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TOLEDO, Ohio -- It was cold, cloudy and snowy in Toledo, Ohio. Temperatures didn’t reach much past freezing at their highest and the dipped into the teens at their lowest, with gusty winds that stole breath. But this less-than-ideal weather did not stop Soldiers of the 372nd Engineer Brigade from participating in the many outdoor events that are a part of the German armed forces Proficiency Badge Competition.
The competition, which took place at the University of Toledo, Feb. 24-26 and was organized, hosted and run by UT Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Cadets, is comprised of track and field events, swimming events, 9 mm pistol shooting, a road march, and a first aid written test, according to German Sgt. Maj. Rolf Lichtenberg of the German Army Liaison Office located at Fort Lee, Va.
Lichtenberg was there to oversee all of the events, because a German officer or non-commissioned officer must be present to ensure the competition is being run according to German standards.
The competition is not a new concept for enlisted or commissioned Reserve Soldiers. Staff Sgt. Richard R. Etter, who is a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 192nd Quartermaster Company out of Milan, Ohio, heard about the competition from a friend who belong s to the 983rd Engineer Battalion out of Monclova, Ohio, where Etter works for his civilian job.
“One of the guys in my unit had just participated in one in November,” he said. He expressed interest in competing himself, and, when the 983rd had open slots to fill for the UT-hosted competition, he jumped on the chance.
According to Lichtenberg, the competition is open to soldiers of all nations who are willing to participate, though it is mandatory for German soldiers. The purpose, he said, is for the participants to have fun and do something to benefit their careers. For example, American soldiers often participate in order to gain points for promotion.
The difference between this competition and other similar events is that participants in the GAFPBC do not compete against each other. Each soldier participates in order to receive the highest merit they can.
Participants have the opportunity to earn a bronze, silver, or gold badge, gold being the highest merit possible. According to Lichtenberg , of all the events in the competition, only the 9mm qualification and the road march determine which badge a participant will receive. The track and field activities, swimming, and first aid test are scored on a “go” or “no-go” basis.
Participants must complete all the events in order to be eligible, but some events proved more difficult than others. Etter said the most difficult activity for him was the 100-meter sprint.
“I’m not a fast guy, so I do more long distance,” he said.
However, the event he enjoyed the most was the pistol qualification. As a Reserve enlisted soldier, he said, the chance to fire a 9mm pistol does not come along very often.
“I know a lot of guys enjoyed that because they never get the opportunity,” he said.
Overall, Etter said he enjoyed the competition. He originally wanted to participate just to see if he could be successful, which he was, earning a gold badge. As for future competitions, he has his own Soldiers in mind.
“I would definitely recommend it to them,” he said of the GAFPBC.
Not only did most of the Reserve soldiers earn high merits in the competition, but the competition cadre, comprised fully of UT Cadets, conducted a fantastic and well-organized event, especially for their first time, according to Lichtenberg.
“Everything was smooth,” he said. “What I didn’t like was the weather, but who is responsible for the weather?”
Other than the weather, the competition was an overall success, and the UT AROTC Cadets and cadre are planning another competition, tentatively set for sometime this fall.
| Date Taken: | 02.26.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.29.2012 11:39 |
| Story ID: | 84494 |
| Location: | TOLEDO, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Reserve soldiers go for the gold in German Proficiency Competition, by SGT Kaitlin Feyma, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
