Every soldier of the Bundeswehr, of any rank, can earn the Leistungsabzeichen, the proficiency badge. It was first announced in the White Paper of 1970, and it comes in bronze, silver and gold.
The tests include a march with a 15-kilogram pack, a fitness test, swimming 100 meters in clothes, shooting and first aid. One rule sets the overall level. Die schwächste Einzelleistung bestimmt die Gesamtwertungsstufe. The weakest single result determines the overall level.