JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – Approximately 900 Soldiers with 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division are scheduled to test for their Expert Infantry Badge (EIB) April 25-29.
During the evaluation Soldiers will proceed through three testing lanes where they will be evaluated on more than 30 individual tasks including weapons’ knowledge, moving under direct fire, engaging a target with hand grenades, and several first aid tasks.
This is the first Expert Infantry Badge testing involving a JBLM unit since the EIB program’s restructuring more than a year ago.
In the past, the EIB test consisted of 30 separate stations held over a four week period with candidates training during the first 21 days by repeating the same individual task, then being graded on it. Candidates now spend five days training while testing is condensed into a single week and expanded to include multiple tasks.
Soldiers must qualify as expert on the M4 rifle just to be eligible for the EIB test. The candidates must then successfully complete the Army Physical Fitness Test and land-navigation segments. They are then evaluated on 30 tasks in three distinct lanes: urban, patrol and traffic-control point. This portion of the test is spread over three days in which the candidates will receive a “go” or “no go” score on the three lanes. Most of the tasks are timed, and candidates cannot receive more than two “no go” ratings per lane.
The EIB, introduced in 1944 by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall, is a way for the infantryman to demonstrate his mastery in his job tasks and skills. Earning the badge is a high honor among infantrymen, with only about 10 percent of candidates passing the test.