1-509th EIB testing

By KRISTIN GORDON, Guardian staff writer
Friday, September 29, 2006 12:07 PM CDT

Pfc. Stephen Theus had a look of nervous anticipation and determination to succeed when he entered the “call for fire” tent. Theus, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment, sat at a table facing the impact area. A set of binoculars, radio and writing utensils were at his disposal. The squad leader started the stopwatch and the test began. As target location and identification were made, Theus wrote down the coordinates. He was given a ‘go.' He proceeded to the next table to mathematically configure coordinates for a target out of the line of sight. Two answers were transposed and Theus received a ‘no go.' Theus hit his Kevlar with his hand as though to snap himself out of making this type of mistake again. He walked out and headed towards the next station, but would be back to try again ... because a badge is at stake. Passing the Expert Infantryman Badge training and receiving the badge was the goal for 96 Soldiers of the regiment Sept. 25 at Fort Polk.

“You learn a lot from this training,” said Theus. “Working with all of the weapon systems and going through them over and over beats into your head what you need to do. Some of the stations are simple drills and tasks but the weapons systems are the most challenging because you have to learn how to master, operate and take care of them. It takes a lot of practice, attention to detail and patience to qualify and test for the Expert Infantryman Badge. My desire to earn the badge is for a sense of pride.”

At another station, Pvt. Terry Litten received a ‘go' on grenade identification and proceeded through an obstacle including three tasks for throwing grenades.

“I have been training for a week and a half,” said Litten, looking through the green paint covering his face at the obstacle course he was one grenade-throw from passing. “Passing was difficult at first but now I have gotten into a rhythm and it seems to be going smoother. The badge is elite and sets you apart from your peers and maybe even your higher chain of command. It is not an easy badge to get. When I joined the Army, it was always my goal to stand out among other Soldiers because it helps when getting promoted.”

Watching over Soldiers during the EIB training was Sgt. Maj. Kevin Sharkey and Command Sgt. Maj. Jaime Garza Jr. Sharkey received his EIB in 1983. Garza joined this elite group in 1988.

“The Expert Infantryman Badge was approved by the Department of the Army Oct. 27, 1943,” said Garza. “No one wanted to be an infantryman so the EIB and the Combat Infantry Badge were developed. The chances of survival were minimal so they rewarded Soldiers by giving them a symbol of their hard work on the front lines of battle.” The CIB is awarded for participation in infantry ground combat while the EIB is presented for completion of an approved Army course of testing.

“The EIB test was established at Fort Benning, Ga., the home of the infantry,” said Sharkey. “The infantry center at Fort Benning publishes standards on how to conduct it. That way all EIB testing at each Army post is uniform.”

Soldiers can try for the EIB if they volunteer, are recommended by their chain of command and pass required prerequisites before testing, according to Sharkey. The Soldier must conduct a 12-mile road march wearing 35 pounds of combat equipment for three hours and pass an Army Physical Fitness Test with a minimum score of 70 percent in each category for their age group -- sit-ups, push-ups and 2-mile run. They also need to complete a land navigation course for both day and night, aided by a compass or a global positioning system and fire “expert” status with the M-4 carbine rifle. The PT qualification rating is good for a year but the road march qualification must be done 90 days before the test.

“There are 96 candidates from the 1-509th going through the three-day test this year,” said Sharkey. “For a week, squad leaders have been training and setting up the EIB site with 21 stations. There is an EIB committee that consists of Command Sergeant Major Garza, myself and the company first sergeants. We check and validate each station as fit for testing. The squad leader takes the Soldiers to each station and trains them on 33 different tasks during the week.”

Some of the tasks performed include operating night vision goggles, identifying terrain features on a map, employing and recovering an M21 antitank mine and setting headspace and timing on a 50 calibur machine gun.

If a Soldier fails a task at one of the 21 stations, they can try again but must pass at the second attempt, said Sharkey. If a Soldier gets a ‘no go' on more than two tasks (first attempt), they fail the course. “The goal is to be ‘true blue' which means they passed 33 tasks the first try,” said Sharkey. “The training is repetitive and each task has a set of sequences the Soldier must follow. For example, there is a station for loading a weapon. A posted score sheet explains each step and how much time they have to achieve the task.”

Soldiers must complete and pass the EIB test within three days. Squad leaders who assist at each station wear the dress EIB to reiterate what Soldiers are striving for. Along with the badge comes an official award that goes into the Soldier's military record. That's a plus when the time comes to get promoted. “As infantry Soldiers progress in rank, they are expected to have earned the badge,” said Sharkey. “Earning the badge makes us better infantry Soldiers. Whether or not they get the award, by going through the stations they are finetuning their skills. “

The test is conducted only once a year for three days. Soldiers who do not achieve the badge may qualify and test each year until they pass. “There are other organizations at Fort Polk such as 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, that already conducted their EIB training for the year,” said Sharkey. If a company-sized element has 70 percent of the assigned strength as either CIB or EIB, then that company is known as an expert infantry company, he said. An expert infantry streamer is added to their guidon. The same applies on the battalion level.

“Because of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, every Soldier, regardless of their military occupational specialty, may be in a situation where they have to defend themselves,” said Sharkey. “Even though these skills are infantry oriented, they still cover the whole spectrum of MOSs and learning and using them helps all Soldiers.”