101st Airborne Soldiers earn honors at above Army-wide rate

Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division recently completed Expert Infantryman Badge and Expert Soldier Badge training and testing, during which the division performed above the Army-wide benchmark for both awards.

Officials with Post Public Affairs say the 101st Airborne’s ESB pass rate was 25 percent. Army-wide pass rates hover between 12 to 18 percent.

EIB pass rates also outperformed the average, at 27 percent.

The division’s 1st and 2nd Brigade Combat Teams trained and tested for the awards in November and December and Thursday was the final day of testing.

Sgt. First Class David Campbell is the planning noncommissioned officer-in-charge for 2nd Brigade’s events and says, “For the Soldiers earning the EIB or the ESB, it helps them stand apart from their peers. Junior Soldiers will take the skills they practiced and be able to apply them throughout their careers.”

The EIB and ESB are voluntary honors which Soldiers can attempt to earn through a rigorous, hands-on training and testing process. The tests are conducted by units across the Army, with oversight from professional teams who ensure standards are uniform.

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