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Change
to Eligibility of the Army Combat Badge
(As at 24 August 2009)
 1.
The Army Combat Badge (ACB), has had it’s criteria broadened to
recognise those who have served in a given area of operations of a Battle
Group or Combat Team. The latest Defence Instructions
Click
Army (Personnel), dated
24 August 2009 (DI(A)-PERS 119-1, Complete Revision. Please read
this document carefully.
2. The purpose of the ACB
is to recognise the unique service of a member operating with an Arms
Corps unit within a warlike area of operations. The purpose of the ACB is
not to recognise combat duties but to recognise service with a combat
element through formal force assignment. The applicant
must provide the relevant
details, verification of service and have been awarded the Australian
Active Service Medal (AASM), pertinent to the Operation Force Assigned.
3. The Applicant must have served a minimum of
90 days of satisfactory service in the qualifying Area of Operations.
All Enquiries to be addressed to:
Director General Personnel - Army
R8-9-025
Department of Defence,
Russell Offices,
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Phone:
Role: (02) 6265 4119
Fax: (02) 6265 3715
Comments by
Webmaster
There are many Signal
Vietnam Veterans who have contacted me about this badge over the last few
years and feel strongly about it, especially the Radio Operators who did
their time with the Grunts. The ACB instruction has been a can of worms,
since first issued in Oct 2005 and this new amendment should fix up the
problems for Signal Vietnam Veterans, if my reading is correct, for those
who served for 90 days with 1RAR Group (709 Sig Tp and 527 Sig Tp)
and the 1st Australian Task Force
(103 Sig Sqn,
104 Sig Sqn, 547 Sig Tp and Det 152 Sig Sqn) as these signal
units directly supported combat teams for their complete
deployment.
Force Signals
(145 Sig Sqn and 110 Sig Sqn) who were
detached to Task Force Signals (103 Sig
Sqn 104 Sig Sqn) or other Task Force Unit, could also be
eligible but because no roll books or other records have survived, will
require some evidence to support their claim.
To date no State RASigs
Association has stepped forward to assist Signal Vietnam Veterans with the
award of the ACB and while this is disappointing, it is understandable as
there is no National Association and each State RASigs Association is
light in working membership and therefore very limited in admin functions
plus is not just set up for Vietnam Veterans. It is therefore suggested,
that each Signal Vietnam Veteran send his application form directly to the
RASigs Head of Corps (HOC) as per Para 20c of the revised Defence
Instruction.
Address is as follows:
Head of
Corps
Royal Australian Corps of Signals
R1-3-A142
Department of Defence
Canberra Act 2600
[Jan 2010] |
