Photo By Sgt. Elizabeth DeGroot | U.S. Army Sgt. Kelly Harper and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sani Maloku pose with German...... read more read more
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GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA, Germany— On April 7, 2022, U.S. Soldiers received the German Armed Forces Marksmanship Badge, along with the certificate of proficiency. The German Armed Forces Marksmanship Badge, also known as the German Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency or the Schützenschnur, is awarded to Soldiers who successfully qualify on two German weapon systems- the P8 pistol and the G36 rifle.
The badge, a decoration of the Bundeswehr (the armed forces of Germany), can be worn on the Soldier’s uniform and can be awarded in gold, silver, and bronze, dependent upon the Soldier’s lowest score. Approximately 35 U.S. Soldiers from 7th Army Training Command received the badges, which were presented to them by German Oberstleutnant (Ltc.) Florian Rommel and U.S. Army 7ATC Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Morgan.
The German Army has 12 small arms ranges on Grafenwoehr, with the office of the German Military Representative responsible for range safety and facilitating training on base. This responsibility also includes running the annual weapon’s proficiency event every July. For more than 10 years, the range hosted approximately 200 Soldiers. However, July of last year only saw 150 due to COVID restrictions. U.S. Soldiers today were awarded badges and certificates for their display of marksmanship from July of last year.
Andre Potzler, a representative from 7ATC’s Public Affairs Training Command as well German Oberfähnrich (MSgt./Officer Candidate) said that the German qualification allows different nations- in this case, Germany and America- to get outside their comfort zones, familiarize themselves with each other’s SOPs and equipment, and build comradery through teamwork and shared experiences on the range.
“They get to train with a different weapon that they usually don’t shoot,” said Potzler. “They familiarize [themselves] with German weapons. They get to know German soldiers, and you actually make friends while training together…We are in this together. No matter what the mission is going to ask [of] us, it will be a multinational mission.”
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| Date Taken: | 04.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2022 03:30 |
| Story ID: | 418930 |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, DE |
| Web Views: | 4,459 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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