HANSCOM AFB, Mass. - Seventy-three soldiers and airmen from the Massachusetts National Guard and other regional commands earned the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency (GAFPB) during a three-day test, in multiple locations around Massachusetts, Sept. 5-7, 2019. The GAFPB is a decoration of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. It can be awarded to all German soldiers, and can also be awarded to allied soldiers that meet the standard. It can be worn by any rank of service member and is one of the few foreign awards authorized for wear in the U.S. military. Based on level of success, the badge is issued in three tiers, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Participants must complete a three-part basic fitness test that includes: a shuttle sprint requiring the runner to fully lay prone between laps, a chin-up (flexed-arm hang) test for max time keeping their chin above the pull-up bar, and a 1000 m sprint. Five military training tests must be completed as well that include: a 100 m swim in uniform, a first aid test covering basic combat lifesaver skills, proficiency in donning and using nuclear, biological, and chemical mission-oriented-protective-posture (MOPP) gear, pistol qualification firing on multiple targets in a short window of time, and a 12-kilometer (7.46 mile) road march. The participants receiving awards were pinned by Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard, in a ceremony held at the Boylston Schul-Verein German-American club, during their annual Oktoberfest.
Date Taken: | 09.06.2019 |
Date Posted: | 12.26.2019 11:17 |
Photo ID: | 6000051 |
VIRIN: | 190906-Z-JM688-0026 |
Resolution: | 5653x3769 |
Size: | 12.59 MB |
Location: | MASSACHUSETTS, US |
Web Views: | 11 |
Downloads: | 2 |
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