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Updated pic of Combat Action Medal released

Just when you thought the Combat Action Medal was a done deal, the Air Force has changed direction — so to speak.

Don’t worry. The medal is still in production, and the service still expects to award the first one within a few weeks, but officials at the Pentagon have released an updated illustration of it.

At first glance the revision may look just like the image that’s been in circulation since February: same red-and-gold ribbon, same imposing eagle. The bird’s perch, however, has changed.

Rather than “looking forward to peace,” as the medal’s early concept signified with its placement of an olive branch under the eagle’s gaze, the bird now faces a bundle of arrows, symbolizing “preparedness for war and protecting the homeland,” officials say.

This change makes the medal consistent with its inspiration, an insignia that decorated the plane flown by iconic World War I aviator Billy Mitchell. On his plane, the eagle faced arrows to represent lethality.