The green pen dangling from the clipboard in Sgt. 1st Class Michael Bailey's left hand would be used to determine if 2nd Lt. Limwell Mangrubang would earn his Expert Infantry Badge (EIB).

Every so often, Bailey took the pen in hand and wrote something down.  Most of the time, however, the pen dangled.

"How much time do I have?" the lieutenant asked.

"Eleven minutes, thirty-nine seconds," the sergeant replied.

That meant Mangrubang had 3 minutes and 21 seconds to finish providing first aid to a wounded Soldier, clearing his weapon and securing a radio.

The pen continued to dangle, and the young officer finished his lane in the allotted time of 15 minutes.

Mangrubang was a step closer to earning the coveted EIB. Of the approximately 900 Soldiers serving with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, he was one of about 80 Soldiers remaining after three days' worth of challenges to earn the badge.

Introduced by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Marshall, the EIB is a way for an infantryman to demonstrate mastery in his job tasks and skills. Earning the badge is a high honor among infantrymen.  About 10 percent of candidates earn the badge.

"It's been pretty good, pretty intense," Mangrubang, who is assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, said.  "The training has been great."

Prior to beginning the evaluation, Soldiers had to qualify as expert on the M4 rifle, pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and successfully complete both land and night navigation.

With those three tasks completed, the remaining Soldiers next proceeded through three testing lanes - traffic control point (TCP), urban scenario and patrolling - where they were evaluated on 33 individual tasks.

On each lane, the Soldiers had to successfully complete eight of 10 tasks in a specified amount of time to receive a "go."  The slightest mistake could result in a "no go" and the end of a Soldier's desire to earn the badge.

"I missed a small thing," PV2 Carlos Funes, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, said as he readied a M240B machine gun for the next candidate. "But I will keep practicing, and I will earn the badge the next time."

The lanes reflect the Stryker brigade's mission.

"We're not just going through the motions," Sgt. 1st Class James Griffith, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, explained.

"There is a very practical application of the EIB challenges and the mission we are tasked to do."

With those 36 tasks behind them, the last challenge was a 12-mile march with combat gear.  The march had to be completed in three hours.

Meanwhile, Bailey had now picked up the green pen and begun to jot something down about Mangrubang's handling of calling for a medical evacuation of a wounded Soldier.

A moment later, Bailey said, "You're good."

Mangrubang smiled.

"Now, I've only got the 12-mile ruck march to earn my EIB," he said.

Last Friday morning, he did.