Fort Sill Soldiers earn German military badge

By 3-6th Air Defense ArtilleryDecember 12, 2013

German badge
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT SILL, Okla. (Dec. 12, 2013) -- Over 20 Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery "Bruiser Nation" partnered with the German Air Force Air Defense Center Training Detachment Nov. 19-26 at Fort Sill in a grueling German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency competition.

The prestigious badge is awarded to service members in the German armed forces, and is one of several hundred foreign awards approved for wear on the Army Service Uniform.

The Germans began awarding the badges in 1971 as a way to introduce competition and combine the civilian German sports badge with military-type events to integrate service members with their local communities.

U.S. Soldiers who earn the badge must complete the same extensive test as their German allies.

"Bruiser Nation" selected 22 of its best Soldiers to compete for the badge in a weeklong event.

To prepare for the competition, the 3-6th ADA put all participants through a two-week training program, led by 2nd Lt. Rachel Skalisky and Staff Sgt. Dedric Miller, 3-6th ADA training officer and NCO respectively.

Miller planned and implemented the training program that replicated the German events. These were first aid, a 100-meter swim, marksmanship, the German basic fitness test, and chemical posture training.

"The toughest event by far was the 100-meter swim. I swim regularly, but it's completely different swimming in the Army Combat Uniform," said Skalisky.

All the events had to be completed within requirements for a Soldier to earn a gold badge. Silver and bronze badges were also awarded. In the end, 18 of 22 "Bruiser Nation" Soldiers earned the badge.

The awardees were:

Gold -- Staff Sgts. Jeffery Harrison, Albert Levasseur, Michael Payne and Dustin Sigmon; and Spc. Daniel Schuster.

Silver -- 1st Lt. Alexander Jenkins, Sgt. 1st Class William Baer, Staff Sgts. Brandon Douglass, Benson Gatchalian, Justin Kesterson and Adriel Vela, Sgt. Joseph Mobley and Spc. Jacob Fricke.

Bronze -- Capt. Andrew Clark, Skalisky, Staff Sgts. James Ortiz and William Borck, and Spc. Jasmine Gonzalez.

Schuster, Mobley, Fricke and Gonzalez are 77th Army bandsmen and also earned their badges.

"This was one of the highest success rates I have observed by any U.S. unit, definitely a job well done," said Sgt. Maj. Andreas Brueck, German training detachment lead observer.