1 00:00:01,019 --> 00:00:03,130 So it was when I was at uh the direct 2 00:00:03,130 --> 00:00:05,297 commissioning course . This is back in 3 00:00:05,297 --> 00:00:08,170 July 2022 . And one of the cadre , uh , 4 00:00:08,180 --> 00:00:10,659 he , combat medic , he had done a few 5 00:00:10,659 --> 00:00:12,715 deployments . And he had mentioned , 6 00:00:12,739 --> 00:00:15,210 yeah , EFMB , you know , it's very hard 7 00:00:15,210 --> 00:00:17,266 badge to get . There's only a select 8 00:00:17,266 --> 00:00:19,321 few that actually get it . When they 9 00:00:19,321 --> 00:00:21,321 first told me about the EFMB , they 10 00:00:21,321 --> 00:00:23,321 told me how difficult it was . They 11 00:00:23,321 --> 00:00:25,432 told me that most of the people don't 12 00:00:25,432 --> 00:00:27,488 get it on their first try , uh , and 13 00:00:27,488 --> 00:00:27,299 some of the people in the room , as a 14 00:00:27,299 --> 00:00:29,466 matter of fact , is currently on their 15 00:00:29,466 --> 00:00:32,049 4th try which um and cheers to their , 16 00:00:32,220 --> 00:00:35,700 to their perseverance . 3 , I've done 17 00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:38,930 EFMB 3 times . I've competed for The 18 00:00:38,930 --> 00:00:41,549 badge 4 times uh for the last best 19 00:00:41,549 --> 00:00:43,610 leader competition . I've taken the 20 00:00:43,610 --> 00:00:46,009 written test 6 times , like , 21 00:00:47,450 --> 00:00:51,330 It's just to the point where . I 22 00:00:51,569 --> 00:00:55,319 either get this badge , or I will never 23 00:00:55,319 --> 00:00:59,169 go for it again . And I don't want that . 24 00:00:59,439 --> 00:01:03,400 Yes , I tried once in 2020 . I tried 25 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,511 my first time in 2020 , then again in 26 00:01:05,511 --> 00:01:09,230 201 , and then again in 21 . Again in 27 00:01:09,230 --> 00:01:12,900 22 So I've , I've gone for the badge a 28 00:01:12,900 --> 00:01:15,122 couple of times already . So regardless 29 00:01:15,122 --> 00:01:17,289 if I get it this this time or if I get 30 00:01:17,289 --> 00:01:20,059 it in my 18th year in the army , I will 31 00:01:20,059 --> 00:01:22,115 continue to persist on obtaining the 32 00:01:22,115 --> 00:01:24,540 badge just because I want the badge . 33 00:01:25,519 --> 00:01:27,639 Medical maintenance is my job inside 34 00:01:27,639 --> 00:01:29,695 the army , but first of all , we are 35 00:01:29,695 --> 00:01:32,629 soldiers , we are in the military , so 36 00:01:32,879 --> 00:01:35,046 we need to be ready for everything and 37 00:01:35,046 --> 00:01:37,279 if I can help myself and help others in 38 00:01:37,279 --> 00:01:39,800 a combat scenario , I will try to do it . 39 00:01:39,879 --> 00:01:41,989 That's my main goal . 40 00:01:46,180 --> 00:01:50,019 I do see the difference in having a 41 00:01:50,019 --> 00:01:52,297 badge or not , right ? Not necessarily . 42 00:01:52,297 --> 00:01:54,297 It's , uh , it's , it's certainly a 43 00:01:54,297 --> 00:01:56,408 little bit of flags , but at the same 44 00:01:56,408 --> 00:01:58,660 time , the amount of challenges that 45 00:01:58,660 --> 00:02:01,180 one has to push through to be able to 46 00:02:01,180 --> 00:02:04,919 get such badge is somehow enormous , 47 00:02:04,980 --> 00:02:07,147 right ? So we have , we're gonna tie a 48 00:02:07,147 --> 00:02:11,059 knot and no slip one , not 49 00:02:11,059 --> 00:02:14,429 on the not on the spine . That 50 00:02:16,009 --> 00:02:17,953 Uh , the one that I'm most worried 51 00:02:17,953 --> 00:02:19,869 about is Seaburn , the chemical , 52 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,220 biological , radiological , and nuclear 53 00:02:22,220 --> 00:02:24,830 lane . Mostly because I don't do a 54 00:02:24,830 --> 00:02:26,997 whole lot of practice when it comes to 55 00:02:26,997 --> 00:02:29,309 sea burn . I don't really Mess around 56 00:02:29,309 --> 00:02:31,365 in that field too much , so it's the 57 00:02:31,365 --> 00:02:33,476 one that I'm feel the weakest and the 58 00:02:33,476 --> 00:02:35,642 most worried about . Um , the one that 59 00:02:35,642 --> 00:02:37,809 I saw a lot of people get taken out on 60 00:02:37,809 --> 00:02:40,330 was the sked , which is the ridless uh 61 00:02:40,330 --> 00:02:42,580 litter . That one was that one was a 62 00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:44,524 tough one too because of the , the 63 00:02:44,524 --> 00:02:46,691 steps they have to take to ensure that 64 00:02:46,691 --> 00:02:47,691 you get to go . 