HOHENFELS, Germany (Oct. 27, 2015) -- "Every morning I was nervous and I would try to get over those nerves," Pfc. Joshua Likovic said.
"Every time you are going into the lanes it's just you're really nervous," said Likovic. Because if you get more than two no-go's you're out."
Spc. Christian Calame and Likovic, of Charlie Co. 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, were two Soldiers who completed their Expert Infantry Badge (EIB) test on Oct. 2 here in Hohenfels, Germany.
The EIB is designed to increase an infantryman's level of physical fitness, small unit leadership ability and technical skills. Soldiers go through several lanes as they are tested on different aspects to become an expert.
"We would come in maybe four hours before our actual lane and practice everything for that lane," said Calame. "A lot went in before the lane and then the lane just flew by."
Calame said that they went through a two week battalion exercise before testing on the EIB where they focused on EIB tasks.
"We got some training with the graders, who helped [get] us warm and fuzzy on what we needed to do," Calame explained. "It was a lot repetition. Then we went into testing the final week."
Each day, they would go out at a certain time, to a specific lane executed by a different company.
"You just go in and they've got the weapon systems... for what your going to test for that day," said Calame. "You go in, get a little practice in, study what you need to know and just go out there and test."
Throughout the course of EIB testing, Soldiers had to overcome obstacles physically and mentally. They had to endure key elements such as weather and terrain.
"We were one of the first groups to go through EIB every morning," said Likovic. "It's really cold, so I was shivering the whole time. EIB was mentally and physically exhausting but," said Likovic, "it was really worth it by the time it was over."
The Soldiers explained the more proficient they are at what they do, the more likely they are to be successful in their future.
Likovic said, "All the tasks that we go over in EIB, they all apply in the battlefield. If you get your infantry badge you should be ready to deploy."
A few weeks after earning their EIB, the Soldiers are placed into the rotation for the U.S. Army Europe Combined Resolve V exercise. The Soldiers now have the opportunity to display the skills they've enhanced after completing EIB.
The Soldiers who achieve the EIB bring a higher level of knowledge and proficiency back to their units. Small squads are able to work more effectively because the Soldiers are more confident in their skills and can share that knowledge to their team mates.
For future infantryman who want to earn their EIB, Calame advised, "don't sweat it; just do it. You know what you're doing. You're an infantryman. This is what your supposed to do."
After all their hard effort, these Soldiers are proud of their achievement.
"I was so excited I couldn't even explain it," said Calame. "It was one of the proudest moment in my life."
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