Over the course of April 23 and 24, selected Elon Army ROTC cadets, Jack Blanchflower and David Smith, along with other cadets from the Aggie Battalion, based out of NC A&T State University, competed to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB).
Elon senior, Demarco Crum and Major Andrew Anderson, coordinated the event with Sergeant Lichtenberg, from the German military, who would be judging the competitors.
In the United States military, the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency is one of few approved foreign awards for wear on the uniform, and is one of the most sought after awards to achieve. The decoration is awarded to all German soldiers. To qualify to receive the award, competitors must complete multiple events, which serve to gauge their physical fitness. The events include timed swims and runs, along with the shot put and high jump events, and a pistol qualification test. The final event is a timed 7.5 mile ruck march. Competitors are able to qualify for a bronze, silver, or gold medal.
Elon has hosted the GAFPB for the past four years, and plans to continue in the future. The event brings in cadets from not just the Elon Army ROTC program but from the Army ROTC program that supports the entire greater Greensboro area and from the Air Force ROTC Program that supports both the Greensboro and Winston Salem areas.
