The last time the service awarded a ship the Combat Action Ribbon was in 2016 when four Navy ships, also in the Red Sea, were forced to defend themselves from Houthi missiles off the coast of Yemen.

The Combat Action Ribbon, or CAR, is awarded to sailors and Marines who actively participated in ground or surface action, and the Navy has rarely given it to sailors since the 1991 Gulf War.

Per a plea agreement, then-Sgt. Maj. Charlie Clawson was reduced in rank after a Sept. 13 court-martial found him in violation of nine specifications of wearing awards or devices that he did not earn.

Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class Tylar Keenan aboard the USS Oscar Austin as the ship returns to Naval Station Rota, Spain, Jun. 10, 2025. The ship and its crew were awared the Combat Action ...

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower seen sporting a large Combat Action Ribbon banner on its island as it returns to Naval Station Norfolk on July 14, 2024. USN MC2 Hunter Day Sailors deploy to man the ...

A Marine sergeant major was demoted to sergeant after he was convicted of wearing nine medals that he never earned, including a Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon, and making false statements ...

He has not claimed to have been awarded a Purple Heart or the Navy's Combat Action Ribbon. His record shows that he was awarded a Bronze Star and that he deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Awards can be issued for incidents dating back to Oct. 19, 2023, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen began firing anti-ship missiles and drones over the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to ...

Under the memo released by Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Franklin Parker, sailors in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden can now receive the Combat Action Ribbon ...