HOHENFELS, Germany (Oct. 5, 2015) -- In every infantry Soldier's career, there comes a time where he must prove his competence as an American Soldier. The formal name for this event is the Expert Infantry Badge test.
Recently, this opportunity came for 202 Soldiers at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, here.
On Oct. 5, 60 of the 202 Soldiers were inducted into the ranks of EIB recipients. Twelve of the 60 also received the distinction of "true blue," meaning they passed every event on the first try. Candidates for the testing came from across JMRC, including the Observer Controller Teams, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, and even the 2d Cavalry Regiment.
From Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, the candidates slept, ate and breathed EIB. Long, rigorous days - including physical fitness tests, small unit leadership lanes and demonstrations of technical skills - tested these candidates' abilities and proficiency in their core mission: being an infantry Soldier.
To prepare, the EIB hopefuls spent the previous week refreshing and drilling all the basic tasks to ensure they had the skills to be successful the following week.
Even prior to the practice week, squad and team leaders from the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment and the JMRC Observer Coach Trainer teams found any available moment to make sure their Soldiers were ready for this event.
One squad in 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment did exceptionally well in preparation for and performance of the test. Sgt. Carlos Gomez, a mortar squad leader in C Company, 1st Bn., 4th Inf. Regt., and all three of his Soldiers received the EIB.
"We studied hard," Gomez said. "The entire company did really well, but we did even more than others. On our own time, even late nights, we were studying.
"I was confident about my team," he said. "I learned that we all had different skills, and when required, all of them can step up to accomplish the mission."
It is this determination and competence that enables individuals and teams to be successful during the EIB and whenever Soldiers are asked to do their job. But the EIB testing is not simply about earning a badge. It's about learning the skills needed to be an expert, and proving to one's fellow Soldiers that you have what it takes to succeed.
This group achieved an overall pass rate of 29 percent. According to the EIB Program Manager at the United States Army Infantry School, Msg. Jeffrey Haskins, "the pass rate for FY 15 was around 10 percent."
No stranger to planning and executing the multifaceted operation that is the EIB, Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Nick Rolling of JMRC said that "executing an EIB test brings energy to an organization by empowering leaders at every level and giving them confidence, not just on the skills required for the badge, but for even greater tasks."
This is true not just for the Soldiers participating in the test but for those Soldiers at every level involved in planning and supervising the test. Rolling continued "the ability to plan and resource an event like this to such a high standard is a tribute to the professionalism of the NCO and Officer corps and builds capacity and confidence of those Soldiers."
Sgt. Maj. Tito Ferrera, operations sergeant major for JMRC and lead planner for the EIB testing, said this success came down to great preparation by the candidates themselves, but also rigorous preparation by the JMRC EIB cadre.
In a one-week period, often on their own time, the JMRC EIB cadre built and validated a brand-new land navigation course and constructed new testing and training sites in parts of the training area not normally used. Then, trainers and staff from the U.S. Army Infantry Center, proponents for the EIB test, came to JMRC to validate all the lanes and the training plan.
"We developed a detailed training plan for all the candidates the week prior," Ferrera said. "Leaders were then able to clearly brief their Soldiers on the expectations and training tasks required for each task."
For the U.S. Army, EIB pays great dividends. Not only are Soldiers able to gain and retain new skills and confidence, but it also builds strength in the NCO Corps. Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Rolling said "our NCO Corps is a model for armies around the world to emulate. EIB helps build those skills in our Soldiers."
Earning the EIB is an important milestone for each infantry Soldier, but it goes beyond the individuals involved and requires a strong contribution from Soldiers across the formation. While these 60 Soldiers may have gained a new badge, JMRC now has new capabilities and strengths as well.
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