Photo By Sgt. Clay Beyersdorfer | German Army Oberleutnant (Lt.) Christopher Achterkamp, 1st NATO Signal Battalion,...... read more read more
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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Thirty soldiers got the chance to earn one of the more rare badges allowed on the U.S. Army Service Uniform, the German Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship, during a qualification range at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, March 9, 2014.
The “Schützenschnur,” is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, and is one of the few foreign awards U.S. military personnel are authorized to wear on their Army Service Uniform.
To successfully earn the badge and chord, soldiers had to successfully shoot the German G36 service rifle and P8 pistol at a target from a standing, kneeling, and prone position, with limited amount of ammunition.
Spc. Shannon Johnson, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, was one of the participants in the Schützenschnur qualification, and talked about the distinctiveness of the event.
“This was a really unique event, and a great opportunity to try something new, something we haven’t done before,” Johnson said.
She also talked about the chance to fire a new set of weapons – ones not used in the U.S. military.
“I shot expert before with my M16, so coming out here I wanted to keep the standard,” Johnson said. “It was definitely different, but I had fun doing it.”
There are three classes of the medal given out: gold, silver and bronze. The overall scores used to determine the kind of medal given out vary from country to country, and even service to service.
Soldiers also must be enlisted, as officers are not authorized to wear the badge on the ASU per Army Regulation 670-1, unless they previously earned it as an enlisted soldier before commissioning.
German Army Oberleutnant (Lt.) Christopher Achterkamp, who serves with the 1st NATO Signal Battalion at KAF, oversaw the qualifications for the award and talked about “different” event, especially about how a good marksman and true professional shooter embodies the same basic principles when firing any weapon.
“It comes down to basics like breathing, trigger squeeze, body posture,” Achterkamp said. “When you have those, you can fire any weapon. This chance is proof of that you can be a professional when handed something you have never shot before.”
He also spoke about how the event brings two nations together, which ultimately “makes a stronger force,” including being here in Afghanistan.
“It is quite important to be able to learn from each other and develop friendships,” he said. “We rely on NATO forces, and this is a chance to work with each other and learn about one another’s cultures.”
Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Maia, HHC, 1st CAB, 1st Inf. Div., who had a large part in setting up the event, agreed with Achterkamp.
“It’s definitely a chance to interact with the Germans and a different culture,” Maia said. “The goal was to give our soldiers a chance to cross train, and I think they enjoyed it.”
Although many soldiers were unfamiliar with the weapons, Achterkamp provided them with a sense of relief and a laugh before they hit the range.
“Either you win it (Schützenschnur) or you win experience – either way, today is a good day,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2014 10:53 |
| Story ID: | 121739 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Hometown: | FORT RILEY, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 1,339 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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