGIBLE FOR THE CR. AT THE TIME NAVY 
CONCURRENCE IS APPROVED FOR THE CAB OR CAM, CNO WILL DETERMINE IF CR 
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA HAS BEEN MET. CNO AWARDS OFFICE WILL UPDATE NDAWS 
TO REFLECT APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF CR CONVERSION AND THE SUBMITTING 
COMMAND WILL BE NOTIFIED. PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE APPROVALS SUBSEQUENT TO 
18 SEPTEMBER 2001 OF THE CAB OR THE CAM WILL BE ENTERED INTO NDAWS BY 
CNO AWARDS OFFICE NLT 30 JUNE 2008. 
D. COMMANDING OFFICERS OF CURRENT U.S. NAVY PERSONNEL WHO WERE FORMERLY 
MEMBERS OF THE U.S. ARMY OR U.S. AIR FORCE AND EARNED THE CAB OR CAM 
MAY SUBMIT A PERSONAL AWARD REQUEST (OPNAV FORM 1650/3) TO CNO FOR 
CONSIDERATION OF THE CR. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENTS THAT LED 
TO AWARD OF THE CAB OR CAM MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE SUMMARY OF ACTION. 
OFFICIAL MILITARY DOCUMENTATION OF THE CAB OR CAM APPROVAL MUST 
ACCOMPANY THE AWARD REQUEST.
4. AWARDING AUTHORITY.
A. CMB, CIB, CAB AND CAM CONCURRENCE APPROVAL RESTS WITH THE CNO. NDAWS 
ENTRY OF CR CONVERSION IS NOT DELEGATED BELOW THE CNO LEVEL.
B. ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL. COMMANDING OFFICERS EXERCISING NAVY AND 
MARINE CORPS ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL AUTHORITY ARE AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE THE 
COMBAT ACTION RIBBON TO SAILORS ASSIGNED TO THEIR COMMAND UPON THEIR 
REQUEST AND PRESENTATION OF OFFICIAL MILITARY DOCUMENTATION OF CIB OR 
CMB APPROVAL AND NAVY CONCURRENCE VERIFICATION WITHIN NDAWS. COMMANDING 
OFFICERS WILL ENSURE APPROPRIATE PAGE 4 ENTRIES ARE MADE IN SERVICE 
RECORDS TO PROPERLY REFLECT THE AWARD OF THE CIB/CMB CONVERSION TO THE 
CR.  
COMMANDING OFFICERS ARE DIRECTED TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS APPROACHING 
THEIR END OF ACTIVE OBLIGATED SERVICE HAVE THEIR SERVICE RECORDS 
UPDATED SO THEIR DD214 ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE AWARDING OF CR.
C. NAVY VETERANS. NAVY PERSONNEL HONORABLY DISCHARGED OR RETIRED WHO 
WERE AWARDED THE CIB OR CMB AND DESIRE TO HAVE THEIR AWARD CONVERTED TO 
THE CR AND UPDATED IN THEIR OFFICIAL RECORDS MUST SUBMIT A WRITTEN 
REQUEST WITH OFFICIAL MILITARY DOCUMENTATION OF THE CMB/CIB ALONG WITH 
CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS AND A COPY OF THE UNDELETED VERSION OF THEIR 
DD214 TO THE NAVY PERSONNEL COMMAND (PERS-312), 5720 INTEGRITY DRIVE, 
MILLINGTON, TN 38055-3130.  
PERS-312 WILL VERIFY NAVY CONCURRENCE APPROVAL IN NDAWS PRIOR TO 
ISSUANCE OF THE CR AND SERVICE RECORD UPDATE.
D. NAVY RESERVISTS. ACTIVE RESERVISTS WHO WERE AWARDED THE CIB OR CMB 
AND DESIRE TO HAVE THEIR AWARD CONVERTED TO THE CR AND UPDATED IN THEIR 
OFFICIAL RECORDS MUST SUBMIT A WRITTEN REQUEST WITH OFFICIAL MILITARY 
DOCUMENTATION OF THE CMB/CIB ALONG WITH CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS AND A 
COPY OF THE UNDELETED VERSION OF THEIR DD214 TO THEIR ASSIGNED NAVY 
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT CENTER (NOSC). NOSC WILL VERIFY NAVY CONCURRENCE 
APPROVAL IN NDAWS PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF THE CR AND SERVICE RECORD UPDATE. 
INACTIVE RESERVISTS WHO WERE AWARDED THE CIB OR CMB AND DESIRE TO HAVE 
THEIR AWARD CONVERTED TO THE CR AND UPDATED IN THEIR OFFICIAL RECORDS 
MUST SUBMIT A WRITTEN REQUEST WITH OFFICIAL MILITARY DOCUMENTATION OF 
THE CIB/CMB ALONG WITH CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS AND A COPY OF THE 
UNDELETED VERSION OF THEIR DD214 TO THE NAVY PERSONNEL COMMAND (PERS-
312), 5720 INTEGRITY DRIVE, MILLINGTON, TN  38055-3130. PERS-312 WILL 
VERIFY NAVY CONCURRENCE APPROVAL IN NDAWS PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF THE CR 
AND SERVICE RECORD UPDATE.
4. NDAWS CODES FOR THE AFFECTED AWARDS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A. CR - COMBAT ACTION RIBBON
B. MB - COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE
C. IB - COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE
D. AB - COMBAT ACTION BADGE
E. MA - COMBAT ACTION MEDAL
5. REF C WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE NEXT RELEASE. VISIT THE NAVY AWARDS 
WEBSITE AT HTTPS://AWARDS.NAVY.MIL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO 
INCLUDE COPIES OF REFERENCES.
6. RELEASED BY VICE ADMIRAL J. C. HARVEY, JR., DIRECTOR, NAVY STAFF.// 
BT 
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