Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, the Slovenian Army's 1st Brigade and the German Army test in the road-march event April 22, 2015 at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy while competing for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. T...
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, the Slovenian Army's 1st Brigade and the German Army receive their German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge April 22, 2015 at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the Army C...
A paratrooper from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Special Troops Battalion fires an M9 pistol April 20, 2015 at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy while competing for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the Army Continge...
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, the Slovenian Army's 1st Brigade and the German Army swim in their combat uniforms April 20, 2015 at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy while competing for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. ...
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, the Slovenian Army's 1st Brigade and the German Army completed a timed 1,000 meter run April 21, 2015 at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy while competing for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Bad...
A paratrooper from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Special Troops Battalion conducts the flexed-arm hang event April 21, 2015 at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy while competing for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is t...
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, the Slovenian Army's 1st Brigade and the German Army test in the shuttle-sprint event April 21, 2015 at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy while competing for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badg...
VICENZA, Italy -- U.S. Army paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Special Troops Battalion and NATO allies from the 1st Brigade of the Slovenian Armed Forces and the German Army conducted a German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge competition here at Caserma Del Din from Apr 20-22, 2015 to test their physical proficiency and endurance.
Conducted over a three-day period and administered by German master military physical fitness trainer Sergeant Major Ronny Raemsch, the event exposed troopers to typical training for German troops.
"This event is an annual requirement for German Armed Forces and I'm happy to be able to partner with our American and Slovenian allies to conduct it," said Raemsch.
Day one tested the Soldier's ability to swim 100 meters wearing each soldier's respective combat uniform. The swim must be completed in less than four minutes and participants had to remove their combat uniform at the conclusion of the swim without assistance. Later that afternoon, participants tested their marksmanship skills, shooting an M9 pistol at the Caserma Del Din indoor range. To pass, soldiers must successfully engage three targets with five rounds from a distance of 20 meters.
The competition was a tremendous team building experience for all participants. "It was great working with our allies again in this type of event," said Maj. Ales Lesjak, commander of the Slovenian 1st Brigade signal company. "The competition brought the best out of our Soldiers and built on our past experiences together in preparation for future training events."
The second day consisted of basic physical fitness events that tested the soldier's aerobic and muscular fitness. Participants tested in three events: a 10-meter sprint done 11 times, a flexed-arm hang, and a 1,000-meter run.
"Having the opportunity to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge from our German counterparts will be a moment in my military career that I will always cherish and remember," said U.S. Army Pfc. Julian Nava, a junior retransmission team member.
On the final day of the event, all participants conducted a six, nine, or twelve kilometer timed ruck march based on their qualification level after completing the proceeding events.
"The German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge is a strenuous and demanding set of events meant for the fittest soldiers, both mentally and physically," said U.S. Army Pfc. Dylan Adams, a junior retransmission team member. "The events created opportunities to have friendly competition with our allies including the Slovenian and German Soldiers. The Germans hold high standards and only the best of the best get to achieve the gold GAFPB."
At the conclusion of the events, Paratroopers who successfully completed the competition received one of three German badges consisting of Bronze, Silver or Gold based how many points they earned. Of the 81 German, Slovenian, and American participants, only 57 earned the GAFPB: 12 Paratroopers earned gold, 35 Paratroopers earned silver, and 10 Paratroopers earned bronze badges.
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