Expert Infantryman Badge
The Expert Infantryman Badge, or EIB, is a special skills badge of the
United States Army. Although similar in name and appearance to the Combat
Infantryman Badge (CIB), it is a completely different award. The CIB is
awarded to infantrymen for participation in ground combat while the EIB is
presented for completion of a course of testing designed to demonstrate
proficiency in infantry skills.
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. 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, the CIB has
precedence according to Army Regulation 670-1. A similar badge exists for
medical personnel, known as the Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB).