65 00:02:47,750 --> 00:02:51,190 22nd , 2nd cross . 66 00:02:51,410 --> 00:02:55,020 The TCCC lanes . Those are mostly 67 00:02:55,020 --> 00:02:57,660 where the soldiers fail , and that's on 68 00:02:57,660 --> 00:02:59,860 my mind . I wish I had more time on 69 00:02:59,860 --> 00:03:02,082 that before rolling in . It was my goal 70 00:03:02,082 --> 00:03:04,193 before going in that I'd know all the 71 00:03:04,193 --> 00:03:06,869 lanes . But I don't , so I know to just 72 00:03:06,869 --> 00:03:08,980 to put the nose to the grindstone and 73 00:03:08,980 --> 00:03:10,925 work a little harder while I'm out 74 00:03:10,925 --> 00:03:13,020 there . Pull this back up , chops . 75 00:03:17,610 --> 00:03:20,259 It's a lot . It's a lot of medical , 76 00:03:20,759 --> 00:03:23,759 and that's the part where , where you 77 00:03:23,759 --> 00:03:26,550 need to understand that one 78 00:03:27,259 --> 00:03:31,000 error that you do can cause the life of 79 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,944 others . As soon as I check before 80 00:03:43,059 --> 00:03:46,889 you open up the back . I was for 81 00:03:46,889 --> 00:03:50,139 like . It's good That was the first 82 00:03:50,139 --> 00:03:52,361 time you're you're like , no , that's a 83 00:03:52,361 --> 00:03:50,399 no go because you didn't say no , no . 84 00:03:50,410 --> 00:03:52,743 OK , I know my question to go back . Uh , 85 00:03:52,743 --> 00:03:50,550 for me , 86 00:04:02,970 --> 00:04:05,589 I feel like I owe it to myself after 87 00:04:06,250 --> 00:04:08,720 not taking it seriously the 1st 2 times 88 00:04:08,929 --> 00:04:10,818 and then the third time taking it 89 00:04:10,818 --> 00:04:13,529 seriously and , uh , coming up short . 90 00:04:14,509 --> 00:04:18,320 And then just The time people have 91 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,160 taken to cover my docs while I 92 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,640 was out or , um , allowing me to go and 93 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:27,362 train and do this stuff during 94 00:04:27,362 --> 00:04:29,799 lunchtime . Uh , I just , I feel like I 95 00:04:29,799 --> 00:04:33,000 owe it to myself and to , uh , some 96 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,056 other people that I feel that I have 97 00:04:35,056 --> 00:04:37,167 let down because I haven't gotten the 98 00:04:37,167 --> 00:04:36,989 badge yet . 99 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,959 Again , I am a an older bear , older 100 00:04:44,959 --> 00:04:47,670 than average bear , so it's That's in 101 00:04:47,670 --> 00:04:49,837 the back of my mind is , you know , is 102 00:04:49,837 --> 00:04:51,892 it gonna be a meniscal thing ? Is it 103 00:04:51,892 --> 00:04:51,709 gonna be a hip thing ? And of course , 104 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:53,583 I'm a physical therapist and I'm 105 00:04:53,583 --> 00:04:55,750 over-analyzing these things . Uh , but 106 00:04:55,750 --> 00:04:57,806 that stuff sits there in the back of 107 00:04:57,806 --> 00:05:00,540 the mind for sure , yeah . Ready ? Move . 108 00:05:01,140 --> 00:05:03,307 Uh , as a physical therapist , again , 109 00:05:03,307 --> 00:05:05,307 we can end up anywhere . So getting 110 00:05:05,307 --> 00:05:07,720 those skills from the EFMB that just 111 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,540 makes us more prepared . It's the army 112 00:05:10,540 --> 00:05:12,373 isn't always about just physical 113 00:05:12,373 --> 00:05:14,484 therapy from my perspective . There's 114 00:05:14,484 --> 00:05:16,651 other skills that we need to learn , a 115 00:05:16,651 --> 00:05:18,818 warrior tasks , being physically fit , 116 00:05:19,140 --> 00:05:22,459 etc . And I think that lies within that 117 00:05:22,459 --> 00:05:24,700 realm of not just PT but there's other 118 00:05:24,700 --> 00:05:27,459 things we need to do as soldiers and be 119 00:05:27,459 --> 00:05:29,681 prepared in the event of something does 120 00:05:29,681 --> 00:05:30,681 go wrong . 121 00:05:38,609 --> 00:05:39,429 you don't have to do it .