Hi Matt
The only US Army specialized training that I wanted to complete was Air Assault school. By coincidence I knew two Vietnam War vets who were both helicopter M60 door gunners, so I heard their war stories. And I would learn more at Air Assault school (LZs, knots, hand-and-arm signals, heliborne operations, etc) than Jump School, which is just muscle-memory practice of PLFs and guiding away from trees or water.
Tough break on the EFMB.
I had zero respect for senior leadership.
Hmph.
Last century, I knew a USAR soldier who attended Air Assault School as a permissive TDY at Ft Belvoir, VA. He showed up at O dark thirty in the morning and got a slot when someone didn't show up or was kicked out later that day. He passed.
Afterwards, he studied and practiced for the EIB. Somehow he finagled his way into a MDARNG infantry unit and took the EIB test during one long weekend with them. He passed.
"AP" repeated the same process with Pathfinder School, skills which he never used, but he looked great in his Class As or Dress Blues.
"AP" was more proud of his ability to get the scare badges than the training itself.
And incredibly enough, "AP" was a lousy swimmer.
I was the unit's 'WSI' because I was an American Red Cross certified lifeguard, not an official WSI or certified WSSI.
So, I coached him for several days on efficient strokes and breath control before the unit validation tests and he passed.
No scare badge for that though.
'AP' did me some small favors along the way, so I hope he's doing well and enjoying retirement.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies - "God damn it, you've got to be kind."
Kurt Vonnegut