Photo By Staff Sgt. John Couffer | Goliad, Texas native, Sgt. Ross Woods (left), and Pontiac, Mich. native Michael...... read more read more
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CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - In 1944 Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall initiated the development of an award to honor the U.S. Army Infantryman. A badge designed to represent the U.S. Infantry’s resilient, hard hitting role in combat and symbolize proficiency in the “Arts of Infantry.” Today, almost seven decades later two soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, embarked on a tradition-filled journey to obtain the Expert Infantryman Badge.
Staff Sgt. Michael Roggero and Sgt. Ross Woods of A Company, Stallions, endured a whirlwind event entailing seven days of training and testing before earning the Expert Infantryman Badge, Jan. 27. Both soldiers successfully completed three different lanes, each consisting of 10 different tasks that tested a combination of fundamental skills outlining the “Infantry Arts.”
The “Infantry Arts” consisted of tasks such as: land navigation (day and night), loading, unloading and performing a functions check on a M240B Machine Gun, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, MK 19 40mm grenade launcher and the Army Physical Fitness Test, scoring at least 75 points on each of three events. These are just a few of the 30 tasks required during this grueling training event.
Graders used three categorical lanes to test each level of proficiency: the Patrol Lane, Traffic Control Point Lane and an Urban Lane. Of the three scenario-based lanes, both Roggero and Woods attest to the Patrol Lane as being the lane they found to be the most challenging.
Woods thought that the Patrol Lane was the most time consuming of all three.
“You have to know these tasks, there’s no guessing and hoping you get it right,” he said.
The pressure that is placed on the soldier to succeed can be an easy distraction, Roggero explained.
“You get easily caught in the moment and begin to almost forget basic tasks like map reading and identifying terrain features.”
Roggero, a native of Pontiac, Michigan and summer 2010 graduate of Ranger School, described the training as one of the hardest checks on learning he has ever endured.
“During most checks on learning scenarios it’s centered around the team concept which sometimes allows for those who really haven’t grasped the learning material to slip through the cracks. But during the EIB Training, it’s just you, the grader and your one chance to succeed or fail,” said Roggero.
After returning from leave to train for only two and a half days for one of the Army’s most challenging training exercises, Roggero and Woods earned their EIBs; a triumph many others attempted but were not as successful.
These soldiers did not see the limited time to prepare for the high-paced training as a hindrance to their goal of earning the EIB. This goal has been etched in their minds since the early years of their careers as infantrymen.
Both soldiers successfully completed all tasks in true professional fashion by exceeding all standards. Woods, a native of Goliada, Texas, completed the 12-mile road march within two hours and ten minutes, falling well under the three-hour allotted time.
Joking, Woods stated, “The ruck march was the easiest event. You get time to yourself to just breathe without having to stand in formation for hours on end or someone right behind yelling out how your time is almost up.”
When asked how they made it through the training, Woods said, “We relied heavily on each other and just went with our gut instinct.”
“The soldiers of the 1/34th Heavy Brigade Combat Team that we went through the training with were very helpful, especially during the range estimation task; something I had never done before,” said Roggero.
Relying on each other and being able to persevere no matter the adversity is not only one of the principles that defines the character of an Army Infantryman, but it provides further gratification to their company motto of “I Am My Brother’s Keeper.”
The tradition and prideful esteem that is associated with the EIB is as rich as ever within Stallion soldiers as the majority of the battalion will endure the same training as Roggero and Woods in pursuit of their EIB at the end of March.
“If you don’t have an EIB you don’t have nothing,” words that Roggero mocked his Drill Sergeant saying when he was a young private in basic training, and words of wisdom Roggero has passed down to his follow soldiers.
| Date Taken: | 01.27.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.03.2012 09:21 |
| Story ID: | 83280 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 326 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Stallions earn Expert Infantryman Badge, by 2LT Brittany Myatt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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