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    Wiesbaden Soldiers overcome hurdles, earn German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge

    Wiesbaden Soldiers overcome hurdles, earn German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge

    Photo By Roland Schedel | Staff Sgt. Christopher Padilla (left) and Sgt. Nathan Gatlin (right), both with the...... read more read more

    WIESBADEN, HE, GERMANY

    11.21.2023

    Story by Roland Schedel 

    U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden   

    "We did it!" Sgt. Nathan Gatlin and Staff Sgt. Christopher Padilla, both members of the 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force, mastered the last discipline, and their final hurdle, before earning the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge at the Hessian Police School in Wiesbaden, Nov. 20, 2023.

    This qualification was the last task needed to earn the badge, as both had previously completed a rucksack march and earned the German shooting badge, known as the Schützenschnur. The Soldiers also successfully completed a basic fitness test, a combat life saver course, NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) training, and a pool swim.

    The swim portion of the GAFPB posed a significant challenge to many participants. Soldiers hoping to earn the GAFPB were required to successfully swim 100 meters while wearing the Army Combat Uniform (without boots) in under four minutes – which could be considered a struggle for even the most ardent swimmers.

    "We even called the public swimming pools in the area beforehand because we wanted to prepare ourselves, however, nowhere was it allowed to go into the water in full uniform," Padilla said of training for the event.

    Gatlin and Padilla will be awarded their GAFPBs by the Bundeswehr Hesse State Command Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Col. Bernd Lesemann in a ceremony to be held on Clay Kaserne, Dec. 4. Lesemann will also award the Schuetzenschnur to several awardees during the same ceremony.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 11.21.2023
    Date Posted: 12.04.2023 05:28
    Story ID: 459014
    Location: WIESBADEN, HE, DE

    Web Views: 60
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN