Nancy Van Der Weide Spc. Christopher Nordmann of Company C tosses a grenade into a bunker at the hand grenade station of EIB at Fort AP Hill, Va. Nordmann received his badge at an award ceremony held Monday.

In early March, 182 Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) trained at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., for two weeks in hopes of earning the Expert Infantryman Badge.

Traditionally, The Old Guard conducts EIB training in October and November. Since the manpower of the unit was short due to the deployment of Company D to Africa, training was re-scheduled for this month, said Command Sgt. Maj. Russell McCray, regimental sgt. major.

While Old Guard Soldiers conduct ceremonies on a day-to-day basis, it is vital for them to remain tactically proficient. As infantrymen, they take pride in being combat-ready at all times.

‘‘The Expert Infantryman Badge is the symbol of the infantryman,” said Sgt. Brian P. Keefer, of Honor Guard Company. ‘‘It symbolizes knowing the job, being a well-rounded Soldier who can perform any task at hand perfectly.”

‘‘As an infantryman, being called expert is one of the highest honors you can obtain,” said Pfc. German Isales, a watchman from the Presidential Salute Battery, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion. ‘‘You know people can depend on you.”

The EIB candidates prepared for the badge at the new, man-made site with the help of 86 cadre and 47 support personnel.

What was once a wood line with nothing but trees and brush is now an efficient training site including red, white and blue lanes with 24 stations that Soldiers spent four days setting up.

‘‘I’m impressed with the cadre taking the wood line from nothing to a full scale EIB site,” said 1st Sgt. Javier Montanez of Company C. ‘‘It’s the best I’ve seen in the 16 years of my military career.”

Before training at Fort A.P. Hill, all candidates were required to meet testing requirements, including a 12-mile road march and a land navigation course

Since their arrival at A.P. Hill, warriors began their long, rigorous training at 5:30 a.m. and finished with mandatory study hall each night ending by 9 p.m.

‘‘All infantrymen strive to achieve this badge and we provide the best possible training we can give them to get it,” said Master Sgt. Mark R. Bourgeois, the non-commissioned officer in charge of EIB site.

‘‘The badge is an achievement of many goals,” said Spc. William W. Rea of Company C. ‘‘We’re helping them become proficient in infantry tasks so they can become better warriors.”

The tasks include map reading, first aid, hand grenades, individual movement techniques and weapons knowledge and maintenance.

‘‘The hardest part of training was throwing grenades,” said Sgt. Jordan R. Ramsay, EIB recipient from Company A. At the hand grenade station, Soldiers learned the importance of hitting targets with grenades using different throwing positions. The most challenging part is hitting the target, said Ramsay.

In order to earn the badge, Soldiers in training are required to complete at least 29 of the 32 tasks on the first attempt. A total of three failed attempts or twice in one event disqualified the candidate.

McCray praised the warriors for staying highly motivated and focused. What [kept] them motivated is the good, solid training with confident, positive leadership, he said.

‘‘Even though we’re training all day, everyday, this [was] the most motivating experience in my military career,” said Isales. ‘‘I can’t wait to feel 100 feet tall wearing the EIB on my chest.”

Having earned the badge, the Soldiers returned to the unit to pass on their expertise to other Soldiers to continue the tradition of being fit to fight at all times, keeping the Army strong.

‘‘This badge marks you as an expert for the rest of your life,” said Sgt. Chase T. Neely, a Tomb Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. ‘‘It’s what you aspire to be as an infantryman and I want to teach younger warriors how to do the same.”

In an award ceremony Monday, Col. Joseph P. Buche, regimental commander, commended the warriors for their achievement.

The investment of time and work put into the training and the site paid off, said Buche. ‘‘The reflection of leaders is seen in all of the Soldiers.”

Maj. Gen. Richard J. Rowe Jr., commanding general of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region and the Military District of Washington, attended the ceremony to personally award some of the badge-earners and cadre.

After six days of course training and three days of testing, 106 of 182 candidates, including 33 ‘‘true blues” — those who passed each task at in the first attempt — earned the right to wear the EIB on their chest.

‘‘It was a tough experience, but I know so much more about my job and I came out of it as a better Soldier,” said Ramsay.

For Soldiers aspiring to earn the EIB, they will have the chance to in October.