The little brother to the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the lesser of the two awards. The EIB was approved 07OCT43, at the same time as the CIB, yet requirements for achievement are far less. Currently, to be eligible for this award "personnel must meet Department of the Army established testing requirements and must possess a military occupational specialty within Career Management Field 11 (Infantry)."
Essentially this award means nothing more than you were in the Infantry and passed the exam. The exam itself is relatively effortless for an Infantryman of standard skill. Many units spend months preparing their troops for this exam and will endlessly drill the soldiers on the necessary tasks, practically defeating the implied purpose of the award.
During WWII and for six months after any enlisted man awarded the EIB was entitled to an extra $5.00 a month of pay.
The EIB is 7/16 inches in height and 3 inches wide. It is identical to the CIB with the exception that there is no wreath on the EIB, stars are never added, and it garnishes much less respect.