Spanish soldiers receive a coveted United States Army infantry badge

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Between 27 October and 7 November, several non-commissioned officers from the Parachute Brigade 'Almogávares' VI (BRIPAC) of the Spanish Army attended a course provided by the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the United States Army (popularly known by the nickname "Sky Soldiers"), based at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza (Italy), a unit that has considerable contact with the Spanish Armed Forces.

This course provides certification in one of the skills provided by the US Army in its training, symbolized by a coveted silver and blue enamel badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB).

This badge, which features the image of a Springfield Arsenal Model 1795 musket, was instituted in 1943 to recognise infantry and special operations specialties. The first badges were awarded in March 1944, during World War II. Below these lines we can see a Spanish soldier from the BRIPAC in the recent EIB course in Italy. On his right arm he wears the Sky Soldiers patch, surely a gift from his American colleagues.

The EIB training course is tough. Applicants must pass a series of grueling physical tests (including a 19-kilometer forced march with an assault rifle and full equipment), a land navigation course, proficiency with a variety of weapons (from assault rifles to mortars to Browning M-2 heavy machine guns), as well as skills in first aid, communications, camouflage, etc.

U.S. Army contingents overseas often invite soldiers from allied countries to take part in these courses. The recent course provided by the 173rd Airborne Brigade featured applicants from Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

This is not the first time that Spanish soldiers, specifically from the BRIPAC, have attended this course. In fact, Spanish soldiers who have already obtained the EIB have participated in this training process by helping their colleagues. These two images show Spanish soldiers from the BRIPAC receiving the EIB in February 2018.

This Friday, the US Army published a video interviewing several Spanish soldiers who have participated in the recent EIB course in Italy. In it, they recount their experience in this training process:

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Photos / video: U.S. Army.