The Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB) is a United States Army special skills badge first created on June 18, 1965. This badge is the non-combat equivalent of the Combat Medical Badge (CMB) and is awarded to U.S. military personnel and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military personnel who successfully complete a set of qualification tests including both written and performance portions.
U.S. Army regulations prohibit the wearing of both the Expert Field Medical Badge and Combat Medical Badge simultaneously. In such cases, the CMB if authorized, is worn on the uniform. The infantry equivalent of the Expert Field Medical Badge is the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB).
The pass rate for FY 2013 was 19%, making the EFMB one of the most difficult and prestigious Army special skill badges to earn.
Comprehensive Written Test
60 multiple choice questions; 75% to pass.
Army Physical Fitness Test
Pass to standard.
M16 or M4 Weapons Qualification
Pass to standard within last 12 months.
Land Navigation
Day and night land navigation courses.
Forced Road March
12-mile road march with a standard fighting load to be completed in under three hours.
Current CPR certification
Tactical Combat Casualty Care Tasks
Perform a TCCC patient assessment
Triage casualties
Control bleeding using a tourniquet, hemostatic device, and dressings
Initiate a saline lock and IV
Initiate treatment for hypovolemic shock & prevent hypothermia
Insert nasopharyngeal airway
Treat a penetrating chest wound
Perform needle chest decompression
Treat an open abdominal wound
Treat a casualty with an open head injury
Immobilize a suspected fracture of the arm
Treat eye lacerations/contusions/extrusions
Medical and Casualty Evacuation Tasks
Evacuate a casualty using a SKED litter and litter carries
Evacuate casualties using one- or two-person carries or drags
Extricate a casualty from a vehicle
Establish a helicopter landing point
Load casualties onto a helicopter, ground evacuation platform, and two nonstandard vehicles
Warrior Skills Tasks
Protect self from chem/bio contamination with protective mask
Decontaminate self with chemical decon kits
Protect self from CBRN injury or contamination with JSLIST gear
Store protective mask
Protect self from bio/chem contamination when removing JSLIST
Perform self-aid for mild nerve agent poisoning
Correct malfunction of M16 or M4
Disassemble, assemble, and perform functions check of an M9 pistol and an M16 (or M4) rifle
Move under direct fire, react to indirect fire, and react to an UXO or possible IED
Move over, through, and around obstacles
Communications Tasks (5 Tasks)
Assemble and operate SINCGARS or SINCGARS (ASIP) w/o ANCD
Load FH/COMSEC data and conduct radio check using SINCGARS / SINCGARS (ASIP)
Prepare and Transmit a MEDEVAC request (All 9 lines) (No longer a Mandatory GO)
Submit an NBC 1 Report
Submit an Explosive Hazard Spot Report
Comprehensive Written Test
100 multiple choice questions; 75% to pass.
Army Physical Fitness Test
Pass to standard.
M16 Weapons Qualification
Pass to standard within last 12 months.
Land Navigation
Day and night land navigation courses.
Forced Road March
12-mile road march with a standard fighting load to be completed in three hours.
Litter Obstacle Course
Done as a 4-man team with candidates graded individually.
Lane testing
Tasks graded individually but lanes are pass/fail.
Communications: Competency with field radios and radio techniques. "Prepare and transmit a MEDEVAC request" must be one of the three of four tasks passed in order to receive an overall "GO" for the lane.
Survival: Demonstrate knowledge of survival skills in an NBC environment and combat situations including use of the M16 series rifle.
Emergency Medical Treatment: Demonstrate treatment of various wounds similar to those in a combat situation.
Evacuation of Sick and Wounded: Demonstrate evacuation techniques utilizing vehicles and manual carries.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Demonstrate proficiency in CPR using the one-person method.
In summary, current requirements differ from previous requirements with the addition of the M9 Pistol for survival tasks, CPR card certification in lieu of demonstrating CPR proficiency, and the reorganization of the lanes into a combat scenario. [4]
