U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command will host the fourth State of NCO
Development Town Hall on March 30, 2017. This is the final installment for the
town hall discussions. This town hall will focus on the third line of effort in the
NCO 2020 Strategy- Stewardship of the Profession, including topics on Expert
Action Badge, Occupational Physical Assessment Test, having strong
communication skills and more.

The Expert Action Badge (EAB) will be very similar to the Expert Infantryman
Badge (EIB) and the Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB). If approved, The Army
could authorize the badge by 2019.

The EAB will be for every soldier who’s not an infantryman or medic, Candidates
will be tested on warrior tasks and battle drills (WTBD) in a training event similar
to what soldiers must complete for the EIB and EFMB.

The Army is scheduled to run a pilot at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington
this April to test Soldiers on the Expert Action Badge. The badge and testing,
must receive final approval from the chief of staff of the Army and Army secretary.

As for the badge itself, CSM Davenport said the early-stage concept for the Expert
Action Badge will still have the bayonet and fragmentation grenade found on a
Combat Action Badge, but there won’t be a wreath.