On a cloudy June day at Fort Harrison's rifle range, Capt. Hendrik Kuhn of 1. Kompanie Panzergrenadierlehrbataillon 92 (1st Company, 92nd Armored Infantry Training Battalion) qualified on the U.S. Army's M4 carbine for the first time during the 1889th Regional Support Group's annual weapons qualification.
Engaging 40 targets at distances ranging from 50 to 300 meters, Kuhn hit 25 targets while firing from standing, kneeling, and prone positions, surpassing the Army's minimum score of 23 required to earn the Marksman Qualification Badge. Despite never having fired an M4 before, Kuhn quickly found similarities to the German military's standard-issue G36 rifle. "It was fun," he said. "At the end of the day, it is similar to our rifles."
A native of Hildesheim, Germany, Kuhn is in his 11th year of service with the German Armed Forces, known as the Bundeswehr. He spent the past week training alongside Montana Army National Guard Soldiers through the Military Reserve Exchange Program, which allows U.S. military personnel and allied partners to exchange units and train together. Beyond the training, Kuhn also took time to experience Montana, hiking to the summit of Mount Helena with several Soldiers. "I am enjoying the landscape, the hiking, and interacting with my American comrades," he said, and will be enjoying some more moving in the following weeks.
For successfully meeting qualification standards, Kuhn received the Army Marksman Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar from Capt. Sean Royce, Commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1889th Regional Support Group.
Story and Pictures Courtesy of Sgt. 1st Class Christopher A. Hoffert, 1889th BDE Public Affairs.