On the March 29, 2016, the first day of round robin testing at the Expert Infantryman Badge qualification held at Fort Jackson, S.C. Soldiers were tested on a variety of weapons systems and tasks including making a range card as seen here. Soldiers v...

Soldiers vying for the coveted infantry qualification were given 30 timed Army Warrior tasks to complete in addition to being tested on the Army Physical Fitness test, day and night land navigation. Testing ends on April 1 with a 12-mile forced march...

Army drill sergeant, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Martin, Co. C, 1st Bn., 61st Inf. Reg., performs rescue breathing on a simulated casualty during the second day of round robin testing at the Expert Infantryman Badge qualification course held at Ft. Jackson, ...

Staff Sgt. Brian Dolan, Co. B, Special Troops Bn., 171st Inf. Bde., rushes to his next position during while taking direct fire on the third day of testing at the Expert Infantryman Badge qualification held on Ft. Jackson, S.C., March 31, 2016. Soldi...

Staff Sgt. James Smith, 3rd Bn., 39th Inf. Reg., scans the terrain while searching for his next position while taking direct fire during Expert Infantryman Badge testing held at Ft. Jackson, S.C., March 31, 2016. Soldiers vying for the coveted infant...

Sgt. 1st Class Dennis Henning, Co. B, 2nd Bn. 13th Inf. Reg., uses a three second rush to bound to his next firing point while taking direct fire during Expert Infantryman Badge testing held at Ft. Jackson, S.C., March 31, 2016. Soldiers vying for th...

Staff Sgt. Tobias Henry, Special Troops Bn., 171st Inf. Bde., uses a three second rush to bound to an alternate firing point while reacting to direct fire during Expert Infantryman Badge qualifications held at Ft. Jackson, S.C., March 31, 2016. Soldi...

Staff Sgt. Brian Dolan, Co. B, Special Troops Bn., 171st Inf. Bde., applies camouflage to his face and equipment during the third day of testing at the Expert Infantryman Badge qualification held on Ft. Jackson, S.C., March 31, 2016. Soldiers vying f...

Staff Sgt. Juan Salgado, Co. A., 3rd Bn. 60th Inf. Reg., checks the seal on his protective mask during round robin testing at the Expert Infantryman Badge qualification held on Ft. Jackson, S.C., March 31, 2016. Soldiers vying for the coveted infantr...

It wasn't an April Fool's joke.

After some of the toughest testing in the Army, including a 12-mile forced march during

a thunderstorm with torrential rains, 22 infantry Soldiers on Fort Jackson were awarded the Expert

Infantryman Badge in a ceremony April 1 at the Post Theater.

Once the rain-soaked Soldiers sloshed through the rain and successfully navigated Objective Bull, where they would treat and move a simulated casualty, they would be assured of earning the coveted badge.

"It's a different experience every time," said Sgt. 1st Class Troy Cochran, an infantryman with Special Troops Battalion. "Last year the road march got me at Fort Bragg, but this year I came down and did it fine at (two hours, 46 minutes)."

During the week-long testing infantrymen had to complete the 12-mile march in under 3 hours. They also had to pass an Army Physical Fitness Test by scoring at least 80 in each category, successfully complete day and night land navigation, and pass weapons, medical and patrol tasks. If a Soldier received a no-go during lane testing they could retest the task, but they wouldn't be allowed a third.

Some Soldiers already had two no-gos they retested and passed but when it came to the

hand grenade portion they were "blade running."

The term refers to Soldiers not being able to have another no-go.

"For those guys who are blade running, who come up to the hand grenade station, (they)

have the weight of the world on their shoulders,"said Master Sgt. Aaron Smith, the patrol

lane non-commissioned officer-in-charge from the 193rd Infantry Brigade. "This is a tough

station and the pressure is on."

First Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment's senior enlisted leader, Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Barnard said EIB testing is one of the toughest challenges in the Army even though it has changed in recent years.

"The process for the last few years has been changing," he said. "The Army has been

looking at different techniques on how to conduct the tasks and this year it has gone back to

the EIB testing in the late 1990s, early 2000s where it has been by event. What I mean by

this you have an individual task where NCOs and Soldiers go up and study that task, conduct

that task and be graded on it."

Cochran completed the EIB testing with all first-time gos earning the title of "true blue."

He said it was an "outstanding" honor because "this year when I got looked at for master sergeant they just clicked next. To actually having the EIB now is a lot of weight off my shoulders."

Even though the testing is difficult Soldiers must push through it.

"Keep driving. You've got to get it as an infantry Soldier," said Cochran, a 13-year infantryman. "I mean all your junior Soldiers are going to look up to you -- it's going to be hard for them to look up when you don't have that badge too."

Earning an EIB also helps create a well-rounded Soldier.

"When I was a young private the EIB was tough, challenging and really makes you focus on the tasks at hand," Barnard said. "It really does strengthen your skill level tasks so you can be the best infantryman you can be."

Even though he got through passing every challenge Cochran said the EIB testing wasn't easy.

While Cochran felt the most difficult part "was the attention to detail -- absolutely," others had trouble with land navigation and the weapons lanes he called a "blood bath."

The EIB is notoriously hard to earn with Soldiers even being disqualified for failing the ruck march by seconds.

Command Sgt. Maj. Lamont Christian, Fort Jackson's senior enlisted leader, recalled a time when one of his Soldiers struggled through the EIB testing but came out on top.

"There was a Pfc. Walker, who was my Soldier when I was a platoon sergeant, who basically went through the testing preparation and everything needed to be done to become an expert infantryman, but he had to take the foot march twice," he said. "About mile six of the second foot march he looked me and said, 'I don't think I can make it Sgt. Christian.' I said you have to

because you don't want to have to try to do this again.

"He went on to finish the foot march that day. Now Pfc. Walker, who is a Green Beret at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, emails me once a year to say two words: thank you."

Christian said infantrymen who have earned the badge say: "I know when I got mine" and "I'm glad I don't have to do it again."

(Editor's Note: Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hamilton with the 108th Training Command contributed to this story.)