Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Matthew | Spc. John Cimms, senior medic for D Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - The candidate patrolled a beaten path when suddenly a roadside bomb detonated. Under fire, he crawled to a soldier wounded by the blast and started performing first aid. Next, the candidate carried the soldier into a building and secured the site before performing first aid on multiple other victims inside the building.
This was one part of a sequence of tests that the paratroopers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, had to pass to earn the Expert Field Medical Badge at Fort Bragg, N.C., on April 29 - May 4.
The EFMB is a series of tests that combine basic paratrooper skills, such as the Army Physical Fitness Test and land navigation, with medical tests. Only soldiers who have a Military Occupational Skill that falls within the medical field can test for the EFMB. It is a very prestigious badge in the medical field, due to the tests of difficulty.
The 2BCT sent all medics who qualified for testing to the two-week course. During the first week, the candidates practiced various tasks they would be tested on, including performing aid while wearing the Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology. The JSLIST is used to protect paratroopers under a Chemical or Biological attack. The candidates were also tested on providing care under fire, performing medical aid in a mass causality situation, and treating a variety of injuries that they might encounter on the battlefield. The candidates had to memorize medical terms, the proper names and uses for medicines used by medics, while also passing a written exam.
At the beginning of the testing, there were almost 200 candidates from Fort Bragg and other Army installations, but by the end of the 12-mile road march, less than 50 had passed all the qualifications to earn the EFMB. The 2BCT sent 46 medics to test, and 14 earned their EFMB.
The 2BCT recently returned from deployment to Operation New Dawn, and is training to assume the mission as the Forcible Entry component of the nations Global Response Force; ready to deploy anywhere in the world on a short notice to accomplish any mission. EFMB training and testing is one way to ensure the medics assigned to the 2BCT are prepared for any mission.
The awards ceremony was held after the 12-mile road march. The guest speaker, Sgt. Maj. Samuel J. Suslik, United States Army Forces Command chief medical non-commissioned officer, personally awarded the top three candidates with their EFMB. The top three candidates were those who completed the road march with the fastest time, received the highest score on the written exam and earned the highest score overall.
“It was really hard, but I am glad that I made it,” said Spc. John Cimms, senior medic for D Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2BCT, and a native of Aurora, Colo. This was Cimms’ first time testing for the EFMB due to the Brigade’s recent deployment in support of Operation New Dawn. “All the training and real-life experience I have received has helped prepare me for these tests.”
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2012 17:24 |
| Story ID: | 88179 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Hometown: | AURORA, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 344 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Passing the test: 2nd Brigade medics earn the Expert Field Medical Badge, by SFC Ryan Matthew, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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