Record Number of Expert Field Medical Badge Candidates Attain the Badge

By Capt. Matthew de la Guardia, 212th Combat Support HospitalSeptember 11, 2014

Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell Awards the Expert Feild Medical Badge
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Expert Field Medical Badge Awardees
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Ceremonial Litter Bearers Receive the Award Badges by Helecopter
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Ceremonial Litter Bearers Reveal the Litter Containing 137 Expert Field Medical Badges
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Lt. Gen. Campbell Addresses U.S. Army Europe Expert Field Medical Badge Awardees
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Lt. Gen. Cambpell Recognizes the Candidate With the Fastest Road March Time
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Lt. Gen. Campbell Awards the EFMB
7 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell pins the Expert Field Medical Badge on Capt. Michael Court, of the 1st Armoured Medical Regiment (UK), after awarding him a coin for receiving the least number of "No Go" ratings of any candidate during the 2014 U.S. Army Eur... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany (Sept. 09, 2014) -- Thursday, September 9th, Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, Commander U.S. Army Europe, awarded the coveted Expert Field Medical Badge to 137 candidates including 125 U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel and 12 international military candidates from partner European nations. Candidates completed twelve days of training, called "standardization," and five grueling days of testing to earn the badge.

This year's U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB) set the new USAREUR record for the number of candidates awarded the badge and the award percentage. Historically, EFMB events award the badge to approximately 18 to 19 percent of candidates, and as little as five percent of international candidates. Of the 281 candidates who began training, 264 tested for the badge and 137 attained the badge; a success rate of 52 percent overall and 34 percent for international candidates.

Why, then, did this year's EFMB experience such a dramatic improvement over the historical norm? The host unit, the 212th Combat Support Hospital (CSH), took a unique and comprehensive approach to planning and executing the event from the very beginning. Unlike typical Army planning, which focuses on successful completion of a field problem or event, the 212th CSH focused on the candidate experience and attaining a high pass rate, not simply completing the event.

All Expert Field Medical Badge events must comply with all standards recorded in Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDDC&S) Pamphlet 350-10, which requires five days of candidate standardization and no more than 120 hours, or five days, of testing. Candidates must successfully complete a minimum number of "Warrior Tasks," medical tasks, communications tasks divided among three "Combat Testing Lanes," day and night land navigation, pass a written test, and complete a 12-mile road march within three hours to attain the badge. 212th CSH planning personnel, headed by Maj. Marcus Hurd and Master Sgt. Luke Fullerton, believed that the key to attaining a higher award rate lay in extending standardization from five to twelve days.

During typical standardization, candidates experience each Combat Testing Lane and the land navigation course once. This year each candidate experienced each lane twice, once escorted and instructed in groups by evaluators, and again as individuals under testing conditions. Each candidate also experienced the Land Navigation course four times by day and twice by night. Additionally, at the end of each training day, testing lane staff, called "cadre," hosted focused study halls for candidates. During study hall time, candidates identified and practiced tasks as many times as they felt necessary. When asked, Test Compliance Officer, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Short, of Army Medical Department Center and School, San Antonio, TX, remarked that the 12 day standardization made the difference in the pass rate and before the event began he predicted a 50 percent award rate.

In addition to simply lengthening training, the 212th CSH examined all aspects of candidates' experience at prior events and sought to provide reinforcement to candidates' focus during training and to eliminate distractions. In order to do so, two unique changes were integrated into the candidate experience: adherence to the Performance Triad and the inclusion of laundry services.

The Performance Triad is a U.S. Army Public Health Command initiative that focuses on enhancing health and welfare through the management of sleep, nutrition, and activity. During the EFMB, candidates walked at least 38 miles before beginning the road march, so activity was a foregone conclusion. Cadre managed candidate sleep by enforcing a strict lights out time of 10 o'clock p.m. and a wake-up time of 5 o'clock a.m. The 212th CSH Dietitian Capt. Benjaman Wunderlich made the biggest departure from typical Army tradition with his nutrition plan.

Capt. Wunderlich closely evaluated the tasks and work level each candidate experienced throughout training and developed nutrition plans specific to the events candidates completed on any given day. Typically, candidates enjoy cafeteria breakfast and dinner with a Meal Ready to Eat for lunch. Capt. Wunderlich planned and directed the preparation of carbohydrate rich snacks that his staff brought to the training sites twice daily and once at midnight to the candidates on the land navigation course. "We view food as fuel and the brain and body need fuel to keep working at their peak" stated Capt. Wunderlich. His snacks maintained candidates' energy, prevented the need for long lunch breaks, and boosted morale, which allowed candidates to remain focused on their training.

In addition to improved meal plans, the 212th CSH planning team resourced their Laundry and Bath section to provide on-site laundry services to candidates and cadre at no expense. Rather than requiring candidates to travel to an off-site laundry facility and wash their clothes at personal expense and at a cost to training time, the Laundry and Bath section offered a drop-off and return laundry service with a 24 hour turn around. The laundry service eliminated the disruption of training that doing personal laundry at a pay facility caused to prior EFMB events and allowed candidates to save money in the process.

Candidates who previously attempted the EFMB repeatedly expressed that they felt better prepared after this year's standardization than at previous EFMB events. First-time candidates frequently described themselves as confident and excited to test. As reflected by the tremendous improvement to badge award rates, the extended preparation and the impact of improvements to the candidate experience set the new standard for future Expert Field Medical Badge events. The certification of such a large number of experts through this year's EFMB provides the Army with a tremendous new body of leaders to train the force and better equip U.S. Army medical personnel for the future.

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Related Links:

U.S. European Command

U.S. Army Europe

21st Theater Sustainment Command

U.S. Army Europe Expert Field Medical Badge

U.S. Army Joint Multinational Training Command

European Regional Medical Command