Photo By Master Sgt. Peter Morrison | Members of the 3-140th Aviation Regiment and Joint Regional Detachment serving in...... read more read more
By 1st Lt. Don Engel
Task Force Aviation
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - Members of the 3-140TH Aviation Regiment and Joint Regional Detachment serving in Kosovo participated in a weapons qualification course to earn the German Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship, known in German as the “Schutzenschnur.” The event hosted by members of the German garrison in Prizren took place November 13, at a shooting range near Orahovac.
“Events like the Schutzenschnur are fundamental to developing strong relationships between Multi-National Battle Group-East partners,” said 1st Lt. Don Engel, signal officer for Task Force Aviation, “This achievement is a privilege for our California Guard soldiers and an honor for all U.S. military personnel,” added Master Sgt. Janet Graves the Task Force Aviation operations non-commissioned officer in charge, and the logistics coordinator for the event. Engel served as translator.
The qualification course included instruction and practical exercises on the function and use of the weapons currently used by German military: the P8 9-mm pistol, the G36 rifle and the MG3 general-purpose machine gun. Shooters had to qualify with each of the three weapons and were awarded the lowest composite score. This made earning gold very competitive and proved a challenge for even the most experienced marksmen.
All 32 members of the group earned a coveted Schutzenschnur, which is authorized for wear on the Army dress uniform by enlisted Soldiers. Each shooter’s performance is identified by a bronze, silver or gold medallion, equivalent to the Army marksman, sharpshooter and expert qualifications. The medal displays the German Bundesadler, or Federal Eagle, surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves. The medallion is attached to a braded silver rope and worn on right side of the dress uniform jacket. The Schutzenschnur, whose origins date back more than a century, is one of the few foreign badges authorized for wear without Congressional approval as defined in Army regulations.
After the day’s events, the German garrison hosted an authentic home cooked meal and a round of alcohol-free beer at their Bavarian club house.
Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Murotake, a gold Schutzenschnur recipient, sent video footage of him firing the MG3 to his son, Thomas III, and daughter-in-law Suzi. His grandson, Joshua, now thinks the senior Murotake is “the coolest grandpa in the world.”
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2013 03:49 |
| Story ID: | 100038 |
| Location: | CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ |
| Hometown: | ATWATER, CA, US |
| Hometown: | LOS ALAMITOS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 402 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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