The Netherlands' Chief of Defence, General Peter van Uhm, has conferred a new Dutch military honour for the very first time. The ceremony took place at the Netherlands' military base in the Afghan province of Uruzgan.

The new honour, which is bronze in colour and depicts a laurel crown overlaid by a diagonal sword, is the equivalent of the US Combat Infantryman Badge and is awarded to individual soldiers who directly encounter enemy fire or similar combat circumstances.

The introduction of the badge redresses an imbalance in international military relations. For example, while Dutch servicemen and women could receive the Combat Infantryman Badge for their part in operations under US command, until now there was no equivalent for international troops operating under Dutch command.