By Gustave Rehnstrom
Winn Army Community Hospital Public Affairs Specialist
FORT STEWART, Ga. — On May 16, more than 60 Soldiers from units across Fort Stewart
participated in the Expert Physical Fitness Assessment, a key preparatory event for the
Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB).
The assessment, led by the Winn Army Community Hospital All Schools Team, brought
together Soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 14th Field Hospital, U.S.
Army Medical Department Activity–Fort Stewart (USA MEDDAC), Dental Health Activity
(DENTAC), and the Soldier Recovery Unit. The event supported a larger effort to enhance
individual Soldier performance and medical force readiness across the installation.
“This is necessary because it builds warfighter readiness,” said Maj. Jason Cha, chief of
pharmacy operations and officer in charge of the Winn All Schools Team. “It helps us
develop a capable medical team by reinforcing critical combat skills, including the ability to
shoot, move, and communicate.”
The assessment replicates conditions encountered in operational environments and serves
as a benchmark for Soldiers preparing for EFMB, as well as other qualification badges such
as the Expert Infantry Badge (EIB) and Expert Soldier Badge (ESB). Cha emphasized the
importance of early exposure to these standards.
“Whether participants meet the time requirement or not, the goal is for them to experience
the event to standard,” he said. “This allows them to identify areas for improvement ahead
of the formal evaluation in August.”
The training aligns with Department of Defense priorities focused on Total Force Fitness,
integrated joint force readiness, and sustained deployment capability. It also reflects a
collaborative training model that leverages personnel and expertise across commands.
1st Lt. Jessica Richards, brigade nurse for 2nd Brigade, partnered with the Winn All Schools
Team to support participation from her unit.
“We identified a gap in EFMB-qualified personnel within the brigade, so I coordinated with
Major Cha and his team to help close that gap,” Richards said. “This collaboration offers our
Soldiers a structured opportunity to train and improve, and directly contributes to overall
readiness.”
Richards noted that joint training initiatives such as this one mirror the operational
requirements of the modern battlefield.
“EFMB preparation fosters readiness and enables us to build cohesion across MEDCOM,
FORSCOM, and DENTAC,” she said. “These integrated efforts are essential to our mission.”
With more than 30 EFMB-qualified personnel on staff, Winn Army Community Hospital
serves as a regional leader in medical readiness training. Cha said the hospital remains
committed to enabling the success of Soldiers across the installation.
“Our team brings depth of experience and technical knowledge,” Cha said. “Supporting the
readiness of the broader force is part of our mission, and we take that responsibility
seriously.”
| Date Taken: | 05.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2025 15:21 |
| Story ID: | 498441 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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