Army Asks for More 'Lethal' Force on 244th Birthday, Reveals New Badge
For its 244th birthday, the U.S. Army is asking for one thing — improved “readiness” and “lethality” across the board in its soldiers.
To get there, it was officially announced Friday that a new commendation in soldiering skills and expertise will soon be available for those not identified as Special Forces, general infantrymen or combat-medics.
Named the Expert Soldier Badge, the Army revealed its new “proficiency badge” Friday with a post on Twitter and a statement on its website.
They say the badge is “designed to improve lethality, recognize excellence in soldier combat skills and increase individual, unit and overall Army readiness” by giving soldiers unable to qualify for the Expert Infantry and Field Medical Badges a top-of-the-line recognition for which to strive.
#DYK the Army released the Expert Soldier Badge on its 244th #birthday? Soldiers who excel in physical fitness, marksmanship and warfighting tasks can qualify for the badge.
Read about the ESB here: https://t.co/F5awTQ0nq1
Also visit Army Uniforms here: https://t.co/4q17yHuyeu pic.twitter.com/LSd3lSWrV7
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) June 14, 2019
As of yet, standards for receiving the badge have not been finalized, but it is known that the first qualifying tests will begin in “early fiscal year 2020,” according to the Army’s statement.
Initial regulations maintain that the standard for receiving the badge will not change based on “age, gender or any other criteria” and will be as challenging to earn as its Infantry and Field Medical counterparts.
“The badge will recognize a Soldier’s mastery,” Gen. Stephen J. Townsend of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command said. “And it will be just as tough to earn as the EIB and EFMB because the Soldier will have to demonstrate fitness, weapons proficiency, navigation and warrior task skill at the expert level.”
Before being able to take the test, soldiers will be required to pass the Army Combat Fitness Test, qualify as “Expert” marksmen with standard issue M4 or M16 rifles and “be recommended by their chain of command.”
From there, the five-day test will commence. Soldiers will be required to navigate challenging terrain during the day and at night, take another ACFT, complete a 12-mile march and undertake various “warrior tasks” that may include explosive attack response, contaminated materials response and other tasks as chosen by their commanding officers.
These tests will be graded on a pass-fail, “go” or “no-go” basis with room for error on a task or two.
But after mixed responses from servicemen to the badge’s announcement last year, Army officials want to be clear that this is no participation medal — it is meant for the best of the best.
“It’s to find out who is the top 1 percent or 2 percent across the board,” Command Sergeant Major Edward W. Mitchell of the Center for Initial Military Training told Army Times.
“This is not a badge to award so that the entire Army now has an ‘expert’ badge to wear,” Command Sergeant Major Timothy A. Guden said. “As it is now, not every Infantryman or Special Forces Soldier earns the EIB and not every medic earns the EFMB.
“Keeping with the same mindset, this is a badge to award to those who truly deserve recognition as an expert in their career field; for those who have achieved a high level of competence and excellence in their profession,” he said.
Those behind the decision are not the only U.S. military figures to argue that this type of commendation opportunity will improve soldiers’ performances across the board.
In fact, retired Lieutenant General Thomas Spoehr told Washington Examiner that soldiers are hardwired to seek recognition.
Spoehr cited Napoleon’s belief that “soldiers will fight long and hard for a piece of colored ribbon” and said this type of accolade will work wonders in improving readiness among soldiers not included in Special Forces, infantry and combat medicine.
“It gets to the point that a soldier puts inordinate value on being recognized. This thing will probably cost like a dollar to make, but yet it will drive all kinds of higher levels of performance,” he said.
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