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Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

VICENZA, Italy — Italian and U.S. Soldiers accepted the challenge of earning the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge at various locations throughout Caserma Del Din, Feb. 2-6.

The GAFPB is a German Bundeswehr (armed forces) decoration that is one of the few foreign awards approved for wear on formal U.S. service uniforms.

Over 110 candidates reported for the assessment. U.S. participants included 99 Soldiers representing the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 207th Military Intelligence Brigade (T), 517th Geospatial Planning Cell, 79th Theater Sustainment Command (FWD), 21th Theater Sustainment Command, and U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF). Italian soldiers with the Esercito Italiano’s “Folgore” Parachute Brigade also tested for the badge.

German soldiers assigned to Support Battalion 8, 10th Panzer Division, proctored the assessment that determined whether candidates met the standard to wear one of the badge’s three qualification levels: gold, silver or bronze.

The evaluation’s intended goals included strengthening bonds between SETAF-AF directorates and adjacent units, building partner-nation military relations, and promoting esprit de corps while showcasing military and physical preparedness.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Mitchell Hansen, executive officer for SETAF-AF’s intelligence and sustainment company, considered earning the GAFPB to be an important accomplishment at SETAF-AF, considering the extensive work his team does with allies and partners in Europe. Hansen also tested for his own badge while serving as officer in charge during the assessment, primarily acting as liaison.

“It builds trust and camaraderie working with our German partners… so we can complete our mission both in Europe and in Africa,” Hansen said. “This training has really opened my eyes, working with our Italian and German partners, because they each have different processes for completing the mission.”

Over four days, participants completed the Bundeswehr’s Basic Fitness Test, swimming and pistol marksmanship assessments, as well as a road march ranging from 3.72 to 7.45 miles (6 to 12 kilometers per German military regulations) with a 35-pound pack. Academic testing required participants to demonstrate first-aid competency and proficiency in chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear training.

Hansen considered the 100-meter swim to be the most challenging single event, which requires candidates to swim the distance in full uniform, then take off their blouses and trousers and throw them out of the pool.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michelle Alvarado, an all-source intelligence analyst assigned to the 17th Military Intelligence Company, 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), concurred with Hansen on the difficulty of the badge’s swim requirement. Having previously earned her U.S. Army Expert Soldier Badge, Alvarado said that the swim presented “a different type of challenge,” highlighting it as an example of skill sets candidates had to improve for GAFPB testing.

“I would usually never be [swimming] for my occupation,” Alvarado said. “Training with allied forces teaches us how differently they operate in different environments, what they’re proficient in, and what we can learn from them.”

Bundeswehr Capt. Stefanie Mayer, executive officer for 2nd Company, Support Battalion 8, led the team that administered the GAFPB testing and noted that both American and Italian candidates were “very fit and very trained.” She also pointed out other benefits of allies forming personal bonds while rising to meet the same challenges together.

“Especially notable was the camaraderie between the candidates,” Mayer said. “They were cheering each other on and having fun with these disciplines. We are looking forward to repeating this event again, maybe forming a lasting partnership [with the I&S company], and hopefully having the opportunity to come back or have a team do something with an American proficiency badge for German soldiers.”

The week’s assessment ended with an awards ceremony Feb. 6, when GAFPB candidates received recognition for their efforts. After organizers calculated the final scores, U.S. recipients had earned 11 gold, 30 silver and 19 bronze GAFPBs. The Italian cohort received six gold and six silver badges.

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

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Source: United States Army

RAMSTEIN, Germany — More than 400 students at Ramstein Elementary School recently received a hands-on lesson in science thanks to volunteers from Public Health Command Europe.

Over the course of one week, entomologist Captain Jordan Cornell and Preventive Medicine Sergeant Devin Gay spent Monday and Wednesday mornings visiting first- and second-grade classrooms, introducing students to the life cycle of insects and the role entomology plays in public health. Through interactive discussions and real-life examples, Cornell and Gay explained what defines an insect, what insects do in the environment and why understanding them matters.

For many students, the highlight of the visit came when the team brought live cockroaches to the classroom. Students were given the opportunity to observe and touch the insects if they wished. The experience sparked excitement, curiosity, and plenty of questions.

