What do you think about having soldiers that fail the first part of testing stay to act as casualties, aggressors, KPs, force protection, and administrative duties? We seem to "reward" soldiers for failing by sending them home. SSG Pangracs didn't find out if he passed till the end...perhaps a motivating factor in itself???
1AD soldiers that had a seperate train-up on top of the pre test orientation/training week did worse than CORPS level soldiers that didn't attend the train-up but came motivated. Training is important...but without wanting the badge....

SSG Pangracs, might have been a little hard on you but I just wanted to let you know as a Test Control Officer for the EFMB I see first hand what works and doesn't work in earning the EFMB. It is vary rare that a soldier can earn the EFMB without a train-up. We as soldiers train prior to going to JRTC or NTC, train prior to a board, we train to the units metl, squad drills, platoon drills ect..Should it be different for the EFMB? I'll tell you that units that conduct train-ups have a higher pass rate and the numbers don't lie. I was at Ft Bragg and a soldier on the night land nav course was lost. He didn't have a clue! The soldier had never been on a land nav course before. His fault or the NCO'S in his units fault? The soldier was motivated, he wanted the badge but can we expect him to do well? Sometimes we are just to lazy to set up good quality training for our soldiers. I have been told and I believe that your soldiers are for the most part are a direct reflection of you.

1.SSG Pangracs I earned my EFMB in 1985 (Second try). It is vary rare that a PVT first time out earns the EFMB (only about 2%). The train-up is not mandatory. You need to read the regulation that covers the EFMB before you spout off at the mouth! You also state the standards have gotten "feminized"!!! The standards for the EFMB have changed once since you earned the BADGE and they have gotten harder not "feminized" as you put it!!! The EFMB has always been a "forum for Commanders" but the standards are enforced by NCO'S. If you or NCO'S around you don't know the standards and don't evaluate the candidate to standards then your the problem not the candidate.
2. The point you made about Commanders and Senior NCO'S not having the BADGE is that Leaders Lead from the front and yes not all the Branches within the Amedd push the EFMB. I have even heard CSM state that not having the badge would not hurt them when it came to promotion! Of course that CSM didn't have the EFMB. Yes having earned the BADGE leads to crediblity but you need really think about the soldiers below you. Each soldiers has strengths and weakness it up to you as a Leader to train them accordingly. By the way females have competed in the EFMC and I know one that two or three years ago placed second. Female soldiers have weaknesses just like male soldiers do! I know a few that will hump past your fanny on the 12 mile road march.
3. SSG Pangracs you have a responsiblity to train your soldiers! You would be the first one to chew your soldier out for not earning the BADGE first time out. What training did you conduct with the soldier. The Army is all about training, passing that knowledge that you have gotten thru years of training down to your soldiers. Your soldiers will do well if you train them well!!!
4. By the way if you want the Reg that covers the EFMB to change why don't you submit the request. You don't know what form to fill out and where to send it? You must be a "SLUG" as you put it!!! Come see me and I'll train you and GOD help your butt if you ever call a soldier a slug within earshot of me! Make em better soldiers and make em better medics.
   
SFC Mullis

AND DONT FORGET THAT WRITTEN TEST! TAKE AS MANY PRACTICE TESTS AS POSSIBLE AND STUDY THE SECTIONS YOU ARE WEAK IN!

TRAINING IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF PREPARING YOURSELF FOR THE EFMB. SSG PANGRACS COMES FROM AN ERA WHEN MAYBE EARNING THE EFMB WAS POSSIBLE WITHOUT A TRAIN-UP. YOU WOULD BE SHOOTING YOURSELF IN THE FOOT IF YOU DID AWAY WITH TRAIN-UP CONSIDERING THE WIDE VARIETY OF MOS'S AND UNITS THAT ATTEND THE EFMB TODAY. THE ARMY HAS CHANGED AND SO MUST THE WAY WE GO ABOUT PREPARING FOR THE BADGE. SSG PANGRACS SHOULD TEST UNDER TODAY'S STANDARDS ALONG SIDE OTHER CANDIDATES. ITS HARD TO STAY OBJECTIVE ABOUT THE EFMB WHEN YOU HAVE NOT TRULY EXPERIENCED TESTING IN NEARLY 18 YEARS. SOLDIERS COMING FROM TDA AND TOE ENVIRONMENTS HAVE VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON HOW AN EFMB SHOULD BE EXECUTED. FORTUNATELY WE HAVE THE TEST CONTROL OFFICERS LIKE SFC MULLIS TO KEEP THE STANDARD STRAIGHT.

