The Army on Friday announced its new Expert Soldier Badge to commemorate its 244th birthday, the latest in a series of efforts to improve the combat effectiveness of its troops.
The new badge, which features a frag grenade and combat knife inlaid on a silver bar, will be awarded to soldiers who pass a rigorous test that examines their physical fitness, marksmanship, and other soldier-related tasks. The Army has aimed to improve the readiness of its soldiers in recent years, after nearly two decades of constant deployments across two wars took a toll on the force.
“The ESB will be an important component of increasing Soldier lethality and overall readiness to help achieve the vision for the Army of 2028,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey in a statement.
The Army’s vision for 2028 involves preparing the force to take on near-peer threats like China and Russia, in addition to the unconventional threats it has faced for nearly 20 years. The new badge will be the equivalent of the Expert Infantry Badge and Expert Field Medical Badge, which are awarded only to infantry and medical personnel. The Expert Soldier Badge will be open to soldiers outside the infantry, special forces, and medical career fields. Most Army soldiers do not serve in these fields, and were therefore previously ineligible for an expert badge.
“The EIB and EFMB have supported the Infantry and medical fields with distinction, ensuring Soldiers maintain critical skills, while recognizing the very best among them,” said Dailey. “The ESB will achieve the same for the rest of the Army.”
To qualify, soldiers must pass the Army’s new Army Combat Fitness Test, qualify as “expert” on their rifle, and receive a recommendation from their chain of command. The test for the badge will consist of another fitness test, a day and light land navigation test, a 12-mile march, and stations that test skills, including how to react to an improvised explosive attack, marking contaminated areas, and constructing fighting positions, among others. The station tasks will be chosen by the soldier’s brigade commander based on the unit’s mission.
“Napoleon … said soldiers will fight long and hard for a piece of colored ribbon,” retired Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr told the Washington Examiner. “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.”
Aside from the pride associated with such a decoration, Spoehr noted it could also have a positive impact on recruiting. The Army missed its recruiting numbers last year, and is trying to entice potential recruits with enlistment bonuses and a new ad campaign.
Soldiers will be eligible to test for the Expert Soldier Badge in late 2019 or early 2020.
