Wranglers Soldiers earn Schützenschnur Badge

C4
LIVING
January 29, 2015
www.FortHoodSentinel.com
Wranglers Soldiers earn Schützenschnur Badge
BY SGT. ADAM ERLEWEIN
4th RSSB Public Affairs
BAGRAM
AIRFIELD,
AFGHANISTAN — To be considered a proficient marksman,
all U.S. Soldiers are required to
know how to operate and use
their assigned weapons such as
the M-16, M4 carbine and the
M240B machine gun. Recently
several Wrangler Soldiers currently deployed to Afghanistan,
had the opportunity to earn the
prestigious German Armed Forces
Badge of Marksmanship, known
as the Schützenschnur at Camp
Marmal, Jan. 18.
Wrangler Soldiers from the 4th
Resolute Support Sustainment
Brigade traveled to Camp Marmal
to compete in the Schützenschnur
which consisted of three separate
shooting events designed to test a
Soldier’s proficiency in a variety
of German military weapons and
determine which qualification
badge they could receive and wear
on the Army Service Uniform.
Throughout the day, they were
introduced to the three weapons
they would attempt to qualify on,
the Heckler and Koch P8 9mm
pistol, the H&K G36 assault rifle,
the challenging German MG3
machine gun and, in addition, a
few Belgian army weapons.
Soldiers were able to compete
for three different badges, the
Courtesy photo
BSoldiers from Belgium, Germany and the U.S. pose together after qualifying with German weapons to earn the German
Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship, known as the Schützenschnur Jan. 18 at Camp Marmal. Wrangler Soldiers from
the 4th RSSB earned four gold badges and two bronze badges during the event.
bronze, silver and gold marksmanship badges, which are awarded based on the lowest qualifying
score.
In order for Soldiers to earn
the bronze badge they had to
complete at least three events, two
with the P8 pistol and one event
with the G36 assault rifle. However, if Soldiers wanted to earn a
silver or gold badge, they had to
also fire the MG3 machine gun
and score a minimum of silver or
gold with all three weapons.
German Lt. Karsten Kerkloh,
officer-in-charge of the Schützenschnur range at Camp Marmal,
said he was impressed with the
way the Soldiers competed in the
event.
“The event went really well and
even though we didn’t have the
best weather we did have the best
shooters,” said Kerkloh.
Lt. Col. Michelle K. Ervin
was one of the Wrangler Soldiers who participated in
the event. Ervin said that she
originally went to the event to
support other Soldiers competing
but was encouraged by Wrangler
and German soldiers to participate.
“It was the Wrangler team that
encouraged me to give it a try,”
Ervin said. “To my surprise, I
scored high enough to achieve the
gold badge.”
Ervin was the top shooter with
the G36 assault rifle, shooting 15
out of 16 targets in various firing positions ranging from 200
meters to 50 meters.
Soldiers had to fire the G36
unsupported while standing,
kneeling and in the prone position without having any familiarization rounds to fire.
All of the Wranglers qualified
for gold with the G36.
Spc. Edgar Nelson was selected
to participate in the event after
winning the Soldier of the Month
Board, and fired gold in the pistol
and the rifle events. Nelson said
that this experience was amazing
and that he enjoyed working with
the German soldiers.
“All of them (German soldiers)
were very cooperative and were
more than willing to help us with
their weapons systems,” Nelson said. “I felt we were unified
working together as a team to
accomplish an objective, we all
road out together, left together,
and we all just operated really well
together.”
Six Wranglers participated in
the Schützenschnur with four of
them earning the gold Schützenschnur badge and two earning the
bronze badge.
“We had pretty good results
here and with half of them shooting gold, (it) is really good and
the best thing is that everyone
at least got the bronze,” Kerkloh said. “It’s nice working with
multi-nationals and it’s great for
our guys, as well.”
720th MP Battalion inducts new NCOs during ceremony
BY STAFF SGT. RYAN HOHMAN
89th MP Bde. Public Affairs
Noncommissioned officers have
played an integral role within the
Army by acting as advisers to the
greatest commanders and mentors to the most valorous of Soldiers. Because of their important
role, noncommissioned officers are
known as the backbone of the Army.
The 720th Military Police Battalion’s backbone became stronger
during a NCO induction ceremony
held at the Howze Auditorium on
Fort Hood Friday.
The NCO Induction ceremony is
an Army tradition that allows units
to honor the milestone of Soldiers
transferring from junior-enlisted to
junior NCO.
The 720th MP Bn. inducted 18
new NCOs from the 178th Military Police Detachment, 64th Military Police Company, 401st Military Police Company, 410th Military Police Company, and 411th
Military Police Company.
Guest speaker for the event, Sgt.
Maj. Robert Parker, who serves
as the III Corps Provost Marshal
Office operations sergeant major,
spoke to the Soldiers about the
responsibility that comes with their
new rank.
“We are held responsible for what
we have,” Parker said. “In many
cases it can be our authority, position, leadership and knowledge.”
Parker told the Soldiers how, as
leaders, they were now expected “to
use this role to benefit others.
“You may ask, ‘Well, what is
expected from me?’ Well, a lot. And
it’s not always cut-and-dry either.”
Parker outlined the four important aspects of being a competent
and confident NCO.
First, it is expected that each of
the NCOs live and die by your
integrity. Second, they are expected
to be confident. Third, as leaders
they must have empathy. Lastly,
each of the new NCOs need to recognize how each of them has “been
entrusted with America’s most precious resource, people.
“Leadership is an honor that
often requires scarifies,” Parker
said. “This honor is now given to
you.”
One of the newly inducted
NCOs, Sgt. Justin Chance, who
serves as a signal support systems
specialist with the 401st MP Co.,
was promoted on Nov. 1 and has
already begun to feel the effects of
his new rank.
“Since becoming an NCO, I have
noticed more respect and more
responsibility with people looking
up to (me),” Chance said.
Although already possessing the
rank of sergeant for three months,
marching through the arch and
receiving a copy of the NCO Creed
and Charge of the NCO from his
senior NCO leadership would
prove to be an everlasting memory
that he would carry throughout his
Army career.
“The ceremony was significant to
me because it allowed me to feel as
though I was officially part of the
Corps actually,” Chance said.
Photos by Staff Sgt. Ryan Hohman, 89th MP Bde. Public Affairs
ABOVE, Sgt. Marc Whittaker, 178th MP Det., 720th MP Bn., signs a copy of the
NCO Creed and Charge of the NCO alongside his senior NCO leadership. LEFT,
A newly inducted noncommissioned officer with the 720th MP Bn. marches
through an arch to signify the milestone of transitioning from a junior-enlisted
Soldier to an NCO during an NCO induction ceremony held at the Howze Auditorium on Fort Hood Friday.