IN THE NEWS:
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VIETNAM magazine featured an article on the Air Assault Badge Controversy in the FEB 2003 Edition. Show your support by subscribing online at www.vietnammag.com.
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From Army Times, Letters Column, April 04, 2005
"Fix the Air Assault Badge"
It is good news that some sort of Close Combat Badge is in the works for combat support troops after attempts to establish one following World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War went nowhere.
While troops today appear to be enjoying a high level of support, let’s consider fixing the criteria for the Air Assault Badge. The current AAB criteria address only successful completion of an approved air assault school subsequent to April 1, 1974.
They thereby ignore all air assault training between 1964 and 1974 and all combat air assault actions subsequent to 1965.
In comparison, the Parachutist Badge criteria require the successful completion of an approved jump school or participation in one combat jump against an opposing armed enemy force.
If the Air Assault Badge criteria mirrored that of the Parachutist Badge, appropriate retroactivity would be built in. Thus, the Sky Soldiers who pioneered the modern air assault techniques and used them in combat in Vietnam in 1965 would not continue to be denied this badge.
I hope that our leadership addresses this inequity.
Maj. Neil Laughy (ret.)
Lawton, Okla.
82243
