Ideally the NCOs and seasoned EMs would have more experienced and be more proficient at the little tasks but we both know that isn't the case. Often, minor details are glossed over and not performed to standard while we are concentrating on the big picture training at hand. Grenade throwing for instance... outside the odd Sergeant's time when we lob practice ones, tossing apples wasn't exactly a commen event on the training schedule in any unit I served with. Matter of fact... after the demise of CTT, many of the skill level I tasks became things only done during sergeant's time.

 

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax

Steve, my view is based on the fact that I was also in during the SQT days.  SQT covered all of the EIB tasks and more, primarily the written test(I think there were some more hands on tasks as well, but maybe that's just my FOG brain playing tricks on me ).  But it was not uncommon for people to pass the SQT and fail the EIB.  At that time you could only retest two stations for the EIB and no retest went toward your SQT score.  So a soldier could receive a no-go on the EIB, no retest possible but still pass the SQT.  That is why I believe the standards for SQT are higher than other testing, including proficiency testing at the end of AIT.

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI.  One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS

1/508th Abn Inf, 82nd Abn Div 81-83

1/4th Inf (Mech), 3rd Inf Div (USAEUR) 83-84

SGT\EIB\Recondo

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho Marx

Anyway... I can remember CTT being an ongoing thing until at least '93 or '94.

 

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax

1/508th Abn Inf, 82nd Abn Div 81-83

1/4th Inf (Mech), 3rd Inf Div (USAEUR) 83-84

SGT\EIB\Recondo

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho Marx

SQT as you "old timers" knew it was obviously split up and the tasks which were applicable to all MOS became CTT or Commen Task Testing... which became a required annual certification for every soldier... and the MOS specific tasks became skill level SQTs.

I have to say that for several years in a row, the tasks for EIB and CTT were pretty much graded the same. EIB had land nav, a road march, and shooting of course but otherwise there was little differance... at least if the training was being conducted by a squared away organization. Only real issue that came up was the varying standards for CPR that came about in the early 90's... CLS school was teaching the latest Red Cross version, EIB was using a version a decade out of date, and CTT had some sort of bastardized entity between the two.

 

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax