Photo By Sgt. Jared Sollars | U.S. Army paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Estonian Defense Force...... read more read more
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TAPA, Estonia - U.S. Army paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Estonian Defense Force soldiers conducted live-fire mortar training June 10 near Tapa, Estonia.
The mortar training is focused on building the relationship between the U.S. and Estonian armies. Paratroopers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment are partnered with and training alongside the Scouts Battalion of the Estonian Defense Force.
"This is a good opportunity to work with [the U.S. Army],” Estonian Defense Force Sgt. Kristjan Stanko, a forward observer with mortar platoon, Scouts Battalion, said. “I have never seen this before. In Estonia we don’t have 60 mm mortars, we only have 81 and 120. This is a good opportunity to see this.”
Company C’s partnership with the Estonian Defense Force is part of a larger unscheduled land-forces exercise happening simultaneously across the Baltic states, where approximately 600 paratroopers from the brigade are working with NATO allies in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to demonstrate commitment to NATO obligations and sustain interoperability with allied forces.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Dunn, mortar platoon leader for Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 503rd Inf. Regt., said ensuring American and European forces can work together as NATO allies across all levels is essential.
“It is extremely important we strengthen the bonds across the Baltic states,” Dunn said about integrating Estonian soldiers into his mortar section for the training exercise.
Stanko, who has deployed to Afghanistan twice, said the partnership between his country and the U.S. military is key, but he hasn’t had many chances to work directly with U.S. personnel.
“It is good for us. [The U.S.] is also part of NATO, and if something was to happen in our country you would probably come to help us out. It is good we can work with you and get to know you better.”
U.S. Army Sgt. Leonard Walker, a squad leader assigned to Company C, 1st Bn., 503rd Inf. Regt., said the training helps Soldiers unfamiliar with the 60 mm mortar to become more proficient with the smaller weapon, which many U.S. Soldiers do not train on during basic training.
“This is good training for our new guys getting hands on,” Walker said. “They get to be the gunners and take on a lot more responsibility.”
During the training, the combined mortar sections set-up two mortars and conducted registration, where mortar teams test-fire the mortars to ensure they are on line and hitting the same target; fire for effect, where one team fires until forward observers confirm the rounds are falling on target and both teams begin firing; and immediate suppression, where both teams shoot multiple rounds to assault an enemy force.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, is the Army 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.
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2014 11:29 |
| Story ID: | 133117 |
| Location: | HARJUMAA, EE |
| Web Views: | 428 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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