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I earned my EIB in 1987 with 3/9 Manchus (Ft. Ord, 7th ID (L) as an SP4 after failing in '86 as a PFC. Both times I felt the standards on some of the tasks were ridiculous (ok, F'ing stupid as in how you took the Dragon off your shoulder), perhaps reflecting a peace time Army. However, my company CDR did get a no-go on the Claymore lane because he could read Front Towards Enemy as he finished that task. Hey, his degree was in French (no shit).
Once you earned the EIB your reward was to be a lane grader on next year's test. I was NCOIC of land nav in '88 (a few months before the Q). Our CSM came out and was telling stories. He was asked why he went to Vietnam twice. Here, he takes up the story. "I went there to test for my CIB. There was only one station, Move Under Direct Fire. I got a no-go. Six months later I went back to retest."
Unlike the good CSM, earning my EIB was more difficult than my CIB, but the stakes were a bit higher for the latter so I value it more.
I do have to say that a few years later as a lane grader in SF there was peer pressure to let guys slide through. I was not popular that week.
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Grando autem duodecimo hominis
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