Courtesy Photo | Peter Schneider, of Munich, asks a question during a press conference at Joint...... read more read more
HOHENFELS, Germany — As 4,700 military members from 17 countries converged at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) here, one of the smallest units captured the most double-takes. The mission of the eight-member 116th Public Affairs Detachment (116th PAD) had them interacting with numerous Soldiers from across Europe and the United States. That alone tends to make the military journalists stand out in a blur of camouflage as they reach out to make connections and form relationships. The composition of the group, however, garnered more attention than usual.
The entire North Dakota Army National Guard unit is all female. Led by Capt. Kristi Blair, commander, and the unit’s first sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Billie Jo Lorius, the women have been busy interviewing military members, shooting video and capturing photos during Saber Junction 15, a multinational training exercise focused on promoting interoperability among NATO allies. The vast majority of participants are male, with most U.S. Soldiers serving in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, or the 2nd Cavalry Regiment.
While women comprise a greater percentage of North Dakota Guardsmen now than ever before, this is believed to be the first all-female deployment overseas for the North Dakota Army National Guard. The unit includes two Soldiers augmenting from other states, Florida and Utah.
“We have a unit full of very strong, independent and intelligent women,” said Sgt. Jennifer Joyce. “We have very well-established friendships within the unit and our respect for each other makes the training even more valuable. We all are able to teach and learn from each other to become more proficient in our roles. Our relationships will certainly outlast any of our terms of enlistment.”
Multinational training
Despite the attention the group gets for standing out in a training area filled with infantrymen, combat engineers and armament Soldiers, the women remain focused on the job they, too, have to do at the JMRC.
After arriving April 9, the 116th PAD Soldiers set to work reporting on the initial Saber Junction training. For eight days, they shared visual and written stories on everything from Latvian soldiers training alongside U.S. forces to M1132 Stryker engineer squad vehicles clearing minefields to how training continues to transition following the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Working with multinationals is always a great learning opportunity” said Spc. Jess Raasch. “I had the chance to learn from the Latvian soldiers and hear their stories. You can’t put a price on the value of this experience.”
The group wrote nearly 20 stories, produced five video news reports and published significantly more photos and b-roll video footage of the training during the first half of the three-week mission. The latter half included daily news packages from each Soldier.
Role playing
Then, the Soldiers changed hats – literally. They left their uniforms behind and transitioned into civilian journalists working for news services developed as part of a large-scale game of sorts. Each assumed a new persona, clipped on a press pass and grabbed a camera for eight more days of training, but in a highly organized and scripted force-on-force training environment.
“I had a blast working with the oppositional forces,” said Staff Sgt. Sara Marchus, who worked closely with the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment. “I had the opportunity to ride along in an M113 armored personnel carrier, operate a turret and fire a simulated round from it. Learning about their job and seeing the impact that it has on a larger scale has really been a valuable experience. It has been a true example of brothers and sisters in arms working cohesively to complete the mission.”
The large-scale training event moved across the JMRC, incorporating complex scenarios with civilians, minefields, radioactive substances, roadblocks, chemical attacks, press conferences, maneuver forces, civilian political leaders and more.
PAD Soldiers reported on the events under assumed names and dictated roles for simulated news agencies for both sides of the scripted conflict. They interviewed civilian grocery store owners, internally displaced personnel and NATO members throughout the training area on their experiences. The questions helped prepare NATO troops for what they might encounter from actual media during a deployment.
They also partnered with German civilians in the role-playing, which gave them the added bonus of forming stronger international relationships while learning more about the history and culture of the area.
“It was very interesting to hear their life stories, experiences and their appreciation of our units and their mission. One of the COBs (civilians on the battlefield) was from East Germany, and recalled U.S. Soldiers liberating his home town as a child, 70 years ago this month,” said Staff Sgt. Carmen Steinbach.
In the meantime, the PAD Soldiers wrote stories, documented the events with photos, produced broadcast news packages and voiced radio news reports that were posted online for their respective news stations as a way to direct the story line in the evolving conflict.
“This training is different from anything we’ve previously done,” Blair said. “It broadens our abilities as journalists and also offers a unique opportunity to the rotational units to have realistic interaction with what would be civilian media in a real-world environment.”
One-of-a-kind experiences
Public affairs ranks among one of the most-deployed MOSs, or military occupational specialties, in the U.S. Army. That means this group of Soldiers has had the opportunity to tell the story of their fellow service members at locations across the globe.
This mission brought them in touch with even more countries as military members came to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center from Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Sweden and the U.S. It provided lessons in interoperability while giving the Soldiers an opportunity to learn more about the global military environment and work to overcome challenges, from barriers in language to new terminology.
“There have been several challenges that we have encountered during our training here, but each was an opportunity for individual and professional growth,” Lorius said. “As a result, we will all have skills and memories that we will carry with us throughout our lifetimes. Each of the Soldiers here has done an outstanding job in their fields, seeking out stories and taking each moment as a way to learn more and tell the story about other countries and the exercise.”
Lorius marked her 20th year of service in the military while in Germany, and used her experience to mentor younger Soldiers.
Beyond the training value, the Soldiers embraced the opportunity to strengthen as a team in one of the more unique deployments of their careers.
“As I complete my last training before retiring from the National Guard, it’s interesting to reflect on the changes from my first training event,” said Sgt. 1st Class Amy Wieser Willson, who also has served 20 years. “I enlisted into an engineer unit and was one of few women in the company. The Guard has changed a lot since then, and it’s a pleasure to end my career surrounded by young, motivated and passionate women who will continue to grow in their careers while telling the military story.”
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2015 21:26 |
| Story ID: | 161608 |
| Location: | HOHENFELS, DE |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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