Photo(s) by W. Wayne Marlow
A Soldier from 1st Bn., 27th Inf. Reg. throws a grenade during EIB testing Aug. 20.
| Shooting for the badge
By Sgt. W. Wayne Marlow 17th Public Affairs Det.
What do you call it when a Soldier excels at rifle marksmanship, land navigation, foot marching, and the Army Physical Fitness Test? If he’s gunning for the Expert Infantryman Badge, it’s called a good start. Just to qualify for testing, Soldiers have to fire expert on the M-16 or M-4, score at least 70 points on each APFT event, conduct day and night land navigation, and complete a 12-mile foot march in three hours. The 236 Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment who managed these feats gathered across from the bayonet assault course on Schofield Barracks Aug. 19-21 for EIB testing. "It seems pretty easy if you keep your head in it," said Pfc. Adrian Pelato, a rifleman with A Company. "Just take it one task at a time. They all have their challenges." Pelato said his confidence grew as he started picking up "go’s" at the first stations. "I had butterflies, but once you start seeing ‘True Blue’ on your page it helps your confidence." Go’s are indicated with blue ink on the testing sheets. The testers go through an array of infantry tasks, including prepping a Javelin anti-tank missile. "It replaced the Dragon, and it’s a lot different. It’s laser-guided," said Sgt. Robert Klein, a team leader in Company C. Klein passed the Javelin test, part of a successful day. "I’m doing fine. I just practice each station as I go along," he said. While the days could be long, most Soldiers reported being in no hurry. "We usually take our time," said Pfc. Mark Gumthorpe, a squad automatic weapon gunner with Co. B. "It’s up to the individual. Some stayed out here until 1900 last night. We … go through each station thoroughly so we can do our best at each one." Though taking one station at a time, Gumthorpe knew which stop would be his most challenging. "NBC’s going to be the kicker, but I feel real good," he said. The 37 testing stations were run by the battalion’s noncommissioned officers, including Sgt. Alex Hall, a team leader with Co. B. Hall earned his EIB in 1999 and was tasked with running the M240B station. "The tester must prepare a complete range card within 15 minutes," Hall explained. "It must have a known point, primary and secondary sectors of fire, a principal direction of fire, and all terrain features." Hall reported that the vast majority of testers were passing. "I like it," Hall said of being a tester. "I wish we had more people, but we’re doing it at the battalion level." Command Sgt. Maj. Jose Rangel, battalion command sergeant major, explained the decision to run EIB at the battalion level, instead of the usual brigade testing. "It was a pilot program where the chain of command wanted to see if we could do EIB at the battalion level," he said. "The challenge is, it takes a lot of NCOs to run 37 stations. It takes NCOs from leading their squads and teams. On the flip side of the coin, doing it at the battalion level means less people on the site (so) they have more time to train on each skill." Whatever level EIB is tested at, the goal remains the same, according to Rangel: "The Soldiers have a variety of tasks that make them an expert in individual skills to support small unit operations." |
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