EAB testing to be mandatory
According to Military.com, the Army is planning to make mandatory an annual test for the Expert Action Badge, a non-combat version of the Combat Action Badge at brigade level similar to the annual Expert Infantry Badge testing for infantrymen and the Expert Field Medical Badge for medics.
“The idea was that you model the EAB program off of those two established programs,” [Army Training and Doctrine Command’s Command Sgt. Maj. David Davenport] said, describing that the test will consist of physical challenges such as the road march, the Army Physical Fitness test and the land-navigation test.
For the skill evaluation portion of the EAB test, the Army plans to have soldiers demonstrate expertise in the 39 Warrior Tasks and nine Battle Drills that all soldiers must know.
Because everyone needs a badge.
Category: Army News
I thought the whole point of the CIB was to identify men who had actually traded bullets with bad guys, so those who had “seen the elephant,” so to speak, were recognized for it. I can see why they added other versions for medics and other guys who aren’t infantry. That’s fine.
But having this crap so that somebody can look just as cool as that guy with the CIB/CAB/CMB….well, if you ask me, that just cheapens the hell out of the Combat Badges, which had and have nothing to do with looking cool.
Then again, I’m just a civvie myself. What the hell do I know?
…Yeah, this never ends well. A few decades ago, the USAF Ammo community (‘Ordnance’ to everybody else in the US military) asked for permission to wear an Ordnance badge…and it snowballed from there to the point where every career community in the USAF now has its own badge.
BTW, Ammo never did get their own badge – the loaders and maintainers immediately decided they wanted one, so the Maintenance/Munitions fields now share one.
Mike
Some careers even have two badges.
When I started, as “Readiness” (which had recently been renamed from the much more descriptive “Disaster Preparedness” and subsequently again renamed to a much more appropriate “Emergency Management”), we were part of civil engineering. As such, when we graduated tech school, we got CE badges. Our career field eventually got our own chemical corps-inspired badge (which I actually think is pretty sharp, but I’m biased). So two badges for one class. Don’t know if they’re still doing it for EM. Similar situation for fire and SPs. They got a career badge (above the left pocket) and a badge on the face of the left pocket.
Nothing like being out to lunch and having an old Korea-era vet get all excited cause he saw what he thought looked like jump wings, only to watch his face drop when we explain that all USAF badges look vaguely like jump wings.
Back in the good old days, before the everyone in the USAF had badges, it was hard to tell who was who. We had unit base ball caps; but, those didn’t help indoors. In the what’s now called the DFAC problems arose. I was a medic and wore the same white uniforms the cooks and bakers wore; whenever someone complained to me about whatever I would agree and explain there was nothing I could do about it. Although the badges may be a little over the top, they can prevent embarrassment.
I’ll agree, to a point. I can recognize a lot of them by sight (chaplain, medical, legal, aircrew), but even after six years wouldn’t be able to ID half of the ones I saw on base.
Case in point, there are more than a dozen logistics and support badges that all look the same at a casual glance.
See, that’s why us Navy guys have ratings badges as part of our rank insignia.
That way you can tell what is what without a bunch of crap all over your uniform.
It’s the exact same concept. When I was in Navy my career field was displayed by the Quartermaster wheel on my crow. When I was in the Air Force my career field was displayed by the badge over my ribbons.
Used to be a Navy tradition that a combat vet switched his crow to the other sleeve….they put a stop to that though.
When I worked at Pease AFB the clerk at the dry cleaner, an E-5, had a half dozen patches on his fatigues (not cammo, surprisingly). Round ones, square ones, all subdued, of course, so I could never tell what they were for.
Same ol’ shyt, just deeper! Just like passing the lazy assed morons in school so they won’t feel inferior…instead of this bullshyt, give them something to ‘STRIVE’ for!!!
Used to be in the Navy only submariners had a badge, too.
Now, it’s so diluted I’m surprised they don’t give idiots ribbons for finishing boot camp. Oh, wait. Army does that.
My bad.
Not quite. The Army Service Ribbon is for completion of Basic and AIT. The USAF awards the Air Force Training Ribbon for those who finish Basic Military Training.
That must be impotent to the air farce, I mean, the dummys can’t tell they finished boot camp by their still wearing a uniform, need further proof geez………….pathetic!
