I was at a gun/military show a few weeks ago and seen a tanker's version of a CIB. It had a golden wreath instead of silver, with the armor symbol in it. Mabey the crossed sabers of the cavalry in it too? Not too sure on that detail. A lot of green and a little gold on the tank. Was this ever an accual award or just some fancy thing someone made up. I remember about 3 years ago the issue of creating an excellence in armor badge, similar to the expert infantryman's badge came up and it died almost immeadiatley.

There was an effort in the not-so-distant past to create Combat Armorcrewman and Combat Artilleryman Badges.  The idea was quickly killed, as it is everytime some General with an Armor or Artillery background brings up the idea.  The reasoning for the CIB is that in the past, Infantrymen have borne the brunt of combat operations, with little reward and lots of opportunities to be killed or maimed, while other branches don't (except for medics, who earn the CFMB).  The CIB was created to recognize those sacrifices the average Infantryman makes in combat.  Of course, as we've seen in Iraq, even supply troops are out on patrols and doing basic Infantry tasks on a regular basis.  I wouldn't look for a Combat Supply Clerks Badge anytime soon though.  IIRC, one reason for given for not creating any other combat badges was that the floodgates would be opened and every swinging dick would want one made for their MOS.

Those badges were created to sell to DATs and RedLegs who want something to show their service.  As a RedLeg combat vet, I can say you'll never see me wear one.  

As an aside, I do feel that some troops outside of the 11 and 18 series should deserve to be awarded CIB's, especially FO's.  Forward Observers are right there with that Infantry platoon, taking the same fire they are, doing the same movements to contact, and sleeping in the same hasty fighting positions.  However, since they are 13F and not 11B's, they don't get an EIB.  Of course, as I stated above, if Fister's were awarded them, every 92Y that manned a traffic control point in Mosul would want one too.

Well I dont plan on seeing any sort of combat MP badge coming out anytime soon, but oh well.  However I do think how CIB's and CMB's and many other awards are being handed out is plain wrong.  CIB's and CMB's can just be given out at a something like the batallion level.  I've bumped into a few medics who have CMB's and did NOTHING in combat to help anyone.  Sure they still did their jobs, and were in a combat zone, but you should at least be in combat to get a Combat medic badge.  Same thing with CIB's.  I've also bumped into a few guys that just got their CIB because their unit was in combat and they were deployed.  Not that they necessarily were in combat themselves.  Anyways, just my .02 on those.  I've also seen first hand a few bronze stars and similar awards awarded to soldiers in operations.  You'd expect a good story from someone with a bronze star, and not just "I managed soldiers damn good".   Oh well.

I think other branches don't need a similar badge except when as an example; a field artillery unit's primary mission in a combat zone is mounted and dismounted patrols and doing raids including house clearing. The I think they deserve the same accolades as the infantry unit doing the same thing on the other side of town.

I'm artilelry but am not doing an artillery job nor an infantry job so I wouldn't wear one in either case.

Tangochaser, you get the quick MP reclass?

No on the MP reclass. I am doing base force protection but my sister unit 1-7 FA is doing patrols and kicking in doors with the SF and Iraqi national guard. That was their assigned mission from day one. I think they should qualify for the CIB as one of their attached units, C 1-26 Infantry qualifies while fight side by side with the Artillery guys.