Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon ( CAR ) is a personal decoration of the United States Department of the Navy and U . S . Coast Guard that may be awarded to those who , in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the U . S . Navy and U . S . Coast Guard ( or Colonel in the U . S . Marine Corps ) , have actively participated in ground or surface combat . Additional awards of the Combat Action Ribbon are denoted by gold and silver 5 / 16 inch star s . U . S . Navy / U . S . Marine Corps . The Combat Action Ribbon was established during the Vietnam War by Secretary of the Navy Notice ( SECNAVNOTE 1650 ) , dated February 17 , 1969 with retroactive award to March 1 , 1961 . In October 1999 World War II and Korean War Veterans became retroactively eligible for the Combat Action Ribbon by Public Law 106 - 65 — Oct . 5 , 1999 , 113 STAT . 588 , G , Sec . 564 ( ) , " Retroactive Award of the Navy Combat Action Ribbon " , permitted the Secretary of the Navy to award the Combat Action Ribbon to a member of the Navy or Marine Corps for participation in ground or surface combat during any period on or after Dec . 7 , 1941 , and or before March 1 , 1961 , if the Secretary determines that the member has not been previously recognized in an appropriate manner for such participation . Personnel who earned the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge while a member of the United States Army may be authorized to wear the Combat Action Ribbon upon application to the Department of the Navy . As of May 2005 , the United States Army has created a new decoration known as the Combat Action Badge ( previously known as the Combat Recognition Ribbon ) which is considered the direct Army equivalent to the Combat Action Ribbon , though the CAB is not available to infantry or medical Soldiers who are in combat arms units , and is available to officers at or below the rank of Colonel . Retroactive awards of the Combat Action Ribbon , for retired , deceased , or discharged personnel , are handled by the Navy Liaison Officer to the National Personnel Records Center . While any eligible Sailor or Marine may receive the ribbon , SECNAVINST 1650 . 1H lists units and operations whose members or participants are authorized to wear it . The Navy / Marine Corps version of the Combat Action Ribbon may be awarded to members of the Coast Guard if they are operating with a Navy or Marine Corps unit . U . S . Coast Guard . The Coast Guard version of the Combat Action Ribbon was created on July 16 , 2008 ( Coast Guard members who saw combat action prior to this date were awarded the U . S . Navy Combat Action Ribbon , e . g . , for combat action in Vietnam ) . The criterion for the USCG Combat Action Ribbon is satisfactory performance under enemy fire while actively participating in a ground or maritime engagement . Criteria also include personnel with direct exposure to the detonation of an improvised explosive device used by an enemy , and for personnel who serve in clandestine / special operations , who are restricted in their ability to return fire , where the risk of enemy fire was great . Initially , all other similar awards from other military services were required to be converted to the Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon in order to be worn on the Coast Guard uniform , but the policy was modified to allow wear of the Navy / Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon .