Soldiers tackle Expert Infantry Badge pre-testing

      Several select members of Task Force Red Arrow of the 32nd (Separate) Infantry Brigade (Light) have successfully completed the preliminary qualification events at Fort McCoy to begin the test for the Expert Infantry Badge (EIB).

Sgt. Joshua Wolff refines his skills of assembling and disassembling an M-60 machine gun.  Spc. Sean Follett (left) and Sgt. James Andrasic observe. (Photo by Rob Schuette)

      Less than 15 percent of the 50 Soldiers who originally started the preliminary phase testing made it through, which is a typical result, said Capt. William Potterton of the 32nd, a Wisconsin Army National Guard unit.  Soldiers first must complete preliminary EIB qualification testing to be eligible for EIB testing.

      The pretest includes qualifying as an expert marksman with an M-16 A2 rifle, completing day and night land-navigation courses within prescribed times, completing a 12-mile road march with a minimum 35-pound rucksack within three hours and passing the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) while obtaining high, minimum requirements in each category.

      "The badge is one of the highest awards for an infantry Soldier," said Potterton, an EIB holder.  "Each of the personnel conducting the test must be an EIB holder."

Sgt. Matt Texidor uses his land-navigation skills to traverse a compass  course during the pre-EIB testing. (Photo by Rob Schuette)

      Personnel who enter the process to compete for the EIB are very motivated to show they are top-notch Soldiers, Potterton said.             

      Members of Task Force Red Arrow have been mobilized and deployed to support force-protection requirements.  The personnel participating in the event traveled from the locations they were serving at to Fort McCoy and participated in the event solely on their off-duty time, he said.

      Sgt. James Andrasic, a member of the 32nd and also an EIB holder, said the personnel conducting the testing only can show personnel being tested how to do the tasks correctly before the testing begins.  The testers cannot assist the Soldiers being tested in any way once they are competing in the events, he said.

      "Another tradition is to have an EIB badge from an EIB holder with you as you're taking the testing," Andrasic said.  "When I took the testing, I kept touching the badge, which gave me the inspiration to successfully finish the competition."

      Personnel competing in the pressure-packed testing have a limited number of chances to redo events they did not do correctly before they fail the testing, Andrasic said.  Participants often wait nervously as the testers check the results of a test.

      Spc. Elgin Thomas of the 32nd emitted a loud yell and "Hoohah," after he was told he had passed the day land-navigation testing.

      Sgt. Matt Texidor said he found all of the events challenging.

      "The EIB sets you apart from your peers and designates you as a top-notch infantry Soldier," he said.

      The candidates who successfully completed the EIB qualification testing, which stood at seven after the day land-navigation testing,  have begun competing in the actual EIB testing and will finish the testing in November.

      The EIB test  includes tasks ranging from camouflage cover and concealment to grenade proficiency.  The EIB testing also includes breaking down and assembling an M-60 machine gun.

      The 1st, 128th Infantry of the 32nd conducted the testing, which the organization offers yearly, Potterton said.  For those who fail to earn the EIB on their first try -- and that is the majority of those testing --  they will have to wait until next year to try again, Potterton said.