E3B Training & Earning: Dogface Edition
What is E3B?
The Expert Infantryman Badge was created in 1944 by the Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall in order to honor the U.S. Army Infantryman and serve as a symbol of their role in combat and proficiency in the Infantry arts. A symbol of tradition for the U.S. Infantry and the vital role they play in the defense of our nation, the EIB infers proficiency and prestige on those who attain it. The Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, continuously updates the rules and regulations behind the test to ensure that standards remain high and to include new events to keep pace with an ever-changing Army and an ever-present threat.
The Expert Field Medical Badge was established in 1965 for all officers, warrant officers and enlisted personnel in the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Corps as a method to show their high level of proficiency on the battlefield. Based on V Corps' medical proficiency training, the test grew from 2 1/2 day events to the modern competition, pushing medical personnel to their limits to show their competence, proficiency and physical endurance. It is the most sought after peacetime award in the AMEDD Corps, and serves as a distinct honor alongside the Combat Medical Badge earned in wartime.
The Expert Soldier Badge, established in 2019 on the Army's 244th Birthday, the badge is meant to highlight the Soldier's lethality and preparedness outside the Infantry, Special Operations and Medical branches. The testing is designed close to the EIB and EFMB qualifications, and serves to evaluate a Soldier's knowledge, conduct and physical preparedness in combat. An Expert Soldier Badge allows Soldiers, officer and warrant officers that serve in nearly any military occupational specialty to show their skill.
All three of these badges are highly competitive, with pass rates often at or below 20% of their group size. With hundreds of competitors, only a select few meet every challenge and earn the right to wear the badge.
So you want to practice E3B in the United States Army but can’t figure out how to practice it because you’re on an additional duty assignment or you’re in a unit that doesn’t have access to all the equipment. Here’s what we can do.
Phone Apps
The first thing you can do is install EIB Pro from the phone store. Completely free of charge.
Weapons, Medical, Patrolling all on it to practice with. Obviously you won’t have the actual tools in hand, but you can memorize the instructions for each along with videos of each task.
Video Games
So you got the App but need more hands on. Okay too easy. ARMA 3 has a few realistic mods and gameplay that can simulate real-world tasks from the E3B lanes.
LANDNAV on Steam: The ultimate land navigation game that has actually just been recently released. Get your hands on in this several thousand times so you can be good on the real world!
Gunsmith Simulator on Steam. As close to the weapons lane for E3B as possible with reassembling and disassembling for each weapon you can think of.
Task Force Radio Mod for ARMA 3. A mod that let’s you utilize radio equipment and practice with them in-game.
KAT Advanced Medical mod for ARMA 3. A mod that tries its best to be a video game version of TCCC.
NOTES:
ARMA 3 is $29.99
LANDNAV is $24.99
Gunsmith Simulator is $15.99
The Actual E3B Handbook
Nothing can go wrong with doing the OG way of training with the official E3B handbook. Search on milsuite for any handbook through either the official E3B committee or any unit that is doing E3B soon. You can also search on Facebook groups for prep groups. Prep groups always post PDFs of their unit handbooks.
Methods of Studying
Below are a few ways of studying
Shadow Boxing - Move your hands like you’re manipulating a weapon or touching a casualty. You will look like some necromancer summoning the dead, but it will help when you actually do the tasks.
Say it As You Do it - Repeat the instructions while performing the task. This ensures you don’t skip a step.
Pomodoro Technique - Pick a task, set a 25 minute timer or keep a tab of when you do 5-10 repetitions. After each iteration, take a 5 minute break. After 4 pomodoros, take a longer 15-30 min break.
Leitner System - Focus on the ones you struggle with by repeating repetitions of them while putting the ones you do know in the back burner. The ones you know, practice once or twice a week. The ones you don’t know, practice every day or every other day.
Flowtime Technique - AMRAP repetitions until you get tired. Take a break of usually 5-10 minutes. Repeat repetitions again.
Flow State - Get in the zone to ensure your brain and body stay studying. How to enter the flow state.
Meditation - Clear your mind so that you can better concentrate. Use mindfulness or movement-based meditation so that you have a better mood overall and can work more.
