Puma 15 marks first for Polish, French and American armies

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from the Polish, French and American armies stand beneath their country's flags at the closing ceremony of Puma 15 at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area May 29, 2015. Puma15 is a joint training exercise involving the Polish, U.S. and French armies. During the exercise, elements from each force worked and trained together to enhance interoperability between the partnered militaries. The U.S. participation in Puma 15 is part of Atlantic Resolve, an ongoing multinational partnership focused on joint training and security cooperation between NATO allies. (Photo courtesy of French Army)  

DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, POLAND

06.01.2015

Story by Sgt. Brandon Anderson 

13th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP KONOTOP, Poland - Soldiers from the Polish, American and French armies completed a multi-battalion-sized training exercise May 29 at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area in Poland. The exercise between the NATO allies, although not new to Poland, is the first the partners have conducted with battalions from each respective nation.

The annual Polish-led exercise simulated an operation where armored assets from the partner nations secure the battlefield by advancing, engaging and securing their assigned objectives.

Polish Army Col. Piotr Bieniek the deputy commander of Poland's 15th Mechanized Brigade, said the exercise was designed to test the abilities and skills of the partner nations in working together.

We've been working from the squad all the way down to the platoon level in preparation for this,” said Bieniek. “This is designed to show our capabilities and skills to work together as a team.”

Emphasizing the teamwork required for the event, French Army Lt. Col. Henri le Losq, commander of the 12th Cuirassiers Regiment, said it was a great opportunity for him and his unit to be working with the other nations during the exercise.

“It was a good opportunity for us to discover and develop tactics and fire,” said le Losq.

Le Losq emphasized it was more than just firing tanks – there was also cross training going on with the medical teams.

The executive officer of 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army Maj. John Womack, said his unit has been training in Drawsko Pomorskie for several months, but participating in Puma 15 has been unique for his unit.

“I think what makes this exciting for us is ... doing this kind of training at the battalion level with Polish, French, and American soldiers working together to make a battalion certification exercise a success as allies,” said Womack.

The U.S. units here are part of Atlantic Resolve, an ongoing multinational partnership focused on joint training and security cooperation between NATO allies, whose mission is the continued peace and stability of Europe.

“We're here because of the NATO alliance,” said Womack. “The NATO alliance is the strongest alliance in the world, and we've proven that.”

The final stage of the exercise was conducted with an attack scenario, where an attacking unit passes forward through a friendly line of defense and attacks to seize an objective.

The live-fire exercise saw Polish attack helicopters synchronized with American and Polish mortar fire, all while Polish, French and American tank crews engaged and defeated the enemy.

After the exercise, soldiers of the Polish, American and French armies participated in a closing ceremony where individual soldiers from the participating countries received awards for their work during Puma 15.

Multinational exercises are set to continue in NATO countries across Europe over the coming months.

• Date Taken: 06.01.2015
• Date Posted: 06.01.2015 09:28
• Story ID: 165060
• Location: DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, PL