That’s when they woke up and seen us Airedales, while you’ll was hiding below the water we where taking it to the front:)
Sounds just like an overrated airdale…while you were playing junior birdman, sub mariners were sitting just aft of the enemy ready to blow their asses out of the water…..put that in your flat hat!
Yeah heaven forbid the guys who don’t carry rifles feel bad about not carrying rifles…or LMGs or combat loads all day, or any of that….I mean if a desk guy can’t look as cool as infantry what’s the point of having the desk job?
Gee. Why not wear the patch from your last assignment on your right sleeve too.
The USA is not going to be outbadged by the Nork army.
We used to have this weird thing called CTT…Mandatory annual hands on testing for common tasks…like land nav, etc.
No one ever got a badge for knowing what they were already supposed to know….
That the military thinks that you have to reward people to get them to do the minimum possible to succeed in their job tells us so much about everyone involved.
A steady paycheck & good benefits used to be a pretty good reward.
seems that just isn’t enough in this narcissistic age…sigh
“I want a trophy as tall as all the tip of the spear guys have!”
– “not fair…. waaaahhhhh”
The above quotes sum up my opinion.
When both can be taken away by the stroke of a pen, well, there ya go.
The Army Service Ribbon is given for getting through training. Now they need a badge to signify that you really really did finish training.
“…nine Battle Drills that all soldiers must know.”
Sounds like a headline from the National Enquirer. And “Warrior Tasks” sounds so cool!
There is also a medal, incidentally, for being in the reserves.
It’s a 10 year service ribbon, which you don’t actually get until your twelfth year, but keep trying to sound superior.
The interweb needs more like you
Uh-oh. Looks like somebody overdosed on their sensitivity training. There is probably a ribbon for that, too. How about if I only mock the reserves one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer? Sounds fair to me, since I mock the regulars all the time.
Tell me, if you miss a weekend do you still get the ribbon?
Seriously, is there some reason the reserves are off limits for mockery?
SQT test also. Multi guess testing.
Worked for a guy once who gave gift cards to one department in his company for not fucking jobs up….he couldn’t understand why the other departments weren’t on board with rewarding a specific few for doing what he was already paying them to do while ignoring the work of the rest of the shop….
Common Tasks Testing; yep I remember those as well as the SQT’s. Even we weekenders had to do those. The badge that I lusted for and didn’t get was the Master Gunner Badge (for being among the biggest badass of badass tankers).
Being a very amateur military historian, I remember looking at photos from the late 1800’s & early 1900’s. The Army of that time had a very early MOS identifier in the chevron of the soldiers rank (wanna see some odd shaped identifiers check out the ones that the old Coast Artillery branch types wore).
Each branch was identified by the color(s) of the chevron, stripe on the trouser, etc. For example; Yellow for Cavalry, red for Artillery, and depending on the decade I guess; either white or light blue for infantry. Then it starts to get a little more complex as the technical branches are two colors (in general).
NOT TOO DAMN MANY MEDALS back then, at all. I think even the Indian Wars and Spanish American War medals were issued well after the fact (check me on this someone, please.)
I look at all the stuff worn on uniforms now, whats up with all the badges? I mean those that signify Pentagon service and such. I think the CIB/CMB are sacrosanct. It would be awesome if there were Combat Armor/Cavalry Badge, but that’s my own branch bias coming through.
Awarding a badge for being able to execute the basic aspects of keeping your ass in one piece is just a joke.
What it is ….is the “Peter Principle” in action, brass promoted past their level of “competence”!!
“Because everyone needs a badge.”
Yep… participation trophies for everyone!
Jeezuz!
MANDATORY EAB Testing? If I remember correctly, one HAD to be a cream of the crop Infantry Soldier to be selected for the EIB Test which meant they had to qualify Expert on their Weapon as well as have an el primo PT Score this I see this EAB crap as a “Free A. B.”.
I don’t know if qualifying expert and scoring 240 on the APFT makes you the “cream of the crop”
Those were just the first two things, MOS knowledge and performance were also key and many units held a pre-EIB course from which they further culled their herds they sent, it was a “dirtbags need not apply” situation.
To a non-Army type, this looks at first glance like it might have some merit. (Capitalize that MIGHT, please.) Just goes to show ya that folks outside the biz probably should have limited input in the decision.
