Combat Action Ribbon

The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, and which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy (or Colonel in the Marine Corps), have actively participated in ground or surface combat. The Combat Action Ribbon is also awarded to members of the United States Coast Guard when operating under the control of the Navy.

Authorized operations

While any eligible sailor or Marine may receive the ribbon, SECNAVINST 1650.1G lists several units and operations whose members or participants are authorized to wear it, including:

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• Southeast Asia. From 01 March 1961 To 15 August 1973.
• Dominican Republic. From 28 April 65 To 21sep66. (No Ships Qualified)
• USS Liberty (AGTR-5). 08 June 1967 And 09 June 1967.
• USS Pueblo (AGER-2). 23 January 1968.
• Operation Frequent Wind (Saigon evacuation), 29 April 75-30 April 75. (No ships)
• Operation Mayaguez, 15 May 1975. (No ships)
• Grenada, 24 October 1983 - 02 november 1983. (No Ships)
• Lebanon. 20 August 82 To 01 August 84. (No Ships)
• Persian Gulf operations, 1987-88:
• COMNAVSPECWAR Task Unit Tango, 22 September 1987.
• USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58), 14 April 1988.
• Operation Praying Mantis, 18 April 1988.
• Surface Action Group Bravo: USS Merrill (DD-976) And Embarked Comdesron Nine Staff; HSL-35 Det 1; USS Lynde McCormick (DDG 8); USS Trenton (LPD-14); Contingency MAGTF2-88; HSL-44, Detachment 5
• Surface Action Group Charlie: USS Wainwright (CG-28); USS Bagley (FF-1069); HSL-35, Det 7; USS Simpson (FFG-56); HSL-42, Det 10; Commander, Naval Special Warfare Task Group Middle East Force; Seal Team Two; Third Platoon
• Surface Action Group Delta: Comdesron Twenty-Two; USS Jack Williams (FFG-24); HSL-32, Det 2; USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16); USS O'Brien (DD-975); HSL-33, Det 2; Co, Spec Boat Unit Twelve; Seal Team 5, Platoon CG
• USS Elmer Montgomery (FF-1082); USS Vincennes (CG-49) - 03 July 1988
• Persian Gulf MCM Operations. Specific Units During 19 November 1987 To 01 April 1988; 14 To 20 April 1988; 20 To 23 April 1988; And 02 August 90 To 10 September 1991.
• Operation Just Cause (Panama). 20 December 1989 - 31 January 1990. (No Ships Qualified)
• Operation Sharp Edge. 05 August 1990 - 24 August 1990. (No Ships Qualified)
• Operation Desert Storm. 17 January 1991 - 28 February 1991.
• The Secretary Of The Navy approved the CAR as an exception to policy for several ships that operated north Of 28.30N and west Of 49.30E from 17 January to 28 February 1991: USS Adroit (MSO-509), USS Avenger (MCM-1), USS Beaufort (ATS-2), USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), USS Caron (DD-970), USS Curts (FFG-38), USS Durham (LKA-114), USS Fife (DD-991), USS Ford (FFG-54), USS Fort Mchenry (LSD-43), USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964), USS Hawes (FFG-53), USNS Hassayampa (T-AO-145), USS Horne (CG-30), USS Impervious (MSO-449), USS Jarrett (FFG-33), USS Kidd (DDG-993), USS La Salle (AGF-3), USS Leader (MSO-490), USS Leftwich (DD-984), USS Macdonough (DDG-39), USS McInerney (FFG-8), USS Missouri (BB-63), USS Mobile Bay (CG-53), USS Nassau (LHA-4), USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), USS Nicholas (FFG-47), USS Okinawa (LPH-3), USS Oldendorf (DD-972), USNS Passumpsic (T-AO-107), USS Portland (LSD-37), USS Princeton (CG-59), USS Raleigh (LPD-1), USS Tripoli (LPH-10), USS Vreeland (FF-1068), USS Wisconsin (BB-64), USS Worden (CG-18)
• The Following Ships Were Approved For The Dates Indicated: USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) 26 February 91; USS Guam (LPH-9) 25-26 February 91; USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) 26 February 91; USS Ogden (LPD-5) 25-26 February 91; USS Missouri (BB-63), 12 February 91 and 25 February 91; VC-6 Detachment.
• EODMU Detachments: USS Richmond K. Turner (CG-20) 19-24 February 91; USS Valley Forge (CG-50) 16-28 February 1991; USS Leader (MSO-490) 23 March 91.
• El Salvador. 01 January 1981 To 01 February 1992.
• Operation Restore Hope (Somalia). 05 December 1992 - 01 March 1995. (No Ships Qualified)
• Cambodia. 01 June 1992 To 15 November 1993.
• Operation Assured Response (Monrovia, Liberia). 07 April 1996 To 18 April 1996. (No Ships Qualified).
• Kosovo Campaign. Specific units designated from 24 March 1999 To 27 January 2000.
• USS Cole (DDG-67) bombing 12 October 2000.