'Tropic Lightning' Soldiers earn coveted EIB

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - More than 160 Soldiers were awarded the prestigious Expert Infantryman Badge at F Quad, here, on June 15, 2018.

Infantrymen assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's, "Tropic Lightning," 2nd Brigade Combat Team and 3rd Bde. Combat Team, participated in the grueling weeklong testing.

Command Sgt. Major Brian A. Hester, senior enlisted advisor, 25th Infantry Division, gave his remarks on congratulating the newly minted expert infantrymen.

"I'm very honored to be among such great Americans," Hester said. "One day after the 243rd birthday of our Army, which has had millions of infantrymen serve and defend this nation within its ranks. In fact the first Soldiers in our Army were infantrymen."

"This is a defining moment in an infantryman's career," he said. "Earning the Expert Infantryman Badge is a difficult task that requires the completion of almost 40 individual tasks. You mastered each one of these tasks and were evaluated against a demanding standard."

The Soldiers also participated in an Army Physical Fitness Test, day and night land navigation at East Range, and a 12-mile ruck march around the post to earn the coveted EIB.

"The EIB was created in 1944 by then Chief of Staff of the Army, General George C. Marshall, to honor the United States Army infantryman," he said. "It was instituted to build and maintain esprit de corps within the U.S. Army infantry units."

Sgt. Roynald Allen, infantryman, 2nd Battalion, 35th Inf. Regiment, 3rd BCT, 25th ID, described what he had to do to earn the EIB.

"The EIB was a variety of multiple tasks that I trained up for weekly," Allen said. "I studied in my off time to better prepare myself. Once the time came I was able to actually get everything correct in sequence in order to get a go."

Out of the numerous infantry tasks Allen had to accomplish at Area X-ray, he had to work extra hard at one of the most difficult event.

"I was worried about the patrol lane," he said. "Last year I got a double no-go at the grenade station. This year I got my first time go, so I was really proud of that."