My second thought is that yes, everyone should have to prove their continuing competence at a job, any job. Sure, everyone wants to feel special, but doesn’t your continuing pay prove that you are still special when compared with the multitudes who cannot do your job?
Something like the Navy, If you change platform you must requalify for your badge again. Had a Chief tell me I might have to requal again, did it once and now on shore duty about to retire. Nope.
You mean they now want a “I have a pulse and saw it on TV ” trophy…
So, if you’ve already got a CAB and forced to participate for the EAB, do you wear both of them on the duty uniform? ASU’s?
What if you were infantry and earned the CIB but forced to reclass and ‘earn’ the EAB, do you wear both?
You have to wear as much bling (or “pieces of flair” if you are an Office Space fan) as possible. Only those with a medical profile are excused.
You can only wear one. I have both the EIB and CIB, but can only wear one. If you have both a CIB and a CAB you have to choose which one you wear.
I’d tell you to go pound sand if I was told I have to attempt to earn an EAB while I already have an EIB
You can only [currently anyway] one badge from EACH of Groups 1,2,3. If you got more than one in a group, you only wear one.
Not sure how many Group 4’s you can wear these days, I want to say 3 on ACU’s,not sure about the dress uniform.[whatever the fuck it’s called these days]
US Army and their pieces of flair.
Lol. So true. I’m army with a CIB but I always look deeply into marine pictures for that red yellow blue combat action ribbon! I like how inconspicuous it is!
The fact that the Navy/USMC limits you to two breast insignia at a time is also IMO a way to keep the clutter down. I rate 7 breast insignia, not counting foreign wings and I’m glad I only ever had to wear two at any one time.
Exceptions of course include the JCS, Presidential Service, Recruiting badges etc. which may be worn in addition to the two breast insignia, but overall the idea holds true…and I never rated those anyway. 🙂
But do you have your required 17 pieces of flair?
The EIB has NEVER been an easy badge to earn, thus I wonder if they’ll be as strict with awarding the EAB or will it end up being a “Freebie-feel-good-badge”?
I earned my EIB 20 months after my CIB. I swapped out all my CIBs for EIBs on my bdu’s and greens because of how hard I worked for it and how proud I was! About a month later my LT chewed my ass for it And made me swap them back out. I was proud of both but deserved my EIB more than my CIB.
I’ve known a few who were the same way and DITTO what I said when it comes to the EFMB, the Doc’s equivalent of an EIB.
Oh yeah – the EFMB is certainly not a freebie. I knew a few battalion medics who got theirs. Very impressive.
FYI remember our “last year” thread conversation on fort ord? I was there 89-92 and I think you were there just right after that. My EIB was at Ord.
Likely not me, I’ve never even set foot on Fort Ord.
EFMB = Respect.
That’s a tough badge to earn.
Like the Ringo Starr song goes, ” …it don’t come easy..”
It’s definitely harder to earn
When I earned mine in 97 only 3 of us out of my Company earned it. EIB is getting easier though. A lot of things that used to be part of testing are now prerequisites. Things like Land Navigation.
Fucking stupid.
Everyone wants to be Infantry but no one wants to do that whole Infantry thing first.
Maybe have a Expert Ranger Tab.
Whatever.
Got my EIB as a young Private. The CIB came later.
Every Soldier should be up to speed on CTT. I get it. But this is just plain stupid.
Word
Painting rocks.
Police call.
And were done!
Hey! It ain’t as easy as you think!
Did you clean the rocks first, so the paint would stick?
Did you paint the bottom? Hmmmmm?
Did you remember to clean the brush(es) afterwards?
Did you dispose of solvents and paints in an environmentally friendly manner?
I’ll bet you think operating a floor buffer is easy, too.
Did you pick up all the cigarette butts?
Maybe next the Army will have an Expert Environmental Award for those who properly remember the EPA Regulations for the proper disposal of Winter Air from vehicle tires when it’s replaced with summer air?
You haven’t heard? New, about to be announced, spring and fall air. The Eco Warriors have struck.
The navy now has it’s fair share of badges. I asked a Senior Chief would all the new shiny pins lead to pins having real requirements or just be for show.
She didn’t like the question.
