FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- Twelve candidates from General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital visited Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Oct. 13-25, focused on training and testing; determined to earn the coveted Expert Field Medical Badge.
"The EFMB is the Army badge with the lowest pass rate. It's the most difficult badge to get, by-the-numbers," said GLWACH Medical Company Commander, Capt. Christopher Moe.
Soldiers were chosen based on their willingness to complete the rigorous train-up held prior to the event.
"These Soldiers are responsible, knowledgeable leaders and future leaders," Moe said.
"Patients can have confidence that they are getting the best care available if they know they have a provider who is willing to push himself or herself, under poor conditions, to be the best at what he or she does," said Capt. Andrew Brown, officer in charge of GLWACH's Optometry Clinic.
"We have Soldiers who are willing to go through hardships and who are willing to do their best," Brown said. "That mindset you get from going through something difficult, from trying your best in less than ideal conditions, gives you confidence to perform your duty while under duress or stress."
Four of GLWACH's 12 candidates were hoping for a second-time go this year. The remaining eight were participating for the first time.
Only Brown came back wearing the badge.
"A first-time go is pretty rare. I got it on my second try," Brown said.
"It feels like a weight is lifted off my shoulders because you go there and you want to get the badge to help your career and to help you stand out among your peers. You do a whole lot of work; have a whole lot of anguish out there in the field. The conditions aren't the best--they're not the greatest--and then when they say you're eliminated you have to go home. It takes all the wind out of your sails," Brown said.
"The worst feeling is having to go back and redeem myself because you just can't be a first time no-go and then just be done with it and quit," explained Brown. "You know that you have to go back and go through the field training again and go through the train-up again; all of the ruck march training. You're going to have to go through all of that again just for another shot and it's not guaranteed on your second try."
"It isn't easy," Moe said. "Soldiers volunteered to participate in a grueling training plan for two months prior to the event. Weekly road march distances increased from six miles to 11 miles during the two-month train-up. After each road march Soldiers had to work a full shift at the hospital."
"It just feels good to have it out of the way and know that I don't have to keep going back," Brown said.
The Best Medical Training in the Army
The EFMB consists of a week of intensive day-and-night training followed by a week of testing.
During the event Soldiers execute a litter obstacle course as a member of a four-Soldier team. Lane testing in communications, survival, emergency medical treatment, the evacuation of sick and wounded, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation tasks are graded individually; and lanes are each graded as pass or fail.
Scores of other warrior skills, communications tasks, combat casualty care, and combat evacuation tasks are trained and tested in addition to land navigation. Candidates participate in a 12-mile forced road march, take the Army physical fitness test, and pass a comprehensive written test to complete the event.
"EFMB will dramatically increase our Soldiers' readiness for their wartime mission," Moe said. "Extricating a casualty from a vehicle, for example, is unfortunately a task that Soldiers may have to know."
"It's not a competition," Moe said. "EFMB is the best medical training in the Army offered to regular Soldiers."
This was the largest group of Soldiers GLWACH has sent to the annual EFMB event, Moe said.
"Seventeen Soldiers wanted to go, but due to wartime and disaster relief missions only 12 could participate," Moe said.
The U.S. Army special skills badge was created June 18, 1965. It is the non-combat equivalent of the Combat Medical Badge, awarded to U.S. military and NATO personnel who successfully complete the event's qualifying written and performance tests.
(Editor's note: John Brooks is the marketing specialist at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital)
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