European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday june 9, 1991the stars and stripes Page .3 non War infantry badges prove hard to come by by John Millar Wurzburg Bureau Schweinfurt Germany a surviving a trial by enemy fire for an infantryman Means earning the highest award they can pin on their uniforms. But Many foot soldiers consider the expert infantry badge the awards peacetime equivalent just As valuable and often harder to obtain. Spec. 4 Timothy Mccormick of cob 2nd in 15th inf has earned both the combat infantry badge the wartime Honor and the expert infantry badge. The 3rd inf div Soldier earned the peacetime Honor before going to the  the 24th inf div where he came under fire and earned the combat badge. He said Many in the infantry regard the peacetime expert fan try badge higher than a combat badge earned in the Gulf War a because there were a lot of others who went there and did no to see any  a a compared to Vietnam the Gulf War was a free lib for everyone except for the Guys who got hit a Mccormick said. To earn a combat infantry badge or lib a Soldier must perform Well As an infantryman while assigned to an infantry unit in a combat zone. Subsequently foot soldiers May be eligible for the badge for performing Well in a combat zone without Ever actually seeing or firing on the enemy. But soldiers gunning for the peacetime award must Complete a grueling five Day course consisting of 33 separate tasks a All of which they must pass said capt. Steve Sowell assistant training officer for the 3rd inf dives 1st brigade. His unit and members of the 1st army dives 1st brigade held expert infantry badge Eib testing for soldiers in units from the 3rd inf div and the 1st army div. Sowell said of the 1,600 to 1,700 infantrymen that would be tested for the badge Only about 10 percent would walk away with it. Mccormick said some soldiers who earned the combat badge in the Gulf have scoffed at taking the peacetime test. A a that a the wrong attitude to have a said staff sgt. Steven Terrell who with Mccormick tested soldiers on How Well they camouflaged themselves. And equipment. A you can get a lib by being in the right place at the right time. But you have to earn the  Sowell did no to want to downplay the fact that Gulf War veterans put their lives on the line but he added a a it a a lot harder to get an Eib than a cib.�?�. In the test soldiers must perform each step in tasks such As setting up mines and disassembling weapons in exact sequence using by the Book standards. Soldiers Are initially allowed to fail two of the tasks but must pass them again during the test period to get the Eib Sowell said. Failing three tasks disqualifies the Soldier until tests Are held again the next year. A unlike combat testing for the peacetime award leaves no margin for error. A either you can do it or you can to. Its pass or fail that a it a Sowell said. Some tasks Aje physically demanding such As a 12-mile forced Road March that infantrymen must Complete in three hours. At the end of the March each Soldier has four minutes to take apart his Rifle put it Back together and perform a functions Check. Another test had soldiers running and crawling 50 meters while being fired on by a sniper using the army a multiple integrated laser engagement sys tem. The system allowed the a a sniper to fire harmless laser pulses at soldiers which sounded an alarm when he hit his Mark. A fall of these things you can Only do by yourself a Sowell said about the tasks. A it puts you under pressure a Mccormick said. A you have to be Able to perform everything without getting brainlock.�?�. Another tester sgt. Chris Mackenzie of cod 5th in 5th inf said Many soldiers have put More Effort into expert infantry badge Type training since the Gulf War. A i think they took it for granted before a he said. A but now i think they take it More  they never know when  have to use  a a it a the most important thing an infantryman can receive a said come sgt. Maj. Henry Vance of the 1st brigade 3rd inf div. He said a Soldier who earns the Eib As Well As the combat award has an advantage when it comes to honors such As promotions because a obviously he has achieved something that the other Guys have  Cpl. Chad Cottrell has been an infantryman for he co 2nd in 15th inf in Schweinfurt for three years. He tried this past week for the badge for the third time in three years. A some people say its strength and some people say its endurance a Cottrell said about the key to earning the badge. A for me it will be sheer  he said he wanted to earn the badge because a an infantry Soldier is not an infantry Soldier without an Eib. Unless of course you have a  is amps John Millar pvt. 2 Albert Ravago of co. A 2nd in 15th inf 3rd inf div awaits word on whether he passed. Pvt. 2 Todd Mandley of he co 2nd in 64th Armor hits the turf to avoid simulated sniper fire. A amps John Millar 3 Usa eur by Janet Howells Tierney Washington Bureau fort Belvoir a. A after enduring almost five hours of mental tactical mane vering against a determined opponent thursday Andrew Rea found Solace in the fact that the consequences of losing would have been far less serious than those he had faced while in saudi Arabia. But the army sergeant won the. Chess match and. In the process a Chance to compete against other service members in the near future. A by comparison this was easy said Rea whose unit the 502nd military intelligence co 2nd army Cav regt in Nurnberg Germany deployed to saudi Arabia on dec. 8. A the physical and mental stress and the hours i worked during desert storm required that i focus my attention for a longer time a Rea said. He worked As a signal voice intercepted during the War but managed to fit in two chess matches with another Soldier during his time in the Sand. Reads unit returned april 24, just in time for him to join four other soldiers from Germany based units in the army chess championship which ran sunday through thursday. Three Usa eur soldiers including Rea captured slots on the army chess team which will compete against teams representing the air Force and sea services next week at the armed forces chess championship on Quantico Marine base a. Spec. John f. Langreck a linguist with co a 165th military intelligence in in Darmstadt Germany captured second place in the playoffs and sgt. Wade b. Regensberg a customs inspector with the 256th military police co 95th military police group in Hanau Germany took third place. Rea came in fourth. The top six players of the tournament which began with 12, made the army team. In the 11th and final round of play Langreck ended in a draw against the Overall Winner staff sgt Charles Crook of fort . Regensberg a last match also ended in a draw after nine moves against 2nd it. David hater from Seoul Korea. However Rea and his final opponent spec. Frank Arias Iii of the 177th personnel services co v corps from Schweinfurt Germany Drew a Large crowd and took 70 moves to Complete their match. Sgt. Darryl l. Coleman a Small engine repairman from has co 649th eng in 26th support group in Heidelberg Germany Wop has final match but missed making the army team by half a Point. Coleman beat pfc. Robert f. Griffin or. From fort Ord calif., son of col. Robert f. Griffin the Vii corps surgeon who Only recently returned to Germany from operation desert storm. The other two members of. The army team Are sgt. Robert l. Mcqueen of fort Meade md., and sgt. 1st class John t.  from fort Richardson Alaska. S