I watched a Yeoman 1st Class come into my Airframes Shop to get sign-offs for our field of expertise as part of getting her Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) ‘wings’. Our LPO pencil whipped it for her, and she walked out within three minutes.
I went over to where my book was, and threw it right in the trash. I didn’t see the point of working my ass off in an Aviation Rating, when people outside my community basically were getting handed the damn things. I didn’t want ‘AW’ designation after my Rate after that because its meaning, to me, was watered down.
As one of the original FMF qualifiers in Lejeune, I ran into the same “just sign my book types” but I never caved.
I went out of my way to be available and to even give lectures on various subjects, but I didn’t sign books without personally grilling the candidate.
A PQS program is only as good as the Qualifiers you choose to represent it.
The worst part is, I think that warfare qualification pushed her over the top for Chief. She made Chief the very next cycle.
I also watched the command backdate a NAM, for some no-load that was kicked out of our Shop to the NAS JAX MAA force.
Just so he would re-enlist. I am not even kidding. They awarded him a NAM for work he never a part of. I was there when the Div O was talking it over with him.
HS-1 was a horrible command.
The backdate, was to allow him to get 2nd class, and then re-enlist.
Lars is fucked, he loses the carnival watergun game every time and can barely find a hole for his tampon.
Internet win of the MONTH!
Maybe this EAB junk was conceived by a Lars type of Ooficer to give a piece of feel-good bling to every underachiever who shows up?
That is very likely. It looks very much like the progtard every kid gets a trophy mentality at work here. Because every soldier needs to feel special.
In all fairness, I did (on a lark) request and receive a Cold War Something or Other Certificate, suitable for framing. I’m proud of it, so proud, in fact, I have no idea what I did with it. And, no, I have no desire to look for it. A Cold war Badge would have been nice. Would have looked great on the fridge.
The “E” in EAB stands for “expert.” So is everybody expected to be an “expert” now?
And as was said above – aren’t the EAB skills the same ones that are tested for CTT? Do they still do CTT training and testing?
No they haven’t done CTT in years, or for that matter any kind of testing to show proficiency at your job.
There was talk a couple years back about bringing back the SQTs for promotion purposes. But I guess that never went anywhere.
Maybe some PC Prince(s) and Princesses of the Pentagon thought that might harm slackers’ self esteem thus they discarded it like height/weight/PT Test requirements to graduate a Leadership School? I saw PT as well as height/weight failures graduate with a “MODERATE” rating while I remember the days when failing any of that as an immediate ticket back to one’s unit.
Let’s make the tests easy, so all the kids from the everyone-gets-a-trophy generation can get the EAB. After all, we don’t want any soldier’s self-esteem damaged.
CTT is now called AWT Army Warrior Tasks same tasks just different name.
Just like Lake Woebegone, where the children are all above average.
Fuck it! Make Ranger School mandatory…. then wait and see who wants a piece of THAT badge!!! Pffftttt. Yeah right!
No, they’d just change the name of Basic Training to “Ranger School” and everyone would get a tab after graduating.
That’s right. Because it’s “fair”!
I went when it was mandatory for Regular Army combat arms officers (1968-1970). There were some unhappy campers, like Air Defense Artillery 2LT’s, that did not want to be there. For the most part, they did not make the cut in my class. We started with a company of about 250 and finished with about 115 getting the tab and about twenty who didn’t, including two Navy SEALs.
Did the Navy SEALs DQ or get injured? Or did they just not want to be there and goldbricked their way out?
That was a good school. I learned some things, even just being an “aggressor” or “gofer”. And I got a lot more sleep than you did. I actually enjoyed it.
At one time Ranger school was mandatory for officers. Is it still?
Two levels of pay “fully MOS qualified” and “MOS training”.
Want that full check? Get qualified.
Define some bonuses like “expert with primary weapon” “currently qualified second MOS” etc. (Anyone can achieve, but not required)
Wear of bling: convert most of the non-valor stuff to wall hangers. GCM includes “qualified”. Bronze star is valor only, otherwise MS-former-M wall hanger.