COME WITH AN OPEN MIND AND BE PREPARED TO ADJUST YOUR BELIEFS AND STANDARDS TO THOSE OF THE PROCTORS.
THE BOTTOM LINE TO PREPARING FOR THE EFMB IS TO HAVE WELL GROUNDED KNOWLEDGE OF THE EQUIPMENT, TASKS, AND ENVIRONMENT YOU WILL BE TRAINING IN. COMMUNICATE WITH THE EFMB TEST BOARD PERSONNEL AT LEAST TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO ATTENDING THE EFMB. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT EQUIPMENT YOU WILL BE TESTING ON (I.E. DNVT, ANCD, WHAT MODEL OF SINCGARS, WHAT EVACUATION VEHICLES WILL BE TESTED) HAVE AT LEAST GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE FOOT MARCH COURSE OR TRAIN FOR THE WORST ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE. YOU SHOULD NOT COME TO THE EFMB IF YOU CAN NOT COMPLETE A 12 MILE ROAD MARCH IN 2 HOURS AND 50 MINUTES ON A FLAT ROAD COURSE WITH THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AND WEIGHT. YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH BET YOU WILL NOT BE COMPLETING THE FOOT MARCH UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS. COME IN SHAPE! YOU DONT WANT TO BE THE PERSON THAT COMPLETES THE ENTIRE TWO WEEKS OF TRAINING AND TESTING WITHOUT THE BADGE ALL DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU DID NOT PROPERLY PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE FOOTMARCH. TALK TO EXPERIENCED NCO'S AND OFFICERS THAT HAVE RECENTLY TESTED FOR THE BADGE BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY EXPERTS THREE YEARS AGO WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE EXPERTS TODAY. I SAY THIS BECAUSE OF THE NEW CHANGES TO THE STANDARDS IN DA PAM 40-20 FROM TC 8-100. PRACTICE PREPARING AND SENDING THE FIRST FIVE LINES OF A NINE-LINE MEDEVAC REQUEST USING PROPER RADIO PROWORDS AND PROCEDURES IN UNDER 25 SECONDS. DONT BLOW THIS ONE OFF, OR YOU WILL BE THE ONE THAT IS TESTING FOR IT AGAIN NEXT EFMB. KNOW EVERY TECHNIQUE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT LAND NAVIGATION AND USE THE ONE THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU AND THE ENVIRONMENT YOU ARE TESTING IN. PRACTICE CPR UNTIL YOU CAN DO IT IN YOUR SLEEP. DO NOT UNDER ESTIMATE EMT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CLINICAL BACKGROUND. IN MY OPINION, THE BADGE IS ABOUT 65% TRAINING, AND ABOUT 35% LUCK. FINALLY, STAY CALM AND FOCUSED AND MAYBE LUCK WILL PLAY ON YOUR SIDE.

Edited by author 12-07-2001 01:16 PM
I disagree with Mark Mullis. The EFMB has changed drastically since I earned mine as a Private (E-2) in 1984. Back then, there was no "training week". I was handed an EFMB study guide, packed-up my gear, and went. We did the APFT the first day, then tested for the rest of the week with the written test on that Wednesday. People who failed the maximum number of tasks went home, everyone else didn't find out if they passed the written portion until they crossed the finish lin of the 12-miler. Talk about pride in earning something! I was fresh out of AIT, and I tested on things I'd never even seen before (i.e., map symbols, setting-up a bivouac site on a sand table, landing a helicopter). Also, God forbid if you didn't have AT LEAST 40 pounds in your ruck sack!

