Photo By Capt. Cory Titus | Pvt. Ross Sizemore, a scout in 6-4 Cavalry, shakes the hand of 1st Lt. Peter as he...... read more read more
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan - Side by side, American and German soldiers have been fighting against the enemies of Afghanistan in defense of the people of Afghanistan.
As the coalition forces begin their draw down and the Afghan National Security Forces take the lead, American and German forces have been able to take advantage of the shift in responsibility and build their alliance in new ways.
While deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Apache Troop of 6-4 Cavalry Regiment, 3-1 IBCT, from Fort Knox, Ky., joined the German Provincial Advisory Task Force unit at FOB Kunduz for the chance to earn the German Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship, or more commonly known as the schützenschnur.
To earn this prestigious award, a soldier must demonstrate proficiency on three different German weapon systems: the P8 pistol, G36 assault rifle, and MG3 machine gun. To be considered "proficient" with each weapon, soldiers are scored by their ability to hit multiple targets at varying distances.
“The training was a great chance to build more versatile soldiers, very few U.S. soldiers get the chance to train on foreign weapon systems. Plus, getting a chance to meet the German soldiers outside of a mission setting definitely helped to build our relationship and boost morale,” said SPC Miles Owens from Apache Troop.
This unique opportunity resulted with 37 members of Apache Troop earning their schützenschnur, and more importantly, a stronger bond between coalition forces.
German Liaison Officer, 1st Lt. Sandro, summed up the importance of doing combined training events stating, “While at the surface, events like these are for the soldiers to have fun together. They really serve a deeper purpose, the schützenschnur is an opportunity for us to train together, share techniques applicable to real-world missions.”
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2013 15:18 |
| Story ID: | 111952 |
| Location: | KUNDUZ, AF |
| Hometown: | FORT KNOX, KY, US |
| Hometown: | LOUISVILLE, KY, US |
| Hometown: | RADCLIFF, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 479 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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