Whatever it takes

By Sgt. Jasmine HigginsOctober 2, 2015

Smoke
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers use yellow smoke to help signal their location to an inbound medical helicopter, during a skit for the Expert Field Medical Badge graduation ceremony on Joint Base Lewis-McChord., Wash., Sept. 29. This year 47 out of the initial 230 candidat... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Care
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Nick Rodriguez, middle, health care specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 47th Command Support Hospital, and an Expert Field Medical Badge candidate puts his lifesaving skills to test, while being graded on combat testing l... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Congrats
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – First Lt. Rosaimy "Rosie" Grady, medical service officer, 514th Ground Ambulance Company, 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 62nd Medical Brigade, 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command and an Expert Field Medical Badge candidate is greeted and... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Graduate
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – First Lt. Rosaimy "Rosie" Grady, medical service officer, 514th Ground Ambulance Company, 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 62nd Medical Brigade, 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command and an Expert Field Medical Badge candidate, stands among ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Ruck
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – First Lt. Rosaimy "Rosie" Grady, medical service officer, 514th Ground Ambulance Company, 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 62nd Medical Brigade, 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command and Expert Field Medical Badge candidate, rucks towards th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

LACEY, Wash. - The crowd shouted and cheered as each candidate pushed their limits, physically and mentally, to reach a goal and achieve what some have been striving for, for years.

Crossing the finish line with time to spare, 1st Lt. Rosaimy "Rosie" Grady, a medical service officer with, was one of 47, out of an initial 230, candidates to earn the 2015 Expert Field Medical Badge on Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, Sept. 29.

The EFMB is hailed as one of the medical field most prestigious awards and as the medical community's commitment to recognize excellence though tough, realistic training ensuring medical professionals stand ready to save lives.

"It is a culminating event, one of the hardest badges in the Army to achieve," said Command Sgt. Maj. Diamond Hough, senior enlisted leader, 62nd Medical Brigade. "It is what medics strive to be, it combines our technical and tactical skills together in scenario based events."

The EFMB qualifications ran for two weeks. The first week was standardization week and the second was qualification week, which consists of four to five days of testing on three combat testing lanes, day and night navigation and the final 12-mile ruck march.

"Bigger than achieving the badge itself, [is] the training that is required to achieve the badge, said Hough. "There are many people who have attempted this two, three times, but you just keep going because it's training and then at the end you achieve it."

"I tell them 'keep going until you get the badge,' Hough added.

Achieving the EFMB is exactly what Grady set out to do, as this was her second attempt at the prestigious badge.

"There was no question that I wasn't going to do this again," said Grady. "If I failed this time, then I was coming back a third time."

Conquering all the requirements of the EFMB, to include night land navigation, the event that disqualified her last year, makes Grady a prime example of how hard work and dedication can pay off in the end.

"This year the course [night land navigation] was probably more difficult, "said Grady "But I was going to get that badge. There was never any doubt or any question."

According to Grady, the knowledge gained from obtaining the EFMB is not going to stop with her as she plans to share and encourage all the Soldiers she comes in contact with to strive for their very best.

"I'll take this experience and move forward with it, and help the Soldiers that I have," said Grady "[I will tell] my Soldiers don't get upset if you don't get it the first time, keep going.'"

In the end, the EFMB is just a piece of metal that you pin on your uniform, the real reward is the effort you put into achieving it, and for some, that's what matters most.

"I couldn't be more proud, just watching what they go through to achieve this badge," said Hough. "You really can't beat it when it comes to the training."