Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) participated in the Expert Infantryman, Expert Soldier, and Field Medical Badge testing from Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, 2024 on Fort Drum. They trained in weapons, patrol, and medical lanes for two weeks before qualifications started.
“E3B is a combination of three different skill badges that the Army awards to Soldiers,” said 1st Lt. Kyle Bennett, an assistant operations officer and planner assigned to 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI).
“One of them is the Expert Soldier Badge, which is for most MOSs (military occupational specialties) or jobs within the Army,” Bennett explained. “Then there's the Expert Infantryman Badge, which is specifically for the infantry MOS."
“There’s also the Expert Field Medical Badge, which is for medical MOSs,” he added. “Essentially, they’re badges that show that a Soldier is an expert in their craft.”
The training and preparation that takes place before E3B qualifications involve numerous tasks that require heavy commitment and dedication to complete. Soldiers face the challenge of taking it upon themselves to train in their free time to ensure preparedness for qualifications.
“The training that was done to prepare – a lot of it is on you,” said Spc. Zachary Daken, a combat medic assigned to 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, “between getting runs in at the land navigation course or just staying fit, and a lot of mental studying on some of the terms and equipment we’d be using throughout.”
Day One of the testing began with Soldiers executing the Expert Physical Fitness Assessment in the morning, with some groups starting as early as 3 a.m. The EPFA is a timed physical event in full body armor that includes a one-mile run, 100-meter sprint, 30 dead stop push-ups, lifting 16 sandbags onto a 5.5-foot barrier, 50-meter water can carry, and 50-meter-high crawls and three- to five-second rushes, concluding with a second mile-long run.
After participating in the EPFA, Sgt. Joseph Martin, a combat medic assigned to 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, explained why he believes the event is essential in the testing of E3B.
“The EPFA is important because it's always nice to prove yourself,” Martin said. “Anyone can join the Army and coast to success, but it takes a different type of person to put themselves out there and put it all on the line.”
The challenging nature of E3B creates a selective environment, leaving it up to each individual participating to stay motivated and resilient.
“The pass rate for E3B is roughly 30 percent Army-wide,” Bennett said. “I believe we're at about 50 to 60 percent of participants remaining, and it’s only the first day.”
After the EPFA, Soldiers moved onto the land navigation part of qualifications, where they were tested on their ability to properly use a map, compass, and other tools to navigate in
unfamiliar terrain.
Soldiers had three hours to complete this testing portion before moving on to weapons and medical lanes to prove their knowledge in each course.
During weapons and medical lanes, Soldiers disassembled, reassembled, operated and fired a variety of different weapons ranging from the MK19 Grenade Launcher to the M4 Carbine. While in the medical lanes, Soldiers treated simulated casualties with differing injuries, coordinated evacuation responses, and moved under simulated fire.
“For me, the challenge was more medical,” said Pfc. Giovanni Sierra, a SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) gunner assigned to 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. “I'm an infantryman, I work on weapons, so medical has always been my hardest skill.”
The training and acquisition of new knowledge contribute to Soldiers' sense of accomplishment. Additionally, these experiences enhance teamwork by encouraging Soldiers to support one another through various challenges.
“The best part of the training, in my opinion, is how much the participants and the instructors both want to learn and be taught,” Bennett said. “All the instructors that I've had have been a wealth of knowledge and have been giving us tips and tricks that we can use not only for this training but in our jobs going forward."
“All the other participants and I are just really happy to be here, we’re just happy for a shot at this,” he added.
After three days of lane qualifications, participants prepared for the last day of E3B, completing a 12-mile ruck march before earning their badge. Soldiers were required to demonstrate determination and resilience during the final segment of E3B qualifications.
1st Lt. Ronan Doherty, a platoon leader assigned to 2-14 Infantry and an E3B-qualified Soldier, shared his advice to the next class of E3B candidates.
“Go for it, you have nothing to lose,” Doherty said. “It’s three weeks and lots of training, being outside, and enduring the conditions, but you can feel a sense of accomplishment completing it.”
Of the 729 Soldiers who embarked on the journey to earn their respective badge, only 255 persevered to complete the challenging course, showcasing remarkable resilience and determination in the face of rigorous physical and mental obstacles.
Date Taken: | 10.04.2024 |
Date Posted: | 10.07.2024 15:51 |
Story ID: | 482651 |
Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
Web Views: | 85 |
Downloads: | 0 |
This work, E3B: How 10th Mountain’s best prove their mettle, by PV1 makenna tilton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.