Combat Action Ribbon of the Navy and Marine Corps was instituted in 1969. Awarded for active participation in ground or air combat during specifically listed military operations.
NOTE: this is the only Navy personal decoration that has no associated medal.


Eligibility Requirements 
Awarded to members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard (when the Coast Guard or units thereof operate under the control of the Navy) in the grade of captain/colonel and junior thereto, who have actively participated in ground or surface combat. Upon submission of evidence to their commanding officer, personnel who earned the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge while a member of the U.S. Army may be authorized to wear the Combat Action Ribbon. 
The principal eligibility criterion is that the individual must have participated in a bona fide ground or surface combat fire fight or action during which he was under enemy fire and his performance while under fire was satisfactory. The following amplifying remarks are furnished as guidance. 
Personnel in riverine and coastal operations, assaults, patrols, sweeps, ambushes, convoys, amphibious landings, and similar activities who have participated in fire fights are eligible. 
Personnel assigned to areas subjected to sustained mortar, missile, and artillery attacks actively participate in retaliatory or offensive actions are eligible. 
Personnel in clandestine or special operations such as reconnaissance and SEAL teams are eligible when the risk of enemy fire was great and was expected to be encountered. 
Personnel aboard a ship are eligible when the safety of the ship and the crew were endangered by enemy attack, such as a ship hit by a mine or a ship engaged by shore, surface, air or subsurface elements. 
Personnel eligible for the award of the Purple Heart would not necessarily qualify for the Combat Action Ribbon 
The Combat Action Ribbon will not be awarded to personnel for aerial combat since the Strike/Flight Air Medal provides recognition for aerial combat exposure; however, a pilot or crewmember forced to escape or evade after being forced down could be eligible for the award. 
Operations. An individual, whose eligibility has been established in combat in any of the following listed operations, is authorized the award of the Combat Action Ribbon. Only one award per operation is authorized. Subsequent awards will be indicated by the use of a Gold Star on the ribbon: 
Southeast Asia. From 1 March 1961 to 15 August 1973. 
Dominican Republic. From 28 April 1965 to 21 September 1966. (No ships qualified) 
USS LIBERTY (AGTR 5). 8 and 9 June 1967. 
USS PUEBLO (AGER 2). 23 January 1968. 
Operation FREQUENT WIND. (Evacuation operations, Saigon) 29 and 30 April 1975. (No ships qualified) 
Operation MAYAGUEZ. 15 May 1975. (No ships qualified) 
Grenada. 24 October 1983 - 2 November 1983. (No ships qualified) 
Lebanon. 20 August 1982 to I August 1984. (No ships qualified) 
Persian Gulf 
COMNAVSPECWAR Task Unit Tango - 22 Sep 1987 
USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (FFG 58) - 14 Apr 1988 
Operation PRAYING MANTIS - 18 Apr 1988 
SAG BRAVO 
COMDESRON NINE STAFF EMBARKED ON USS MERRILL (DD 976) 
USS MERRILL (DD 976)
HSL-35 DET I 
USS LYNDE MCCORMICK (DDG 8)
USS TRENTON (LPD 14)
CONTINGENCY MAGTF 2-88
HSL 44, DET 5 
SAG CHARLIE 
USS WAINWRIGHT (CG 28)
USS BAGLEY (FF 1069) 
HSL-35, DET 7
USS SIMPSON (FFG 56)
HSL-42, DET 10
COMMANDER, NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE TASK GROUP MIDDLE EAST FORCE
SEAL TEAM TWO, THIRD PLATOON
SAG DELTA
COMDESRON TWENTY-TWO
USS JACK WILLIAMS (FFG 24)
HSL-3 2, DET 2 
USS JOSEPH STRAUSS (DDG 16) 
USS O'BRIEN (DD 975) 
HSL-33, DET 2 
CO, SPEC BOAT UNIT TWELVE 
SEAL TEAM 5, PLATOON C 
USS ELMER MONTGOMERY (FF 1082) AND USS VINCENNES (CG 49) -3 Jul 1988 
Operation JUST CAUSE (Panama). 20 December 1989 - 31 January 1990. 
Operation DESERT STORM. 17 January 1991 - TBD 
Administrative Procedures. SECNAV determines which operations meet the criteria for this award. Requests for determination of eligibility of individuals for operations subsequent to 1975 should be sent to SECNAV via the chain of command, CNO or CMC, as appropriate