Expert Infantryman Badge
The Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) is a special skills badge of the United States Army.
| Expert Infantryman Badge | |
|---|---|
U.S. Army Expert Infantryman Badge | |
| Type | Special Skill Group 1 Badge |
| Presented by | United States Army |
| Eligibility | Recipient must meet Department of the Army-established testing requirements and must possess a military occupational specialty within Career Management Field 11 (Infantry) or 18 (Special Forces), less MOS 18D. |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | November 11, 1943 |
| First awarded | March 29, 1944 |
| Last awarded | On going |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Combat Action Badge |
| Equivalent | Expert Field Medical Badge Expert Soldier Badge |
| Next (lower) | Expert Field Medical Badge |
| Related | Combat Infantry Badge and Combat Medic Badge |
The EIB was created with the CIB by executive order in November 1943 during World War II. Currently, it is awarded to U.S. Army personnel who hold infantry or special forces military occupational specialties with the exception of soldiers with the occupational specialty of Special Forces Medical Sergeant (18D). To be awarded the EIB, the soldier must complete a number of prerequisites and pass a battery of graded tests on basic infantry skills.
Personnel who have been awarded both the EIB and the CIB are not authorized to wear both badges simultaneously. In such cases, Army Regulations allow the recipient to choose which badge is worn. A similar badge exists for medical personnel, known as the Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB). In 2017, talks about a similar badge were being discussed for soldiers without the occupation of infantry, medical, or special forces were put on the table and in 2019 the army established the Expert Soldier Badge for soldiers who do not qualify for both the EIB and EFMB.
The EIB is a silver and enamel badge, consisting of a 3-inch-wide (76 mm) rectangular bar with an infantry-blue field upon which is superimposed a Springfield Arsenal Musket, Model 1795. Although similar in name and appearance to the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), it is a completely different award. While the CIB is awarded to infantry soldiers for participation in ground combat, the EIB is presented for completion of a course of testing designed to demonstrate proficiency in infantry skills.