Photo By Master Sgt. Miriam Espinoza | Pfc. Ryoma Nichols a medic with 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade,...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – This year’s Expert Field Medical Badge competition for fiscal ended with 42 medics achieving the elite badge April 17.
The EFMB is a Department of the Army special skill award for recognition of exceptional competence and outstanding performance by field medical personnel.
The certification began with 294 candidates on April 5. The final count of candidates certifying in every event and earning the EFMB was only 42 making it a 14 percent pass rate for this year’s competition.
The two-week event requires candidates to pass three combat testing lanes that challenged candidates on warrior skills, medical and casualty evacuation, night and day land navigation, tactical combat casualty care, communication tasks and a road march.
Each lane consisted of up to 20 events to test their knowledge and ability to react in a stressful environment. The final test required the candidates to finish a 12-mile road march in less than three hours.
According to the U.S. Army Medical Department the EFMB test is the utmost challenge to the professional competence and physical endurance of the soldier medic. It is the most sought after peacetime award in the medical community, the EFMB is undoubtedly the "portrait of excellence" in the Army all of the time.
The youngest candidate to complete all tasks and earn the EFMB this year was Pfc. Ryoma Nichols a medic with 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Within 18 months of being in the Army Nichols has earned something that less than 10% of Army medics achieve.
“It’s an honor to receive the EFMB, but this was no competition we all worked together as a team,” Nichols said.
After one week of certification and one week of testing the remaining candidates crossed the finish line at Cowan Stadium April 17. Sgt. Drew Evans, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, was the first candidate to finish the road march. He crossed the finish line at two hours and 13 minutes. With a look of exhaustion he walks over to dump his 35-pound rucksack to account for all the equipment he began the march with.
All candidates must finish with what they started with or they will be automatically disqualified.
“It feels great, but it was more of a team effort so I feel very blessed to have a great chain of command, sponsors and battle buddies, I am glad to have the team that I have,” said Pfc. Eric Loredo, medic, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. “It was 120 hours of grueling work, but you get through it and in the end it’s definitely worth it. “Stick to your battle buddies, help them and let them help you.”
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2014 16:30 |
| Story ID: | 126943 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 330 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Medics achieve ultimate award for competence, by MSG Miriam Espinoza, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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