Photo By Sgt. Erin Conway | 18th Field Artillery Brigade leadership and Soldiers pose with Sgt. Hunter Thomas and...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Two 18th Field Artillery Brigade Soldiers stood proudly in the chilly Fall air on Pike Field on Fort Bragg the morning of Oct. 28, 2022. The two were among 39 individuals who, just hours earlier, completed a 12-mile ruck march and earned the title of “Expert Medic.”
Sgt. Hunter Thomas, an Army physical therapy specialist, and Spc. Liam Riley, a combat medic, both assigned to HHB, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, earned the coveted Expert Field Medical Badge after weeks of hard work, training and testing. The EFMB is the non-combat equivalent of the Combat Medical Badge.
The competition, hosted this year by the 44th Medical Brigade, started with 150 Soldiers attempting to earn the EFMB. Only 39 succeeded. The Soldiers went through 21 days of mental and physical stress, completing a physical fitness test, a written test, day-to-night land navigation, three combat testing lanes, and a 12-mile ruck march.
Of the four Soldiers the 18th Field Artillery Brigade sent to the competition this year, only Thomas and Riley successfully made it to the end. Riley earned the title of “No Blood.” No Blood means Riley made it through all events without getting a single “no-go” and was in the top 3% of the awardees. Riley, while extremely exhausted and sore standing at the award ceremony, said he was happy.
“I am elated, you just can’t hear it in my voice,” Riley joked after being pinned.
Riley said the hardest part of the 21 days for him was the TC3 Lane toward the end of the competition.
“I assumed I failed off the rip,” Riley said. “I kept going though and somehow made it through with no errors on the whole lane.”
Thomas echoed Riley’s sentiment, saying he felt good and felt like he really accomplished something. Thomas said he leaned on Riley for support and vice versa.
“He helped me out the whole time,” Thomas said. “We really pushed each other the whole time, so it was good.”
Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, the 45th Surgeon General of the United States Army and commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Command, was the guest speaker at the award ceremony. Dingle emphasized to the audience the intestinal fortitude it takes to even attempt earning the EFMB and congratulated the Soldiers who made it through.
“You few standing here are the end result of the Expert Field Medical excellence and professional leadership excellence at its best,” Dingle said.
Riley and Thomas left Pike Field with the other new EFMB recipients, eagerly awaiting a restful weekend, but also eager to return to work as expert medics and continue leading the way for others in their field. Dingle said there is an inspiring story behind each badge and said the 39 graduates will wear it with pride.
“It’s a symbol that you are ready to deploy today, fight tonight, and return casualties to duty tomorrow,” Dingle said. “Anywhere, at any time because you are expert field medics who are combat ready and able to conserve the fighting strength.”
| Date Taken: | 10.28.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.28.2022 19:46 |
| Story ID: | 432250 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 210 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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