YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea - With the sounds of propaganda songs coming from the woods near South Korea's Demilitarized Zone, 168 Soldiers trudged along a steep hill, beginning a journey only 20 would complete.
The Soldiers were candidates for the Expert Field Medical Badge, a two-week test of various medical skills. For these candidates, the final testing week ran Apr. 25-29. According to event graders, more often than not, those who attempt to earn the badge can't make the grade .
"This is my second try to earn the EFMB," said Pfc. Jeffery Doucet, 65th Medical Brigade. "Even though I'm quite aware of what they expect from me in this test, it doesn't get any easier because we still have to stick to the tough time schedule."
Since only about 10-20 percent of candidates Army-wide succeed in earning the EFMB, candidates must demonstrate superb competence and performance, said EFMB instructor Spc. Robert Perkins, 65th Medical Brigade.
EFMB has three combat testing lanes and each lane focuses on difference skills, Perkins said.
"Lane one deals with medical tasks whereas lane two is mostly about warrior tasks," Perkins said. "And lane three is muscle related ."
Perkins added that candidates are required to finish the three combat testing lanes along with day- and night-land navigation and a forced march with weight during the test week.
According to EFMB candidate Staff Sgt. Zachery Holder, 38th Field Artillery Brigade, candidates begin the test with a seven-day standardization period, during which candidates are introduced to expected performance measures for each of the tests.
Holder said that they have to take a written exam after they are shown the standard for each individual task. After the written test, candidates must perform hand-on tests at the combat testing lanes.
"It was actually more difficult than I thought," said Capt. Matthew Mellor, 65th Medical Brigade, of the test. "Not only did I have to memorize new skills for combat testing lanes, but I had to perform them perfectly under pressure."
Mellor said he wasn't familiar with a lot of the skills he needed for combat testing lanes since he is a dentist.
"Placing IVs and triaging patients. These are the ones that I hadn't got a chance to experience before," said Mellor. "So these lanes definitely required some medical skills that I hadn't learned back in my unit."
On the final day only 20 Soldiers had successfully made it to the final evaluation: a timed 12-mile ruck march.
Carrying at least 35 pounds of equipment inside their rucksacks, Soldiers were required to complete the march in less than three hours. Even with two weeks of demanding training completed, all 20 of the remaining candidates successfully completed the requirement.
"I feel relieved to be done," said Mellor. "The biggest challenge was to actually make it through the end."
Completing the training provided Mellor a chance to reflect upon his accomplishment and the value of the training.
"You don't get many good experiences like this where you actually get to go out and act out the scenarios," said Mellor. "Rounds firing, bombs blasting, triaging patients -- you have to perform your tasks perfectly while all the other things are going on."