| Combat Action Medal | |
|---|---|
 Combat Action Medal | |
| Type | Medal (Service/Achievement)[1] |
| Awarded for | Active participation in ground or air combat[1] |
| Presented by | United States Department of the Air Force[2] |
| Eligibility | Airmen and guardians in the grades of E-1 through O-6 |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | 15 March 2007 |
| First awarded | 12 June 2007 (retroactive to 11 September 2001) |
 CAM service ribbon | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Service achievement medals[3] |
| Equivalent | Naval Service: Navy Combat Action Ribbon Coast Guard: Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon |
| Next (lower) | Presidential Unit Citation[3] |
| Related | Combat Infantryman Badge (U.S. Army Infantry and Special Forces equivalent) Combat Medical Badge(U.S. Army Medical Department equivalent) Combat Action Badge (U.S. Army other branch equivalent) |
The Combat Action Medal (CAM)[4] is a decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force to recognize airmen and guardians for active participation in ground or air combat.
The CAM was first awarded on June 12, 2007 as the Air Force Combat Action Medal, to six airmen who were engaged in air or ground combat off base in a combat zone during Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan, October 7, 2001 – December 28, 2015) or Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq, March 19, 2003 – September 1, 2010).[5][6] The medal is retroactive from September 11, 2001 forward to a date to be determined and may be awarded posthumously.
On 16 November 2020, the Air Force Combat Action Medal was renamed to the Combat Action Medal by the Secretary of the Air Force.[7]
- ^ a b "Air Force Memorandum, AFCAM, pp. 148–49, 25 June 2015, Retrieved April 16, 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Production publication" (PDF). static.e-publishing.af.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
- ^ a b "Awards and Decorations". Air Force Personnel Center Library. Air Force Personnel Center. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ "Air Force Combat Action Medal, Air Force Personnel Center, posted 4 August 2010, last accessed 18 March 2013". Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
- ^ "Joint Base Andrews, airmen receive first AF Combat Action Medals, By the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs". June 12, 2007. Archived from the original on 2016-05-04.
- ^ "Congressional Research Service, U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts, February 27, 2015" (PDF). Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Manual for Department of the Air Force Policy Directive" (PDF). Department of Air Force. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2023.