Expert Field Medical Badge: 112 step up for challenge, 21 earn coveted badge

Published May 4, 2012
By David Moore
U.S. Army Support Activity - DIX

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Soldiers are always training to meet the standard and do their best. They strive to win at the challenge. But when it comes to earning the U.S. Army's Expert Field Medical Badge, it's the attention to detail that can make or break people and prevent them from earning it.

"It's an elite badge, the best of the best medics wear it," said Army Sgt. Peter King, trainer mentor combat lifesaver instructor with the 174th Infantry Brigade, 1st Army Division East. "It's an honor, to know you are one of only 20 percent."

Just 21 soldiers remained after 112 candidates stepped into their first formation April 17 and after the smoke cleared from the medical combat training lanes and the 12-mile ruck march had ended. These select medics were pinned with the EFMB April 29, by Brig. Gen. Joseph Caravalho, commanding general of the U.S. Army's Northern Regional Medical Command headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va.

"The availability of resources and training area made [JB MDL] the logical choice because of its one stop shopping approach to host the event here," said Caravalho.

"NRMC has found a new home for our EFMB program." Caravalho also credited the trainers, 87th Air Base Wing and the Dix staff.

The event was held for the first time at the joint base with daily support from the 174th Infantry Brigade, USASA- Dix's Directorate of Plans, Training and Mobilization, and Security's Training Management, and the Walson Medical Support Element. One hundred and fifty military personnel, in addition to the EFMB competitors, were involved with lanes preparation, mentoring, grading and technical support.

Candidates with high levels of motivation seemed to be the norm for moving up the ladder toward garnering the coveted badge. Army Master Sgt. Richard Malby, who served as the EFMB competition first sergeant from Walter Reed National Military Center, said even in the final phases individuals were highly competitive and cadre mentoring remained high for the candidates. He said one of the candidate platoons each day would put camouflage on their faces looking like the rock band Kiss. Each morning they began by singing Kiss's 'Rock and Roll All Night,' he said.

"With the pressure of the event, I see where motivation and humor definitely eases the stress and the Soldiers seem to perform better," said Malby.

One such rock-star medic was Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Hansen, a trainer mentor CLS instructor with the 174th Inf. Bde. He and King both earned the EFMB.

The EMFB was created by the Army in 1965 and is the non-combat equivalent to the Combat Medical Badge. The competition, included a 12-mile combat medic load ruck march, candidates had to put their skills to the test doing simultaneous warrior and medical tasks on three combat lanes, participating in day and night land navigation and a written test. Candidates began to dwindle during each phase of the competition despite having a standardization week to walk through the event.

Experts serving as officers or noncommissioned officers in charge of their respective lanes reported what falters many of the candidates is the level of attention to detail. For example, Sgt. 1st Class Charles Granke, 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry Regiment and NCOIC of the day and night land navigation cautioned the candidates to try to stay off the roads. He cautioned them that some roads may be marked as such and no longer exist. Terrain association became paramount for the soldiers to hit all the points.

"Some of the candidates see the hard top and think they are on the right road, but they're not," said Granke. "Knowing how to navigate, especially for medics getting to casualties and collection points, is important."

EFMB cadre and candidates said the toughest lane was combat lane one - a combination of more than 23 warrior and medical tasks in a combat driven scenario. Inside those tasks they added up to more than a 100 critical steps to be successful.

When it comes to tactical combat care In a real battle, missing one step can mean life or death.

"Lane one is historically the most challenging since all the combat care medical tasks are on this lane. To pass this lane you need to get a go on 11 of the 14 medical tasks," said Sgt. 1st Class John Sample, a seven-time EFMB evaluator from the Medical Department Activity, Fort Drum, N.Y.

The lane begins by candidates loading the medic bag before going out on a simulated combat mission. Missing one item, such as a dressing for an abdominal would, can cause the medic trouble.

Army 1st Lt. Walter Peoples, assigned to Public Health Command Region-North at Fort Meade, Md., was the first to cross the finish line after a 12-mile ruck march April 29, completed the event in two hours, 23 minutes far below the mandated three hour completion time.

"I had a lot of support getting here, as well as support from the cadre for this event. While earning the EFMB is certainly an accomplishment, equally as important is the camaraderie and friends I have made here," Peoples said.

During the march in the soft sand of Range Road, 1st Lt. Margaret Champion, of Womack Medical Center, Fort Bragg, N.C., had a surprise waiting at the six-mile mark.

Her husband Capt. Jerry Champion, was waiting to ruck the last six-miles with her after driving from Fort Gordon, Ga. She didn't know he would be here.

Capt. Champion said his wife had called the day before the combat-gear loaded ruck march to see if he would be there for the march.

"I said 'no way. Why would I want to ruck march,'" he said. But he was already in town when he wished her good luck.

"She has worked two years to be here. She wanted to do something outside of the hospital and do it for the Army. I am very proud of her," he added. First Lt. Champion joked with her husband and said using a twist on their name. "I am an expert now and not just a champion," she said.

Caravalho congratulated all the Soldiers during the graduation ceremony for completing the competition and now bearing the badge that is recognized the world over -"the Army's Expert Field Medical Badge."

"But the 90-plus individuals who may not be here, they need to be commended for their courage, too. They stepped up to the line and took on the challenge. It may not have been their day but I can assure you that sometime soon they will take on this challenge again and continue to strive for this badge," said Caravalho.

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