Photo By Jean Graves | Capt. Luke Tomaso (left) had his Expert Field Medical Badge pinned on by his wife...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. — Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital celebrated the achievements of four U.S. Army Medical Command Soldiers for earning the expert field medical badge Nov. 18 at the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Congratulations to Capt. Christopher Julian, occupational therapist, Capt. Luke Tomaso, veterinarian, Staff Sgt. Cameron Joyner, combat medic and Sgt. Jacob Phelps, licensed practical nurse on this outstanding achievement.
Established in 1965 as a special skill award, the EFMB recognizes the exceptional competence and outstanding performance by field medical personnel and is the most sought-after peacetime award in Army Medicine, according to the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence.
Earning the badge tests the professional competence and physical endurance of the Soldier Medic.
Col. Aristotle Vaseliades, BJACH commander, said the EFMB is a sign of excellence for Army Medicine.
“Earning the badge shows the Soldier is an expert in their field,” he said. “It serves as a visual representation to anyone the Soldier interacts with of their dedication to their craft. We currently have 13 EFMB badge holders at BJACH.”
Vaseliades said he and his senior enlisted advisor take professional development seriously.
“We want Soldiers to improve their skills technically, tactically or through institutional training before they leave our organization,” he said. “If there is a school Soldiers want to attend, we will try to make it happen. Last year we filled 122 slots for EFMB, Air Assault, Combatives, Master Fitness, Equal Opportunity, Battle Staff, Delayed Evacuation Management, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, and the Strategic, Medical Asset Readiness Training Program, just to name a few. We are proud of that accomplishment and look to expand on it this year.”
Capt. Christopher Julian is an occupational therapist and the company commander for the U.S. Army Medical Detachment at Fort Polk. This was his fourth attempt at the badge and a goal for more than 10 years.
“When I first learned of the badge in the basic officer leader course in 2012, I wanted to rise to the challenge and see if I could obtain the hardest badge in the Army,” Julian said. “Every part of this has been challenging. I mastered a piece of it at a time. Originally, land navigation was my biggest challenge, then the medical lane and finally the 12-mile ruck march. The entire EFMB process is challenging but I had to tackle each part, refine my skills and abilities over the last four years.”
Julian attributes his success to his wife, his unit and his leadership.
“Everyone in Army Medicine needs to attempt the EFMB,” he said. “It is an extremely challenging feat to go through it. Once you experience the EFMB and earn it, it changes how you perceive yourself. This is important, especially from a leadership perspective, to inspire trust and resiliency in your Soldiers for their success.”
Staff Sgt. Cameron Joyner, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Soldier Centered Medical Home, said earning the EFMB has always been his goal.
“My mother-in-law always informs me that she had her badge and wouldn’t let me live it down if I never achieved mine,” he said. “Earning EFMB is a career enhancer and shows that you have the attention to detail and will go the extra mile to set yourself apart from your peers.”
Joyner said earning the badge reminds him that he can do anything he sets his mind to.
“I absolutely encourage any medical Soldier to at least attempt the course,” he said. “It is a sure-fire way to set your career up for success. The worst thing that can happen is you get to go back and attempt it again.”
Sgt. Jacob Phelps, licensed practical nurse at BJACH, said earning the badge was a career milestone for him and credits his wife for seeing him through.
“The biggest challenge for me was my focus,” he said. “I'm moving and my household goods were being packed and loaded onto trucks to ship to my next duty station. My friends and family pulled together to support me in earning the badge, especially my wife April, who kept everything organized and stayed one step ahead of what we had to do for the move.”
Phelps said everyone should attempt to earn the EFMB.
“It instills in you an appreciation of what it means to be a Soldier, regardless of your military occupational specialty,” he said. “It provided a footprint of what a well- rounded Soldier should know.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Shavonda Devereaux, BJACH senior enlisted advisor, credits the medical company for preparing Soldiers for this recent EFMB Academy.
“They established and re-invigorated the train-up in January,” she said. “To date, we’ve had five out of 20 Soldiers who attempted earn the badge. This equates to 25 percent of those who competed, earning it.”
Devereaux said the importance of this badge is that it establishes and sets Soldiers apart. She said they endured rigorous physical and mental challenges while treating casualties and performing assessments on trauma and warrior lanes.
“Our Soldiers showed true grit and determination. They really wanted it and the results showed just that,” she said. “We are immensely proud of all the Soldiers who went out to challenge the badge. We are looking for future opportunities to give Soldiers who were unsuccessful a chance to compete for the badge at other installations.”
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2022 17:18 |
| Story ID: | 433836 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LA, US |
| Web Views: | 244 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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