Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Alexander Kartanos | Service members who earned a German armed forces Military Proficiency Badge pose for a...... read more read more
FORT MCCOY, Wis. - Over 100 competitors from across the Army Reserve, National Guard and Air National Guard came to Fort McCoy to qualify for the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency (GAFBMP), May 15-17.
Hauptmann (Capt.) Gugielmo Jansen and Oberstabsgefreiter (Senior Airmen) David Fisher, from the German Air Force Flying Center at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, returned to lead the competition. The 646th Regional Support Group, based in Madison, organized the event with help from drill sergeants from the 3/339 Regiment (Initial Entry Training), which has companies across Wisconsin. Both Jansen and Fisher facilitated the Schuetzenschnur (German Marksmanship Award) for Army Reserve Soldiers last fall during the 646th RSG’s field training exercise at Fort McCoy.
Due to popularity of the marksmanship event and the professional relationships that were created, the number of participants and interested units started to grow.
”It's an opportunity for us to partner with other reserve units, the National Guard (Army and Air), and of course our German counterparts,” Col. Robert Carlson, 646th RSG Commander, said. ”We are also inviting the Navy and Marines Corps to add a joint experience to the competition. This event is more than a test of fitness and marksmanship, it provides us a way to challenge our soldiers and ultimately make them more resilient while they honor our profession.”
The GAFBMP event encompasses 10 tests of service member’s physical strength and military aptitude including water survival, weapon proficiency, a foot march and athletic tests. Participants were required to complete combat lifesaver and nuclear, biological and chemical training at their units prior to the main event.
“The Soldiers here completing (the GAFBMP) in just one weekend -- that’s much tougher (than) we usually do it,” said Jansen. “(Usually) we have a whole year to retake, to redo and tweak it.”
The foot march was the last event for the service members, followed by a big lunch of hotdogs and burgers as they tended to sore feet and legs.
After all the events were conducted, 38 service members received the gold GAFBMP, 50 were awarded silver and four earned the bronze. Both officers and enlisted U.S. Army personnel are authorized to wear the badge on their dress uniform.
Maj. Lan Swei of the Wisconsin Army National Guard Joint Task Force Headquarters saw the opportunity as a source for team building.
"It's been great working with foreign service members. It makes us a better team," said Swei.
Jansen and Fisher are scheduled to return in September to run both the marksmanship and military proficiency badge events.
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2014 15:33 |
| Story ID: | 131836 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Hometown: | MADISON, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 253 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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