Photo By Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Bryson | A U.S. Army Soldier points to the Expert Soldier Badge (ESB); The ESB was just one of...... read more read more
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Fort Irwin, Calif.— U.S. Army Soldier Sgt. Steven Arriola, Headquarters and Headquarters Co. (HHC), U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Fort Irwin, paralegal, earned the prestigious Expert Soldier Badge (ESB) October 20, 2023, at Fritz Field, Fort Irwin, Calif.
Soldiers from all across Fort Irwin participated in the trio of testing that took place over the week, here, in order to take a shot at earning either the Expert Field Medical Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, or the Expert Soldier Badge, depending on their military speciality.
Graded events at Fort Irwin included marksmanship and weapons maintenance, patrols, a combat fitness test and a 12-mile ruck march with weight, among other challenging trials— all designed to be tough, realistic and mission focused.
First Sgt. Brian Samaniego, HHC, USAG Fort Irwin, ESB Cadre member and Expert Infantry Badge (EIB) wearer, praised Arriola’s stamina during training.
“There are no words to say how proud I am,” Samaniego said. “He was very committed and he showed a lot of drive and determination during training. He really deserved this.”
“Arriola was the only paralegal in the division to volunteer to come out for this and he is the only garrison Soldier that got awarded the badge today," Samaniego added, "He showed a lot of heart.”
Arriola, originally from Bakersfield, Calif., is the father of two children, and has been in the Army four and a half years; this was his first attempt at earning the ESB which demonstrates individuals’ abilities to perform skill level one warrior tasks and brigade commander-selected tasks.
Visibly tired from the morning’s arduous 12-mile ruck, but still smiling, Arriola said, “I am really proud, this was a great experience… but right now my legs feel like jelly.”
| Date Taken: | 10.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2023 16:31 |
| Story ID: | 457178 |
| Location: | FORT IRWIN, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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