Photo By Sgt. Jon Heinrich | The graduates for the Expert Infantryman Badge from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st...... read more read more
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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – After an early, cold, dark start the morning of Day 5, the first soldier was seen in the distance running toward the finish line; he is quickly followed by more and more of his comrades.
Thirty-three soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, finished their last day of testing for the Expert Infantryman Badge with a ruck march in their full body armor, ruck sack, gear and weapon.
“The ruck march distance was 12 miles in a total of three hours or less to get a GO,” said Sgt. Maj. Larry D. Breland, the operations sergeant major for 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT.
The EIB testing began Dec. 9 and was completed Dec. 13.
Throughout the testing the candidates successfully performed tasks on various areas to receive a GO or NO GO grade on their overall scorecard. Those who failed were eliminated from continuing further.
“We started out on Monday with the APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) with 507 participants,” said Breland, “which each EIB candidate had to score 75 points in each physical fitness event based on their age group.”
“Couple hours later we went into day and night land nav (navigation) where soldiers had to find various points at various distances; four points in a three-hour time period,” Breland continued. “You also had weapon systems they had to be confident on: the M240B, the [M9] pistol, the M4 Carbine Rifle, the M249 SAW, the MK-19 and the M320 grenade launcher.”
“It was no easy task,” said 1st Lt. Nicholas R. Little, platoon leader with Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT. “It was definitely not a free EIB that’s for sure. It was tough but definitely attainable and something I’m going to be very, very proud of.”
Little said that the overall test was tough and not just a specific event.
“I wouldn’t really narrow it down to one thing, I would say just throughout attention-to-detail,” said Little. “I mean, it is all about attention-to-detail and making critical decisions under pressure.”
Little stated that now that he has earned his EIB, he will be putting a bigger emphasis in the training of his soldiers for the next testing period so they can earn theirs as well.
“I actually just took over my platoon a couple weeks ago, and me coming in as a new platoon leader, setting the standard as an EIB holder now, kind of set the tone more for my Soldiers, so hopefully it will give them something to look up to and work towards,” Little said.
In the end, only 33 soldiers earned the EIB: 12 from 1-327 Inf. Rgt., 13 from 2-327 Inf. Rgt., five from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st BCT and three soldiers from both 5th Special Forces Group and 5th Battalion, 101st Pathfinders who participated in the event.
Two of the candidates were recognized as True Blue EIB awardees, which is given to soldiers who receive all first-time GOs on all tasks, according to Breland.
“It means the world,” said Little. “I’m going to be wearing my EIB proudly.”
| Date Taken: | 12.13.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2013 11:25 |
| Story ID: | 118385 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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