Photo By Sgt. Perla Alfaro | A U.S. Army Pacific Soldier receives the silver German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge...... read more read more
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SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – Eighty-nine out of 150 participants from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command earned the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge and the Schützenschnur badge, a decoration for weapons proficiency, June 30.
The GAFPB and Schützenschnur badges are the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany decorations and are two of the several foreign awards U.S. service members can earn and wear on their dress uniform.
“I am grateful to have this opportunity to compete for these foreign badges,” said Sgt. 1st Class Juan Mejia, an M1 armor crewman assigned to Headquarters Support Company, Headquarter and Headquarters Support Battalion, U.S. Army Pacific. “I encourage everyone to train and take on the challenge. It has been an awesome experience for me, and I am very happy to have earned it because it was by no means easy.” Mejia earned the gold Schützenschnur badge.
To qualify for these badges all competitors must pass all events conducted within 4 days. Events included a 100-meter swim in uniform to be performed in under four minutes which also required participants to remove their uniform while staying afloat, a first aid test, donning Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear in a simulated contaminated environment, a pistol marksmanship test, a 12-kilometer road march carrying a minimum of a 35-pound ruck, a 1,000-meter sprint, a flexed-arm hang for time and a 1000-meter run.
“It made us really focus on the proper procedures,” said Mejia. “I am big on the train as you fight and train to standard mentality so I performed these tasks as if I was in a contaminated environment during war.”
Depending on the times and points earned at each station will determine whether service members could earn a bronze, silver or gold badge. The gold badge is the highest ranking of the three.
“It can be nerve-racking as you go through the different stations,” said Staff Sgt. Brandon Schuster, a cavalry scout assigned to Headquarters Support Company, Headquarter and Headquarters Support Battalion, U.S. Army Pacific. “Know that one single failed evaluation can knock you out of earning this foreign badge.” Schuster earned the gold Schützenschnur badge and the silver GAFPB.
Every station is monitored closely by a certified German Physical Training Instructor who validates all final scores.
“One of the top priorities has remained the incorporation of foreign allied joint training into the most consequential theater, in the most consequential times,” said Master Sgt. Adan Alfaro, a military police assigned to 18th Medical Command. “The GAFPB and Schützenschnur badges are high-value, rigorous training opportunities for the U.S. Forces.” Alfaro also earned the gold Schützenschnur badge.
This year's test hosted by 25th Infantry Division consisted of more than 100 Soldiers and Airmen striving to earn the coveted gold, silver or bronze.
“To remain the most trusted force within U.S. INDOPACOM and deliver campaign-quality joint integrated land power, training opportunities like the GAFPB and Schützenschnur shall continue to be a priority to all U.S. forces within the Pacific,” said Alfaro.
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2022 18:59 |
| Story ID: | 436180 |
| Location: | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 939 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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