This is the same silliness as the Navy’s Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist badge that was created 39 years ago. A “me-too” pin created to allow folks to feel as special as the tubers (submariners) by having a shiny pin above their National Defense ribbon. The tubers actually earn their pin – gotta know everything about a boat for safe operation. The surface guys? A seventh grader using Google on his/her cellphone could qualify for Surface Warfare while sitting in Mom’s basement. When we bad-attitudes didn’t try to “earn” this pin it was made mandatory for advancement. Didn’t hurt me, though. I made it to E-9 without the damn thing.
Now you can’t reenlist without a warfare qual.
My ESWS board was 4.5 hours long…after first being given a piece of paper, a pencil and a ruler and instructed to draw a diagram of the ship’s steam cycle.
The goatlocker hammered me with questions during that 4.5 hours. I had to complete a PQS and obtain 144 signatures from qualifiers that were convinced in their presence that I knew enough about a particular line item.
Being an FMF type completing the ESWS qualification was a way to show I had a professional interest in the Navy beyond the FMF.
I think the Navy made a mistake turning it into a mandatory qualification.
No doubt, from what the submariners I’ve spoken with that their qual is more difficult and more necessary, but the submarine community is also not the be all end all measure of professionalism and dedication. I did 24 years and not once have I reflected that my career fell short in anyway because I never earned a set of dolphins.
My SCWS pin Board was 5 hrs long and I had to know soup to nuts and then some for me to pass.
In the old days before mandatory Warfare Pins. Only Bee’s with the SCWS could lead patrols outside the wire, and only Bee’s with the pin could lead Detachments. So, no it was not a me too pin. It was a, I know what the fuck I am doing pin.
As an HM8403…my NEC says I know what the fuck I’m doing. 🙂
Roger that DOC. None better.
NAVY CORPSEMAN
But you still can’t hit me!!!!
…better chance than most.lol
To think, Great-Uncle Jim was a rifleman from St. Lo to Patton pissing in the Rhine to the end of the war. He was in some real shit, and contrary to various “studies” and “statistics,” he did fire his M1 in combat–a lot.
He came home with one row of ribbons and a CIB.
Grandpa (Dad’s step-dad) hiked into North Korea in November of 1950, retreated back down south, advanced north again, and was in combat until the cease-fire in 1953. Again, he fired his M1 quite a bit with Norks and Red Chinamen in his sights.
He came home with one row of of ribbons and a CIB.
The Army sure has gotten big on flair/bling since then.
Every damn day I thank the big testicled Infantry God that I got out before shit got even more absurd.
You snowflakes can have it.
Hashtagnotmymilitary
Why would grunts feel special for having a badge? You know why they’re called grunts, right? Because they’re like a dime a dozen. Outside of the military a grunt is somebody who does low level or repetitive work. A grunt is easier to replace than a satellite tech or a linguist.
I’m for this idea actually. 21st century warfare is way different than how it was in World War II. It’s a lot more than just “riflemen and desk jockeys” now. God forbid somebody who’s job isn’t cleaning weapons at the armory and going on forced marches gets recognized for anything.
Wow….
Let me guess…you’ve never actually seen this combat you speak of have you?
What did I speak of?
I hit the wrong reply button old manchu. That was meant for devilsadvocate.
No problem. I do it all the time.
You are aware that the days of conscripting illiterate farmers into the Infantry are long over, right? You are aware that the owner of this blog is an Infantryman, right? Take your holier than thou attitude and shove it up your ass.
‘Forced march’, that’s cute. You don’t have to force me, I like pain. If being Infantry is so fun, then why doesn’t everyone do it?
And to your stupid point about satellites and shit, this grunt can set up a SATCOM under fire AND knows a language other than English, it’s called Violence.
Some of the bravest and smartest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting have been Infantrymen.
About the only people I’d feel comfortable putting my life in their hands would these lowly Grunts you speak so highly of.
Pogs just start wars, guess who finishes them.
-winky face-
You do realize there are only two jobs in the Army, don’t you? You are either Infantry, or you support the Infantry.
For the record, I was 24 years Signal Corps. I supported everybody.
Devilsadvocate, you don’t need a badge for us to see you’re special. It’s very obvious. You’re short-bus special.
I think they needed the super-short-bus special for him, SFC D.
For DA’s next trick, he rides a pogo stick into a minefield.
This old “grunt” works as an IT tech. Almost every swinging Richard in this NOC is former combat arms or aviation.
One of my old privates is one of the smartest guys in the state of VA on health law and legal issues.
