1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Army Combat Action Badge Eligibility Act”.
Army Combat Action Badge Eligibility Act
A BILL
To expand retroactive eligibility of the Army Combat Action Badge to include members of the Army who participated in combat during which they personally engaged, or were personally engaged by, the enemy at any time on or after December 7, 1941.
2. Retroactive award of Army Combat Action Badge
Authority To award— The Secretary of the Army may award the Army Combat Action Badge to a person who, as determined by the Secretary—
participated as a member of the Army at any time during the eligibility period in combat during which the person personally engaged, or was personally engaged by, the enemy; and
has not been previously recognized in an appropriate manner for the member’s participation in such combat.
Procurement of badge— The Secretary of the Army may make arrangements with suppliers of the Army Combat Action Badge so that persons eligible to receive the Army Combat Action Badge pursuant to subsection (a) may procure the badge directly from suppliers, thereby eliminating, or at least substantially reducing, administrative costs for the Army to carry out this section.
Definitions— In this section:
Army Combat Action Badge— The term “Army Combat Action Badge” means the military decoration established by order of the Secretary of the Army through Headquarters, Department of the Army Letter 600–05–1, dated June 3, 2005.
Eligibility period— The term “eligibility period” means the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on September 18, 2001 (the date of the otherwise applicable limitation on the retroactive award of the Army Combat Action Badge).