Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Kosovo Force Regional Command-East speak to Col. Stefan...... read more read more
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CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – On a balmy sunny morning, Soldiers from Kosovo Force’s Regional Command - East participated in the German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency qualifications hosted by the German contingent of Kosovo Force in Ferizaj, Kosovo March 25, 2022.
The award, known as the “Schützenschnur,” is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces. There are different grades for qualification, starting at Class 1 (Bronze), then Class 2 (Silver) and the highest available being Class 3 (Gold). The award is available to enlisted personnel and officers; however, enlisted soldiers are the only ones currently authorized to wear the badge on their uniforms.
The decoration awarded is a silver braided cord with a gold, silver, or bronze medallion depending on the class for which the Soldier qualifies. U.S. Army regulations authorize enlisted soldiers to wear this cord on their dress uniform.
“I have waited 21 years to be able to participate in this event,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Walcott, an infantryman assigned to the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Virginia National Guard. “It is important to have a better understanding of how different countries do the same thing that we do, just with different weapons, capabilities, and functionality.”
The Soldiers arrived in the morning and the German instructors initially provided hands-on training to learn about the Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle and the Heckler & Koch P8 pistol, both of which are currently used by German armed forces. They then discussed the course of action for how the event would play out and what Soldiers needed to do at each station.
The Soldiers expressed their excitement as they learned about the German weapons while also learning about German culture and speaking to their hosts. The troops took the opportunity to eat German combat rations alongside their foreign partner soldiers.
German Col. Stefan Bruendermann, the commanding officer for the KFOR German contingent, also took the time to visit and show support for his soldiers hosting the event, as well as take time to speak to several U.S. Soldiers and get to know them.
“The German contingent is a collection of extremely professional soldiers that take pride in their craft,” said Sgt. Maj. Latane Gilliam, the operations sergeant major assigned to the 116th IBCT. “It was a pleasure working with their officers and non-commissioned officers. I look forward to more events with them in the future.”
“It is important to build strong bonds with our partners through training whenever the opportunity arises. Understanding each other and how our partners operate to increase interoperability,” Gilliam added.
This event is one of the many events scheduled for the Kosovo Force’s 30th rotation offering interoperable training alongside all the NATO counterparts in RC-East. Kosovo Force 30 is currently deployed to Kosovo to provide a safe and secure environment and secure freedom of movement for all people within the region.
| Date Taken: | 03.29.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2022 05:03 |
| Story ID: | 417542 |
| Location: | ZZ |
| Web Views: | 283 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. Soldiers in Kosovo contend for German shooting badge, by SSG Amouris Coss, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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