Photo By Kimberly Derryberry | Paratroopers from the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade,...... read more read more
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RUKLA, Lithuania - U.S. paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and soldiers from Lithuania’s Iron Wolf Mechanized Infantry Brigade celebrated the end of a two-week allied training exercise here May 22, 2014.
The exercise, Black Arrow, was held to improve interoperability between partner nations.
The closing ceremony and exercise demonstration was attended by several distinguished visitors, including Joseph A. Hamilton, representative for the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania; Juozas Olekas, Lithuanian minister of national defense; Marijus Velicka, Lithuanian vice-minister of national defense; and Lithuanian Maj. Gen. Almantas Leika, land force commander.
More than 100 U.S. and Lithuanian paratroopers conducted airborne operations together during the exercise. Many of these soldiers earned the right to wear the opposite nation’s unique set of airborne wings in the process.
In addition to combined airborne operations, the paratroopers conducted airfield seizures and air-defense artillery training during Black Arrow.
“I think one of challenges the [Lithuanian] battalion had was how to incorporate a U.S. light infantry company – airborne, at that – into a mechanized battalion exercise,” said Capt. Nicholas Salimbene, the commander of B Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade. “We had to be flexible in our mission planning. The best defense is a good offense.”
The U.S. and Lithuanian paratroopers’ field exercise kicked off with a May 17, 2014, airborne operation out of a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft.
“First, we conducted an airfield seizure, then we set up battle positions. Usually we’d seize the airfield and get out, but for this exercise, we stayed,” said Sgt. Amanda Donohue, a medic assigned to the brigade’s support battalion. “We also conducted ambushes and patrols, and everyone on both sides did a phenomenal job.”
“The [Lithuanians] have bent over backwards to accommodate us. Soldiers are Soldiers no matter where you go. It was nice to get to share that bond between NATO allies.” Salimbene said. “We’re really proud of everything we’ve done. We were very happy to be a part of this exercise, and we’re looking forward to the next one.”
The 173rd Airborne, based in Vicenza, Italy, is the U.S. Army’s Contingency Response Force in Europe, and is capable of projecting forces to conduct the full range of military operations across the United States European, Central and Africa commands’ areas of responsibility.
Approximately 600 paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade are in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as part of unscheduled land-forces exercises to demonstrate commitment to NATO obligations and sustain interoperability with allied forces.
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2014 03:59 |
| Story ID: | 131121 |
| Location: | RUKLA, LT |
| Web Views: | 354 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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