‘Sky Soldiers’ jump into Lithuania

Photo By Corinna Baltos | RUKLA, Lithuania – Spc. Heath Stacy, a paratrooper from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, gathers his parachute after landing in a drop zone near Rukla, Lithuania Sept. 13. Stacy’s company jumped into Lithuania to begin a several month training rotation with the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, is the Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, and is capable of projecting forces to conduct a full range of military operations across the United States European, Central and Africa Command areas of responsibility within 18 hours. Operation Atlantic Resolve is a U.S. led effort in Eastern Europe that demonstrates U.S. commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region.  

RUKLA, LITHUANIA

09.13.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Corinna Baltos 

24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

RUKLA, Lithuania – The green silk parachutes tumbled out of the back of the plane on a windy September afternoon. From the ground it looked peaceful. However, looks can be deceiving.

The parachutes held paratroopers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade. They jumped into Lithuania Sept. 13 during an airborne insertion exercise here in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

“This jump was different from other ones,” said Sgt. Joshua Boguslofski, referencing the high winds that prevented some of his fellow paratroopers from jumping. “But you have to be prepared to jump in all types of weather.

Boguslofski said that he was looking forward to training in Lithuania.

“Most units don’t have the opportunity to go somewhere and focus exclusively on training,” he said. “This is a rare opportunity for us, and I am looking forward to it.”

The jump into Lithuania was one of four jumps into four different Eastern European countries the battalion participated in over a three-day period to demonstrate its ability to conduct a full of range of military operations across Europe in a short period of time.

Each company within the battalion will spend the next several months training with and alongside their host-nation counterparts. This is not the first time, Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne have trained in Lithuania. In April, 2014 the Brigade conducted a training rotation with the Lithuanian Army’s “Iron Wolf” Mechanized Infantry Brigade. Over the last few years the U.S. military has maintained a presence in the Baltic Region through rotational deployments, and bilateral training and exercises.

“We have high expectations for the “Sky Soldiers,” said Lithuanian Col. Dalius Pulekauskas, chief of staff, Lithuanian Armed Forces. “We will challenge you over the next few months, and we look forward to working with you.”

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The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, is the Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, and is capable of projecting forces to conduct full of range of military operations across the United States European, Central and Africa Commands areas of responsibility within 18 hours. Operation Atlantic Resolve is U.S. led effort in Eastern Europe that demonstrates U.S. commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region.

• Date Taken: 09.13.2016
• Date Posted: 09.13.2016 17:37
• Story ID: 209462
• Location: RUKLA, LT