MovieChat Forums > The Presidio (1988) Discussion > CIB second award

CIB second award

posted 17 years ago by trivfan
2 replies | jump to latest

In the goofs section, it is stated that Sean Connery/ Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell is wearing a CIB (Combat Infantryman's Badge) with a star indicating a second award. The goof says that only persons in WW-2, Korea and Vietnam are entitled to the second award, noting that Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell states in the film that his first combat mission was in Viet nam.
This is false, as veterans of the following conflicts are entitled to earn CIBs:

The CIB is authorized for award for the following qualifying wars, conflicts, and operations:

(1) World War II (7 December 1941 to 3 September 1945).

(2) The Korean War (27 June 1950 to 27 July 1953).

(3) Republic of Vietnam Conflict (2 March 1961 to 28 March 1973), combined with qualifying service in Laos (19 April 1961 to 6 October 1962).

(4) Dominican Republic (28 April 1965 to 1 September 1966).

(5) Korea on the DMZ (4 January 1969 to 31 March 1994).

(6) El Salvador (1 January 1981 to 1 February 1992).

(7) Grenada (23 October to 21 November 1983).

(8) Joint Security Area, Panmunjom, Korea (23 November 1984).

(9) Panama (20 December 1989 to 31 January 1990).

(10) Southwest Asia Conflict (17 January to 11 April 1991).

(11) Somalia (5 June 1992 to 31 March 1994).

(12) Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, 5 December 2001 to a date to be determined).

(13) Iraq (Operation Enduring Freedom, 19 March 2003 to a date to be determined).

Being that the film is dated in 1988, it is possible that Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell was involved in some conflicts that would have entitled him to earn a second award.

One other goof is Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell is the Provost Marshall, yet he wears a brassard (the armband) with the letters MP on it, as Provost Marshall, he would wear a brassard with the letters PM on it.

Meg Ryan is beautiful, and that is not a goof.

The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights Reserved

[–] plwblj 14 years ago

Great info !

[–] Reedmalloy 7 years ago

An even greater unlikelihood in Caldwell's back story is his apparent Airborne Infantry background with multiple combat tours (Caldwell has the 101AB patch on his right sleeve but in the picture of Maclure receiving the MoH for saving Caldwell, he is wearing the 1st Cav shoulder patch).

Officers from many other branches coveted the CIB as a ticket-puncher (see Gardens of Stone), of course, but Caldwell as a junior officer would have had little pull to qualify for a CIB unless he had been infantry. To get the gong you run the risk.

Transferring branches later to the Corps of Military Police would not have been impossible, but very counterproductive for a decorated career infantry officer with multiple combat tours (note that Lawrence also has a CIB and combat ribbons from Vietnam but his insignia is Military Intelligence which has some plausibility as a career move).

No offense to the MPs (I was an Air Force SP) but for an officer the MPs are a dead-end branch assignment.

Your comment on the MP brassard made me smile. It may seem a small thing to the uninitiated but a PM is the military equivalent of Chief of Police on an installation.