“The kids truly enjoyed it,” Cornell said. “I’m always amazed by the questions children ask. They’re curious, engaged, and genuinely excited to learn. Seeing that enthusiasm, especially when they discover they share a passion for bugs, is incredibly rewarding.”

The visit also gave students a rare opportunity to meet a subject matter expert from Public Health Command Europe. In addition to teaching about insects, Capt. Cornell spoke about his profession and how entomology supports public health by helping prevent the spread of insect-borne diseases.

Teachers at Ramstein Elementary School welcomed the opportunity. Beatrice Whitely, a teacher at the school, said both staff and students had been eagerly anticipating the visit.

“We were all very much looking forward to this experience,” she said. “Students were able to relate to Capt. Cornell’s presentation about insects and the types of life cycles as they have studied life science as part of the curriculum.”

Students echoed that excitement. Olivia, a second grader who participated in the lesson, said she loved learning about insects, even if some of them were a little unsettling. “It was so cool to learn about bugs,” she said. “The cockroaches were huge and kind of creepy, but I hope they comes back soon.”

The entomology team volunteered their time to reach more than 400 children during the week, reinforcing lessons they had already begun in the classroom and expanding their understanding through real-world examples.

Looking ahead, Cornell is working toward establishing a more robust volunteer partnership between Public Health Command Europe and Ramstein Elementary School. His goal is to eventually invite students to visit the laboratory and entomology department, allowing them to see firsthand how insects are studied and how that work supports the health and safety of the military community.

Source: United States Army

CINCU, ROMANIA – In the rolling hills of central Romania, eight NATO nations gathered at the Land Forces Combat Training Center Getica with their eyes fixed on the virtual battlefield for the initial phase of Dynamic Front 2026.

This year, U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Multi-Domain Command Europe had the unique opportunity to train alongside NATO Allies and partners as they executed a command post exercise utilizing the Romanian simulation center in Cincu.

Modern warfare continues to shape artillery operations and requires a multi-domain approach to effectively fight and win. Exercises like Dynamic Front 26 are critical to test capabilities that counter anti-access/ area denial (A2/AD), and counter mass and momentum through multi-domain kill webs.

Through numerous years of training, NATO Allies and partners have proven their ability to execute live-fire missions together. As a result, Multi-Domain Command Europe has now shifted the strategic focus to simulation and command and control to test multinational integration of fires across a distributed battlefield.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Caleb Ayers, master gunner for launcher fires and a lead planner for the exercise assigned to Multi-Domain Command Europe, emphasized how Dynamic Front leverages technology to increase interoperability and maintain the advantage.

“The purpose of the exercise at this moment is to test artillery cooperation across Europe. Dynamic Front helps everyone to operate in a distributed battlefield through the Artillery Systems Cooperation Activities (ASCA) connections,” said Ayers.

ASCA is a software program designed to allow shared data using the same tactical internet network across multiple nations. The technology creates a common digital language, increasing the speed and accuracy of multinational fire mission processing and reducing the likelihood of errors.

“You can have missions going across multiple countries with one control. For Dynamic Front 26, we have our control here in Romania, but we have missions that can go to Germany, Poland, and Spain. We can disperse across the entire theater and maintain that communication,” said Ayers.

During execution of the command post exercise, ASCA served as the universal translator and allowed NATO participants to act as a unified front to protect the Alliance. Regardless of nationality or location on the battlefield, the exercise confirmed U.S. and NATO’s ability to share information instantly and accurately to deliver precision fires.

Spanish Armed Forces Lt. Col. Francisco Morejón, commander of the 1-63 Multiple Launch Rocket System Battalion, Field Artillery Command Spain, spoke on how his unit effectively utilized these systems to communicate over 1500 miles away.

“This exercise is very important because it demonstrates the interoperability we have in terms of fires and command and control systems. We receive fire missions from 8th Brigade (Romania) and we translate it into real targets using the same command and control systems to connect to our platoons in Spain,” said Morejón.

Through the simulation, NATO forces replicated realistic scenarios and tested their ability to operate collectively in complex, contested operational environments. The command post exercise affirmed U.S. and NATO’s commitment to deterrence and stability across the European theater.

Ultimately, Dynamic Front continues to demonstrate how Allied forces fight as one team when it matters most. U.S. and NATO forces have now transitioned to the live fire portion across four different countries to validate the digital command and control with tangible, real-world effects.