173rd Airborne paratroopers conduct rapid deployment exercise into Germany

Photo By Spc. Brett Hurd | A Heavy Airlift Wing C-17 Globemaster, from Papa, Hungary, takes off from Aviano Air Base, Italy with U.S. Army paratroopers from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, as part of an emergency deployment exercise March 24. The 173rd Airborne Brigade, the Army’s contingency response force in Europe, providing ready forces to deploy anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa and Central Commands areas of responsibility within hours of alert. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Brett Hurd)  

GRAFENWOEHR, GERMANY

03.24.2015

Courtesy Story

173rd Airborne Brigade

by Sgt. David L. Nye
204th Public Affairs Detachment

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – Paratroopers from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, conducted an airborne operation here March 24 as part of an emergency deployment readiness exercise.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade, the Army’s contingency response force in Europe, providing ready forces to deploy anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa and Central Commands areas of responsibility within hours of alert

“The emergency deployment exercise tests how we get ready, get all of our equipment together, and deploy within 18 hours of notification,” said 1st Lt. John Fernandes, the 2nd Platoon leader for Company C, 2nd Battalion. “We flew from Aviano, Italy, and jumped into our training here at Grafenwoehr.

“After we got the call, we were on a [airplane] coming here the next day,” said Pfc. Bryan K. Keefe, a paratrooper from Company C. “I’m quite relieved when I jump…there is lots of weight on my shoulders and I’m just relieved to get it off.”

The parachute operation at Bunker Drop Zone was just the start of training and paratroopers immediately marched onward to other training events throughout the post, all facilitated by the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command.

“We have lots of new Soldiers in the unit,” said Fernandes. “We’re focusing on basic Soldier skills and getting these guys fully integrated into the unit.”

The paratroopers are sure of their ability to perform during the exercise.

“I was pretty confident about the EDRE,” said Keefe. “Our leaders train us well at this unit.”

The exercise was the latest in a series of international EDREs conducted by the brigade as part of the U.S. Army Europe’s "Freedom Shock" series of no-notice exercises, designed to improve readiness amongst the units based in Europe. The brigade kicked off this effort back in October, with an EDRE from Grafenwoehr into Romania, and has conducted similar exercises into Slovenia as well.

• Date Taken: 03.24.2015
• Date Posted: 04.01.2015 05:27
• Story ID: 158750
• Location: GRAFENWOEHR, DE