MOS means precisely DICK in terms of intelligence. You would know that if you would pry your face out of that ass you have it in.
Another FUed idea from a too much time on his hands TRADOC E9. It’ll go nowhere.
Spec8 Moerk supports it, though.
Because somebody had to go there…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqomZQMZQCQ&w=640&h=360%5D
reminds me of the 8th Inf. Div. motto—“These are my credentials”
The Nazi CG of Brest was negotiating surrender with the Asst. Div. Cmdr. of the 8th ID. The German General wanted to see the American’s credentials and the American motioned to the well-worn Infantrymen accompanying him and replied “These are my credentials”.
I thought the 8ID motto was “Eight UP”
Hmm.
Maybe add that Klingon-style sash Worf wears on Star Trek. Put all the non-valor, non PH, non skill badge stuff on it. Wear it on special parade occasions. Hang it on the Wall locker otherwise.
Limit the usual wear to Valor, PH, special skills (AB AA, etc) and expert weapons badges.
If Big Army was truly serious about this, what they should do is simply incorporate the tasks and drills into the course of instruction at MOS producing Advanced Individual Training and instead of having the EAB as a full sized badge, reduce it’s size down to a clasp device for the Gay Service, oops, Army Service Ribbon and be done with it./smile
Navy rulz, Army droolz.
so who are the graders going to be? At the EIB testing all of the test station NCOs were EIB holders, the only exception being “subject matter experts” for stations like first aid, commo, and call for fire (fuck call for fire)
Hell, I knew the CAB (Crybabies And Bitchs) was bullshit when I saw a Chaplin from our brigades Forward Support Bn wearing one.
I once saw a dentist with a CFMB. He was on an Iraqi Army COP working on a Soldiers teeth when rounds went through his window. Since he was working on a patient while under fire he qualified. Probably the only dentist in the Army with one.
I saw one as well.
A dentist I know caught a bad ride and wound up with a CFMB and a PH.
Decent dude.
Combat Dental Exam! Hardcore.
I had a Chaplain in 2002-2004 with an EIB and Drill Sergeant badge. He was prior service 11B. Damn good man! His attitude was basically “you gotta know when to hug ’em, and when to kick ’em in the ass!”
awesome!
Even the atheists and agnostics thought he was the shit
I’m having flashbacks to the whole hoopla about the black beret fiasco that was going on when I joined up, and how it was stupid to make everyone feel like they were elite, when, lets face it, a lot of us weren’t up to THAT level of awesomeness. Another bad idea from who knows where in the defense bureaucracy…
Yeah, that was a bright idea from Shinseki who was a diehard Clintonista!
The next high point in the career of that POS professional bureaucrat was his abject failure as the head of the VA.
The beret fiasco certainly foreshadowed his tenure at the VA.
Not to mention it does a shitty ass job of keeping the sun out of your eyes. The black beret that is.
IMHO the Black Beret is a piece of headgear that should have stayed “RANGERS ONLY” but Shinseki was NOT going to pass up on an opportunity to kiss up to the Clintons at Mach 3.
Yeah, that was effed up. Deserved boot to the head aside, the Tan beret looks good though.
…Tan beret looks good though….
Quite SASsy … if you catch my drift.
–JSF
indeed
LOL! Nice play JSF! 🙂
They should authorize a “Meatgazer’s Badge”.
I mean after all of the meat one has to observe as a Drug Test NCO/Helper……
We need to acknowledge and recognize these men.
A decoration for dedicated pecker peekers, there ya go!
I’m not sure if it was just us grunts in the 25th ID(L) when I was there, but there was a “Silver Streamer” award for something or other.
“Meat Gazing” was a support cycle job and you would go around to units who requested a unit wide UA and we’d gaze and do the paperwork[ME!] for the unit. I called it giving the unit the “Golden Streamer” !
EIB is usually “mandatory” training, before anything you must EXPERT with the rifle [amazing how it happens to some ONLY during the one before EIB] but we usually dump the weak early with Land Nav and road march.[12mile/3hrs] Then the “mandatory” will just wander around staying out of the way of the true test takers.
Hell, the shooting/road march was mandatory for EVERYONE in the infantry even if you already had it.
When the “clerks” are running the military, the EXPANSION of badges/etc. multiplies enormously !