| Schützenschnur | |
|---|---|
 German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency |
|
| Awarded by the Federal Republic of Germany | |
| Type | Military Lanyard |
| Eligibility | Soldiers of the German armed forces and Allied nations |
| Awarded for | Marksmanship |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Description | Comes in three classes: gold, silver and bronze |
| Statistics | |
| Established | July 16, 1954 |
The German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency (German: Schützenschnur) is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The decoration is awarded to German military personnel of all grades, but is only allowed to be worn by enlisted members. The German armed forces regulations point out, that "the Schützenschnur is a decoration for weapons proficiency for enlisted soldiers." Therefore, officers are neither permitted to wear the award nor to receive it as a keepsake; but they may qualify for it. Foreign military members also may be awarded the badge, the German military regulation on officers still applies, permitting only the enlisted members to wear the badge.
In the United States military the German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency (Schützenschnur) is one of the few pre-approved foreign awards, requiring no individual approval request to be forwarded up the serviceman's chain of command to the United States Senate for acceptance. Occasion and manner of wear of the Schützenschnur are governed by the individual services' uniform regulations (e.g., Army Regulation 670-1); such regulations additionally specify the placement of the concealed button on the uniform with which to affix the Schützenschnur's rope.
To earn the award one must successfully shoot the German service rifle (G36), pistol (P8) and machine gun (MG3). The awarded grade is determined by the overall score.
Classes / Grades
- German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency in Bronze (Schützenschnur in Bronze) is awarded for shooting with the rifle and the pistol with a score in at least bronze.
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- The category of heavy weapons (most commonly the machine gun) is not mandatory to earn the bronze badge. The Rifle and Pistol are the only weapons that require minimally score of bronze.
- German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency in Silver (Schützenschnur in Silber) is awarded for shooting with all of the weapons with a score at least in silver
- German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency in Gold (Schützenschnur in Gold) is awarded for shooting with all or one of the weapons with a score at least in gold
Design
- The Army and Air Forces version of the award is a silver colored rope with a round metal badge on a flat end near the top of the rope, on its center it displays the German eagle surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves.
- The Navy version of the award looks the same except the rope's color is navy blue.
See also
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