Cadets tackle German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge events • United States Air Force Academy

Cadet 1st Class Leo Sterns Rentas, right, observes an Air National Guard Airman accomplish nuclear, biological and chemical training at the U.S. Air Force Academy Oct. 25, 2024. Cadets joined Air National Guard Airmen and U.S. Soldiers from Fort Carson, Colorado, in the German Armed Forces Proficiency Program events Oct. 25 and 28-29. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

By Randy RoughtonU.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Cadets assisted Air National Guard Airmen and U.S. Army Soldiers during German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge events held at the U.S. Air Force Academy and Fort Carson, Colorado, Oct. 25 and 28-29.

About 60 cadets also participated in marksmanship and ruck march events. After completing the first event, participants have one calendar year to complete the remaining events to earn the badge.

The German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge is a Federal Republic of Germany’s Bundeswehr military decoration. It is one of the few foreign awards approved for U.S. servicemembers who earn it. The program exposes cadets and active-duty military members to the same strenuous events German armed forces complete annually.

A German officer must facilitate the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge Program events for U.S. servicemembers. The Academy is the only place in the Colorado Springs area where service members can earn the badge because German Air Force Lt. Col. Holger Mueller is assigned here as a German language instructor and liaison officer.

The Academy’s German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge Program is one of the few programs that allow cadets to work with partner forces and coordinate, plan and execute events for active-duty military members.

“The Academy and Fort Carson events were examples of the Joint Force and Total Force working with allies and partners,” said Cadet 1st Class Leo Sterns Rentas, a pre-medical Biology major who earned the gold level of the decoration during his second semester at the Academy in the spring of 2022. He is now the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge Program assistant cadet in charge.

“The program’s mission is to help develop future warfighters qualified in military proficiency, physical fitness and mental toughness,” Sterns Rentas said. “Achieving a prestigious military decoration like the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge shows you are taking the initiative to improve yourself as a future commissioned officer and warfighter.”

Colorado Air National Guard Airmen complete a 100-meter swim in operational camouflage pattern uniforms in the U.S. Air Force Academy community pool at the U.S. Air Force Academy Oct. 25, 2024. Cadets joined ANG Airmen and U.S. Soldiers from Fort Carson, Colorado, in the German Armed Forces Proficiency Program events Oct. 25 and 28-29. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

Program participants completed a basic fitness test, first aid exam, nuclear, biological and chemical Mission Oriented Protective Posture level 4 protective gear test, pistol and rifle marksmanship, timed march with a 33-pound rucksack and 100-meter swimming events. The fitness test consisted of an 11×10 meter shuttle run, flexed-arm hang or pull-ups and a 1000-meter run within 90 minutes.

German Lt. Col. Holger Mueller is pictured at the U.S. Air Force Academy Oct. 25, 2024. Cadets joined Colorado Air National Guard Airmen and U.S. Army Soldiers from Fort Carson, Colorado, in the German Armed Forces Proficiency Program events. A German officer must facilitate the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge Program events for U.S. servicemembers to earn the badge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

“All elements of the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge program cover the basic skillset every soldier needs, independent from the specific service branch.” said Mueller. “Therefore, every German armed forces soldier completes all elements once a year. When you don’t just fulfill the minimum requirements, you prove you stand out with your abilities. Those extraordinary abilities, which you need in all areas, will be recognized by the wearing of the badge.”

The badge was a source of pride for Rentas when he earned it as a four-degree cadet. He has since used the achievement as a springboard to leadership opportunities in the Cadet Wing.

“My advice is to take the opportunities you find as a cadet and keep trying to achieve your goals,” Sterns Rentas said. “Earning the badge as a fourth-class cadet was very hard. I had to develop a discipline plan, visit the swimming pool and maybe 30 minutes in the gym daily. But earning that badge at the Academy and being able to wear it into the operational U.S. Air Force made my efforts well worth it.”

Sterns Rentas and the program cadet in charge, Cadet 1st Class Peter Rickard, will graduate this year, but they compiled a continuity book to help the Academy program continue after they graduate.

“Creating a continuity book was essential to ensure future cadets can build on this program, which fosters international cooperation and professional growth,” Sterns Rentas said. “My hope is that it evolves into a lasting tradition that inspires cadets, Airmen, and Soldiers to strive for excellence, strengthens bonds with our allies, and fortifies the collective strength of our future military leaders.”

German Air Force Lt. Col. Holger Mueller, German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge Program officer in charge, middle, and U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Leo Sterns Rentas, second from right, discuss the day’s events with U.S. Army and German soldiers at the U.S. Air Force Academy Oct. 25, 2024. Cadets joined Colorado Air National Guard Airmen and U.S. Soldiers from Fort Carson, Colorado, in the German Armed Forces Proficiency Program events Oct. 25 and 28-29. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

See more photos of the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge events on Flickr.