Photo By 1st Lt. John Bonds | U.S. Army Spc. Taylor Encarnacion, left, with the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment,...... read more read more
KUNDUZ PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Troopers from across the 3rd Squadron, 7th United States Cavalry spent several days training with their German allies, hoping for the chance to earn the coveted German Schützenschnur. The event involved not just the Germans and Americans, but members of the Dutch and Swedish Armies also based out of the Kunduz area.
The Schützenschnur, or the German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Marksmanship was established as a decoration and has existed in various forms dating back to the Prussian Army of the 19th Century. In order to earn the badge one must qualify on at least two of three German weapons, the Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle, the Rheinmetall MG3 machine gun, and the Heckler & Koch P8 pistol. Based on the results of the qualification, the badge may be awarded in three grades, bronze, silver, and gold.
Troopers were very grateful to have the opportunity to earn this award. Spc. Brandon Fenwick of Springfield, Ohio, said, “It meant a lot to us that our German friends would do this for us, being able to see how they train allows us to get a much better idea of how they operate, and firing their weapons gives us valuable insight towards their capabilities.”
Spc. Jorge Cruz of Weslaco, Texas, went on to add that, “Being able to earn this award is an honor we wouldn’t normally get. Since the tests have to be administered by members of the German military usually only units that are stationed in Germany have a shot at the award.”
Fenwick continued, saying, “because of our mission we get to work side by side with the Germans every day. It has been great to take a couple of days to take a step back and get to know them on a more personal level and train with them in this environment.”
The qualification itself took place over two separate days after a full day of intensive pre-marksmanship instruction taught by German Army soldiers. Troopers shot the G36 at ranges up to 300 meters, no small feat on a weapons system most had never worked with before. Shooting the MG3 was a highlight for many Troopers. A variant of the venerable MG42 dating back to World War II, the MG3 has an incredible rate of fire, but Troopers quickly adjusted to the weapon and shot admirably.
Troopers will be awarded their badges in a ceremony held by the Germans and attended by leaders of all levels based out of Kunduz. Once earned, Troopers will be eligible to wear the badge on their dress uniforms, which will serve as a permanent reminder of their achievement. More important than the award itself were the bonds built and solidified at this event. The daily interaction between the various nations involved in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan has been one of the hallmarks of this deployment for Saber Troopers, and the opportunity to build friendships across many different cultures will pay dividends in the future.
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2013 13:13 |
| Story ID: | 103073 |
| Location: | KUNDUZ, AF |
| Hometown: | SPRINGFIELD, OH, US |
| Hometown: | WESLACO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 570 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Troopers shoot for gold, by 1LT John Bonds, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT