Photo By Ryan Campbell | Lt. Col. Jan von der Felsen, a representative of the German Armed Forces from...... read more read more
Subscribe
NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. - Sixteen Soldiers from C Troop, 2/101st Cavalry, were awarded the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge during a ceremony at Fort Drum, March 13, 2016.
The Soldiers from Masten Ave, Buffalo, completed a series of tasks which started with a pistol qualification in October, and culminated with a ruck march at Fort Drum. The badge, which is awarded in bronze, silver and gold levels, had standards set high from the beginning.
In order to even compete, a minimum score of 250 was required on their Army PT test, said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Hare, training NCO for C Troop, who earned the gold level of the badge. Out of 18 that started from C Troop, 16 were able to meet the standard with one bronze, 10 silver, and five gold badges being awarded in all, said Hare.
The tasks that had to be completed were designed to thoroughly test a Soldier’s physical capabilities, and were unlike their common routine of training.
“The basic fitness test was a difficult event to score gold in,” said Hare. “The events, an 11x10 meter sprint test, flexed-arm hang and 1,000 meter run are completely different from what we are used to training on.”
Of all events, it ended up being the 100 meter swim in military uniform that proved to be the most difficult for the Soldiers, said Hare, who never lost sight of his goal of completing all the tasks to the gold standard.
“To set this goal and accomplish it gives me self-pride,” said Hare, “and minor bragging rights, at least for a little while.”
Soldiers learn what they are capable of, and develop a way of pacing themselves. Going into some of the tasks, it proved to be more difficult to gauge how well they could perform.
“With a 1,000 meter run you think, ‘that is not that far, I can sprint this,’” said Sgt. 1st Class Brian Tippett, readiness NCO for C Troop. “500 meters in, you realize that was a mistake and immediately regret it.”
The sprinting was a challenge to overcome, with stopping and going that causes you to lose the ability to run or hold up your own weight, said Tippett. Some Soldiers stumbled, but they all completed it, said Tippett.
The competition also gave insight and motivation into the standards set within other militaries, and how to meet them.
“It helps seeing what other military forces do and how they measure competence, physical fitness and standards as a way to mold our own understanding and beliefs,” said Tippett. “Most of my Soldiers will jump at the opportunity for this type of training and that is the type of moral I like to see.”
For the National Guard, the process of competing for the GAFPB has been changed to cater more towards the fact that these Soldiers can’t dedicate an entire week to completing one event, said Capt. Robert Freed, commander of C Troop.
“The Germans have allowed us to train unit level evaluators to conduct most of the scored events on our own and spread out throughout numerous drills,” said Freed. “For example, we’re able to conduct the swim test one month, and the pistol qualification the following month.”
As an infantry reconnaissance unit, the Soldiers were well prepared to face the challenges ahead of them.
“The swim test is something we’ve conducted previously for our amphibious operations,” said Freed, “and the ruck march was close to what our Expert Infantryman’s Badge standards are.”
Qualifying on the pistol was difficult for some soldiers, as some infantrymen only get to shoot the rifle or machine gun that is assigned to them, said Freed.
Through all of the tasks, and the difficulties and challenges the Soldiers faced, there is a deep level of pride in them for this achievement, said Freed.
“The German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge is considered a prestigious award reserved for the finest warriors in Germany,” said Freed, “and I could tell you that my guys were honored to be recognized as now belonging to that brotherhood.”
The success of the event is felt all throughout C Troop. It helped create comradery in the unit and build cohesion, said Hare.
“We are seeing some soldiers with a 200 or 220 scores looking to improve so they can participate when we are able to compete again,” said Tippett. “If we get one Soldier a higher PT score, then I will consider it a plus.”
From the German air force, Lt. Col. Jan von der Felsen was on hand to oversee the finale of the competition and award the badges.
“I’ve done roughly five events at Fort Drum in the past year,” said von der Felsen. “It depends on the interest, we make it happen, we facilitate the events and we present the badges on behalf of the commander of the German Armed Forces Command U.S. and Canada.”
The competitions that take place mean as much to the German officials as it does to the Soldiers competing in them.
“It means a lot to me personally and professionally,” said von der Felsen. “Personally, just because I enjoy interacting with other militaries’ soldiers beyond the events. Professionally it means a lot to me as an officer because it’s basic soldiering. In the end when you award the badge you know that it’s going to a soldier who excelled in his skills and proved himself valuable in a job and a profession that we all chose.”
The badge is a representation of all basic soldiering skills ranging from speed and agility, to working under nuclear, chemical and biological environments and being able to take care of other soldiers in the combat lifesaver course, said von der Felsen.
“The badge is one of the standard badges that can be awarded within the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr as we call it,” said von der Felsen. “It’s not a mandatory thing to compete for, although elements of the badge are an annual requirement, like the ruck march, the pistol shoot, they are things we have to do on an annual basis.”
With roughly 70 locations in the U.S. with German detachments, putting on these events is part of how the German military interacts with their counterparts, said von der Felsen.
One of the valuable things to come out of putting together this competition was to be able to build and strengthen relationships with another nation.
“Coordination between Lt. Col. von der Felsen and us has been unbelievable,” said Freed. “The fluidity of putting this training event together has inspired a great deal of confidence in my German and NATO counterparts.”
“I’d like to thank Lt. Col. von der Felsen for his unwavering support and flexibility,” said Freed. “He’s an outstanding officer and dedicated a lot of his personal time to helping us get this event together.”
“Overall it’s this cooperation, the liaison between two militaries that share so many values and elements of working together,” said von der Felsen. “I think it’s what this badge symbolizes in the end.
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.16.2016 09:36 |
| Story ID: | 192547 |
| Location: | NIAGARA FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, NY, US |
| Hometown: | KINGSTON, ON, CA |
| Hometown: | BUFFALO, NY, US |
| Hometown: | NIAGARA FALLS, NY, US |
| Hometown: | NIAGARA FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 283 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Buffalo Infantrymen go for gold, by Ryan Campbell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT