MAHC Soldier earns coveted German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge

Story by Maria Christina Yager

Munson Army Health Center Public Affairs

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas – A Munson Army Health Center Soldier was among 48 United States and International Service Members on Fort Leavenworth to earn the coveted German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge.

After passing the rigorous test, Pfc. John Lingo, a pharmacy specialist at Munson, was awarded a Bronze GAFPB from the German Armed Forces Liaison officer on Fort Leavenworth on May 9.

The GAFPB is a decoration of the Bundeswher, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is one of the few foreign awards that service members in the U.S. military are approved to wear.

“We are very proud of him,” said Staff Sgt. John Langston, Munson pharmacy non-commissioned officer in charge. Langston and other Soldiers in the pharmacy began training for the test several months ago when the GAFPB test was announced.

“My chain of command suggested we do it,” said Lingo, who has been in the Army a little over a year.

To qualify, service members must demonstrate physical ability, and tactical and technical proficiency in eight events: sprints, flexed-arm hang, a 1000-meter run, 100-meter swim, first aid test, mission-oriented protective posture, weapons qualification, and road march. Events are evaluated using a combination of points and go/no go to earn either a Bronze, Silver, or Gold GAFPB.

“The swim was probably the hardest part for me,” said Lingo who had to swim 100 meters—a little more than the length of a football field—in uniform, in under four minutes.

“It was a lot harder than I expected,” said Langston, noting that the swim thwarted the other Munson Soldiers’ attempts.

According to GAFPB guidance minimum test requirements must be met, regardless of age or gender. If a candidate fails to meet the minimum requirement on any physical test or event, they will be disqualified.

“Outside of Germany, there are not a lot of opportunities for [U.S. Army] Soldiers to earn this badge,” said Sgt. Maj. Jason Trevino, Munson’s senior enlisted leader. “The testing for the GAFPB must be administered by a qualified German Physical Training Instructor, and certified U.S. military personnel must supervise U.S. participation for evaluation purposes.”

Trevino earned the Silver GAFPB in 2017 and said that he wanted to give Munson Soldiers an opportunity to compete because preparing for these events enhances individual Soldier readiness and capability.

“We are a small MTF. We encourage our Soldiers to take advantage of any opportunity to get additional training and experience that will enhance their skills,” Trevino said.

This was the first GAFPB test sponsored on Fort Leavenworth since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The German Armed Forces Liaison office, which oversees German Armed Forces personnel studying at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, on post, sponsored the event.

Langston said that he and other Munson Soldiers are inspired by Lingo’s achievement and will continue to train.

“[The GAFPB test] is going to be administered again in October and we will try to earn it then,” Langston said.

Munson Army Health Center supports more than 13,000 Military Health System beneficiaries on Fort Leavenworth and the greater Kansas City area.