Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Alan Brutus | Soldiers assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii stand in...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — “You cannot be thinking about the next task when you have the possibility of failing the one you’re on,” said Capt. Angelo Mejia, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment’s (5th MPAD) Plans and Operations Officer in Charge (OIC).
The Expert Soldier Badge, or ESB, is a special skills badge awarded to Soldiers that serve in branches other than Infantry, Medical or Special Forces, who have mastered basic warfighting skills. Through a series of evaluations spanning one week, candidates demonstrate their physical fitness abilities, land navigation knowledge, medical intervention knowledge, patrol skills, and weapon system proficiency.
Four Soldiers from 5th MPAD and I Corps Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (HHBn) put themselves to the test during the latest ESB testing hosted by 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Oct. 16-27, 2023. Having earned his ESB back in 2021, Mejia took the lead on helping train the Soldiers throughout September, reviewing individual tasks such as: adjusting indirect fire, disassembling, reassembling and operating crew served weapons like the M2 machine gun, and apply an occlusive dressing and perform a needle chest decompression.
Three of the four Soldiers being evaluated from I Corps HHBn hold the military occupational specialty (MOS) of 46S, or Public Affair Mass Communication Specialists, meaning that their day-to-day operations do not include completing many of the tasks being evaluated during ESB testing. Having earned his ESB after his transition to public affairs, Mejia knows the importance of maintaining mastery of basic Soldier skills, especially in units or job fields where mastering those tasks is not a typical requirement.
“My primary motivation for earning the ESB was personal growth and the desire to set a positive example for my unit and Soldiers within non-combat MOS, especially public affairs Soldiers,” said Mejia. “Earning your ESB shows credibility when it comes to working with others, especially with maneuver units. When they see your ESB, they’ll understand that you are physically and technically capable, and will be an asset to their unit rather than a liability.”
Achieving mastery of each task being evaluated during the ESB is an extensive and time-consuming process. It requires attention to detail and complete focus to ensure each step in a task is being done to completion, even when Soldiers are exhausted and the weather is unforgiving. Many attempt to earn the ESB, though few succeed with the pass rate at 10% in 2022. Working with weapons systems that Soldiers have never touched before, night land navigation, medical and patrol lanes, all are challenging events for Soldiers to overcome; though any event can be the one to decide whether a participant has passed or failed.
“The Expert Soldier Badge is a testament to an individual soldier's proficiency in basic soldiering skills,” said Mejia. “It’s a badge that recognizes those who've mastered crucial tasks that form the foundation of personal combat readiness.”
| Date Taken: | 10.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.30.2023 18:30 |
| Story ID: | 456723 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Unlocking Potential: A Mentorship Journey with Aspiring Badge Earners, by SPC Destinee Rodriguez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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