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).