I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4039
To amend title 10, United States Code, to revise the requirements for award 
of the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Combat Medical Badge with 
respect to service in Korea after July 28, 1953. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 25, 2004
Mr. FLAKE (for himself, Mr. HEFLEY, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. 
SPRATT, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. BISHOP
of Utah, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. FROST, Mr. 
SOUDER, and Ms. HART) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to revise the require-
ments for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge and 
the Combat Medical Badge with respect to service in 
Korea after July 28, 1953.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Korean Defense Serv-
ice Combat Recognition Act’’.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARD OF COMBAT INFAN-
TRYMAN 
BADGE 
AND 
COMBAT 
MEDICAL 
BADGE 
WITH 
RESPECT 
TO 
SERVICE 
IN 
KOREA AFTER JULY 28, 1953. 
(a) STANDARDIZATION
OF REQUIREMENTS WITH 
OTHER GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.—(1) Chapter 357 of title 
10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 3757. Korean defense service: Combat Infantryman 
Badge; Combat Medical Badge 
‘‘The Secretary of the Army shall provide that, with 
respect to service in the Republic of Korea after July 28, 
1953, eligibility of a member of the Army for the Combat 
Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge shall 
be met under criteria and eligibility requirements that, as 
nearly as practicable, are identical to those applicable, at 
the time of such service in the Republic of Korea, to serv-
ice elsewhere without regard to specific location or special 
circumstances. In particular, such eligibility shall be estab-
lished—
‘‘(1) without any requirement for service by the 
member in an area designated as a ‘hostile fire area’ 
(or by any similar designation) or that the member 
have been authorized hostile fire pay; 
‘‘(2) without any requirement for a minimum 
number of instances (in excess of one) in which the
member was engaged with the enemy in active 
ground combat involving an exchange of small arms 
fire; and 
‘‘(3) without any requirement for personal rec-
ommendation or approval by commanders in the 
member’s chain of command other than is generally 
applicable for service at locations outside the Repub-
lic of Korea.’’. 
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such 
chapter is amended by adding at the end the following 
new item:
‘‘3757. Korean defense service: Combat Infantryman Badge; Combat Medical 
Badge.’’.
(b) APPLICABILITY TO SERVICE BEFORE DATE OF 
ENACTMENT.—The Secretary of the Army shall establish 
procedures to provide for the implementation of section 
3757 of title 10, United States Code, as added by sub-
section (a), with respect to service in the Republic of 
Korea during the period between July 28, 1953, and the 
date of the enactment of this Act. Such procedures shall 
include a requirement for submission of an application for 
award of a badge under that section with respect to service 
before the date of the enactment of this Act and the fur-
nishing of such information as the Secretary may specify.
Æ