Fort Leonard Wood Soldiers earn ESBs, EIB

By GUIDON staffMay 19, 2021

Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena (left) poses for a photo with four of Fort Leonard Wood's most recent Expert Soldier Badge and Expert Infantry Badge awardees April 23 at Fort...
Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena (left) poses for a photo with four of Fort Leonard Wood's most recent Expert Soldier Badge and Expert Infantry Badge awardees April 23 at Fort Riley, Kansas. Right to left: 2nd Lt. Daniel Nyachwaya, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, earned his ESB; Staff Sgt. Aquai Alexander, 554th Engineer Battalion, earned his ESB; Staff Sgt. Nicholas Potter, 795th Military Police Battalion, earned his ESB; and Staff Sgt. Barry Miles, 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry Regiment, earned his EIB. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena (left) poses for a photo with four of Fort Leonard Wood's most recent Expert Soldier Badge and Expert Infantry Badge awardees April 23 at Fort Riley, Kansas. Right to left: 2nd Lt. Daniel Nyachwaya, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, earned his ESB; Staff Sgt. Aquai Alexander, 554th Engineer Battalion, earned his ESB; Staff Sgt. Nicholas Potter, 795th Military Police Battalion, earned his ESB; and Staff Sgt. Barry Miles, 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry Regiment, earned his EIB.

Soldiers within Career Management Field 11 test for the EIB, while Soldiers in CMF 68 test for the Expert Field Medic Badge. All other CMFs test for the ESB. To earn an expert badge, Soldiers are tested on their proficiency in fitness, marksmanship, land navigation and other critical skills, and demonstrate a mastery of the art of soldiering.

Before being selected, candidates undergo a two-day validation process at the Combat Training Company here, where they must achieve 80 points in each Army Physical Fitness Test event for the ESB, or 49 pushups, 59 sit-ups and a sub-32 minute 4-mile run for the EIB. Additionally, every candidate participates in day and night land navigation, a 12-mile ruck march in under three hours, and an M4 weapon assembly, disassembly and functions check. Soldiers interested in going through the validation process here can contact Sgt. 1st Class Toddrick Murry, noncommissioned officer in charge of operations at MSCoE, at 573.563.5652.