Was Dylan blaha awarded a combat medic badge for his deployment?
Executive summary
Available reporting confirms Dylan (Dylan Thomas/Dylan) Blaha served as a combat medic and deployed to Afghanistan (2019–2020) and later served in USAREUR-AF, but the sources provided do not state explicitly whether he was awarded a Combat Medical Badge (CMB) for that deployment (not found in current reporting) [1] [2] [3].
1. Who Dylan Blaha is — service record reported
Multiple profiles and interviews identify Blaha as an Army combat medic–turned–medical planner who deployed to Afghanistan (2019–2020) and later served in U.S. Army Europe and Africa supporting NATO; the Advocate and CBS reporting call him a combat medic and describe his deployments [2] [4]. A separate Substack post by “Dylan Thomas Blaha” likewise states more than five years on active duty as a combat medic and a 2019–2020 Afghanistan deployment [1]. The Army press release notes Capt. Dylan Blaha received the 2023 Capt. John R. Teal Leadership Award while assigned to USAREUR-AF’s Office of the Command Surgeon [3].
2. What the Combat Medical Badge is and how it’s awarded
The Combat Medical Badge is an Army award for medical personnel who performed medical duties while simultaneously being engaged by the enemy while assigned to a ground combat arms unit of brigade or smaller size; eligibility criteria and interpretations (such as what counts as “engaged by the enemy”) vary by regulation and unit [5] [6] [7]. The badge was instituted in 1945 and is retroactive to December 6, 1941 [5] [7].
3. Public sources on Blaha do not list a Combat Medical Badge
Neither the Advocate feature, the CBS News piece, the Army article about his leadership award, nor the Substack article in the provided results lists the Combat Medical Badge among Blaha’s awards or decorations; they mention his role as a combat medic and deployments but do not state he received a CMB (not found in current reporting) [2] [4] [3] [1].
4. Why absence of mention matters but is not conclusive
Military biographies and news profiles often highlight distinctive decorations; the absence of a stated CMB in these pieces suggests reporters did not find — or Blaha did not list — that specific badge, but absence from these stories is not definitive proof he was never awarded one. The sources provided do not include an official awards list, personnel record, unit orders, or the War Library compilation entry specifically naming Blaha as a confirmed CMB recipient (not found in current reporting) [8] [3].
5. How a CMB would normally be documented publicly
A Combat Medical Badge is typically documented in military personnel records, unit award orders, or sometimes noted in official Army releases and detailed bios. The War Library and other compilations collect confirmed recipients, and official Army articles often list personal awards when announcing individual honors — none of which, among the supplied sources, list Blaha as a CMB awardee [8] [3].
6. Competing inferences and what to check next
One plausible inference: Blaha served as a combat medic in a deployed combat theater and may have been eligible for a CMB, but available reporting does not confirm he received the badge (not found in current reporting) [1] [2] [3]. To resolve the question definitively, consult official personnel records (DD-214 or award citations), unit award orders, or an Army human-resources release; these are not part of the supplied materials (not found in current reporting) [3] [8].
7. Limitations, transparency and potential agendas in sources
News profiles (Advocate, CBS) and the Army press release emphasize Blaha’s service and leadership award without listing every decoration; campaign or self-authored material (Substack) focuses on narrative and policy positions and may omit granular award detail [2] [4] [1]. The War Library is an independent compilation that may not be exhaustive; absence there is not conclusive [8]. Readers should note reporters may prioritize service narrative over complete medal rolls.
Bottom line: available sources confirm Blaha’s role as a deployed combat medic but do not state that he was awarded the Combat Medical Badge; to answer “was he awarded a CMB?” requires documentation not present in these sources (not found in current reporting) [1] [2] [3] [8].