GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - Working hand in hand with European allies as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve gave 45 Fort Carson Soldiers the opportunity to demonstrate their marksmanship skills and earn a foreign award in Germany.
Thirty-six of the Soldiers who participated, all serving with the 4th Infantry Division Mission Command Element, were presented the Schutzenschnur, the German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency, by German Sgt. Maj. Peter Knoeringer during a ceremony outside the MCE headquarters on Camp Aachen, Germany, May 26.
To earn the badge, Soldiers had to qualify with different German weapons, including the German army issue H&K G36 rifle and H&K USP pistol. The German badge is identified as gold, silver or bronze, depending on how well Soldiers qualify. Like Olympic rankings, gold is the highest. From the MCE participants, 23 earned gold, 11 earned silver and two earned bronze.
Master Sgt. David Acosta, MCE operations noncommissioned officer in charge, who earned the badge while deployed to Afghanistan, coordinated the unit's participation in the event held April 21-22.
"I overheard our Soldiers' desire to participate," Acosta said. "I sent an email to [the Joint Mission Training Center operations] sergeant major who put me in contact with Sgt. Maj. Knoeringer."
The German sergeant major invited the unit to piggyback on a qualification range planned for 3rd Infantry Division personnel currently serving as part of the Regionally Aligned Forces for Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR).
"Personally, I like to shoot," Acosta said. "The experience of pulling the trigger is good enough for me."
Acosta added that many of the MCE personnel don't have a lot of opportunity to get away from the day-to-day business of the OAR mission.
Master Sgt. Alexis Camacho, civil affairs noncommissioned officer in chargeC, who earned a gold Schutzenschnur, said it was a great opportunity to learn about a new weapons system and build esprit de corps with the host-nation military.
"It was a great opportunity to interact with our German counterparts in a military exercise that every Soldier likes, shooting weapons," Camacho said.
Knoeringer drove three hours to personally present the badges to the Soldiers who earned them. His efforts and the partnership involved were recognized following the badging ceremony with a certificate of appreciation presented by MCE Command Sgt. Maj. Willie F. Pearson Jr.
The Schutzenschnur is authorized for wear on the Army Service Uniform as a foreign award.
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