There are very good reasons why I earned the badge as a fresh private with little experience.
 - First and foremost, because I had little experience, I didn't have time to develop "shortcuts" or the "real way" of doing things. This made following the steps in the study guide very easy, and I didn't have to "unlearn" everything.
 - Second, because there was no train-up week, the test proctors could NOT inject their own preferences, quirks, etc., into the training or testing. They had to follow the steps in the study guide EXACTLY. No "wiggle" room, no "optional" standards.
 - Third, even though I only had a vague idea of what the EFMB was when I went, I WANTED IT! If a soldier doesn't want it, they will not get it.

Here is my take on the current state of the EFMB. I feel I can comment on this, as I have participated in numerous EFMB's as an instructor:
1. Instituting a "mandatory" training week prior to the testing is a sham of a mockery of a sham! It totally subverts the spirit and intention of the badge, and opens the tasks up to "interpretation" by the proctors. In my opinion, the old way of "just come and test" should be reinstated. This would get rid of the slugs who are just there because they were ordered to, save money, and ensure the people who test are genuinely interested in earning the badge.
2. The EFMB has become a political forum for commanders and senior NCO's to show off. The number of VIP's who visit an EFMB site is incredible. I've seen more than 6 "photo ops" conducted by unit/battalion/brigade commanders during the testing portion, totally intruding on the actual conduct of testing! Sickening. Also, the FACT that many commanders and senior NCO's DO NOT have the EFMB, yet have the audacity to stand before a platoon or company of medics that they MUST attend EFMB, then kick back in their offices. Again, sickening.
3. The EFMB has been feminized to the point of an "EFMB Challenge" being created. What is this about?! Trying to find the "Best of the Best"? I have yet to see a female even compete in that! Why? Because it is more like the original EFMB than the bastardized version we have now. Someone figured we didn't have enough female EFMB recipients, 40 pounds was too much to carry, people were failing because it was too tough.

I could continue on with any number of opinions on this subject, knowing it will do no good.

In conclusion, let's do away with training week, develop stringent, coherent performance steps, and test. We would all save time, money, and be able to concentrate on the 91W fiasco (that's a whole other can of crapola).

Soldiers fail the EFMB because they don't recieve training at the Unit. The key to earning the EFMB is training for it. Motivation is important but when a soldier is trained and has confidence in the tasks he has been trained in he will do well. Commanders send soldiers out to night land nav and the soldier has never even been on a land navigation course before! "Do we really think the soldier will pass the course" Training is the key!!!

SFC Mullis EFMB Test Control Officer

Motivation is the single most important factor in earning this badge. Soldiers who are forced to attend testing NEVER come out with the badge. A strong statement, but true non-the-less. Soldiers should be forced to attend training and then must be counseled in writting when they decide to skip the testing but not forced to test.
It seems the average pass rate in Europe for the past two years is much less than that of CONUS, just under 10%.
I think it reflects the high optempo in Europe and perhaps the emphasis that medical training is getting in comparison to gunnery/CMTC/and KFOR-SFOR rotations.

The key to success then...soldiers with the badge need to be assigned to live in the field next to the soldiers going out for the badge-lead by example at the squad level. There is no other way around passing this difficult test of will and ability.
CPT Jon Ruwe

Edited by author 07-05-2001 03:30 PM
The EFMB is intended to recognize soldier medics who attain a high degree of professional skill and proficiency as a field medic. It rewards those who can expertly perform in a simulated combat environment, both soldier common tasks and medical tasks.


FY 00 EFMB Test Pass Rates
Overall EFMB Test Pass Rate- 18%

Written Test -66%
Day Land Navigation - 83%
Night Land Navigation - 63%
Communications - 78%
Survival - 94%
Emergency Medical Treatment -81 %
Evacuation - 89%
Litter Obstacle Course -97 %
CPR -85%
12 Mile Road March - 91%

FY 99 EFMB Overall Test Pass Rate - 21%

FY 98 EFMB Overall Test Pass Rate - 21%

18% of those who attempted to earn the EFMB were successful in FY 00. What can we learn from these individuals that can help the other 82% succeed on their next attempt.

Post your lessons learned at the EFMB.