If you ask Sgt. Robert Flak, he’ll tell you it’s not fair that infantrymen who’ve earned the Combat Infantryman Badge and Expert Infantryman Badge are not allowed to wear both awards at the same time — and he’s not even a grunt.
“I was always around the infantry, and I’d hear them talking about how they had to pick between the EIB and the CIB, and … they never get passing recognition from their peers or subordinates or superiors,” said Flak, a human resources specialist. “I thought, ‘this is not fair,’ but they said, ‘this is how it is.’”
But Flak feels so strongly about it that he has designed a new badge that would represent both infantry awards, and he’s actively spreading the word about the award, talking to anybody who will listen. He’s even pitched a written proposal to senior Army leaders, including Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey.
“You go to combat, you survive, you’re proven combat effective, then you take the EIB training. Why isn’t there a program or a badge or something that provides you that instant dual recognition?” Flak said. “[Infantrymen] deserve it. It’s not fair for what they’ve done and who they are.”
Read more at Army Times
(Features Photo courtesy of Armytimes.com)
