Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
FORT WAYNE - The 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry, based out of Fort Wayne, which includes Kosciusko County troops, has become the first National Guard battalion in the country to receive the highly coveted Combat Infantry Badge from the Department of the Army since the Korean War.
Members of the battalion, who have fought in combat for 30 days or more receive the award, while medics who supported those soldiers receive the Combat Medical Badge. The battalion was recognized for conducting combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The War Department established the Combat Infantry Badge in 1943 to recognize infantrymen who operated under the worst conditions and performed their mission in a combat environment.
To earn the badge, the soldier must have satisfactorily performed infantry duties, must be assigned to an infantry unit engaged in ground combat and must participate in that ground combat.
"This is a very proud moment," said Lt. Col. Ivan Denton, 1st Battalion commander. "We are the first Indiana Army National Guard battalion to go into combat since World War II, and I'm proud of the sacrifices these soldiers and their families have made during Operation Iraqi Freedom."
