Photo By Sgt. Brandon Anderson | A Dutch soldier of the 11th Infantry Battalion adjusts a strap on his helmet after...... read more read more
SWIETOSZOW, Poland - Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Assault Helicopter Battalion) and Dutch Soldiers of the 11th Infantry Battalion conducted air assault operations together at the Swietoszow, Poland Airbase, June 17, 2015 during operation Noble Jump.
During the exercise, the Soldiers of 4-3 AHB, permanently stationed in Fort Stewart, Georgia, and currently attached to the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, are in Europe providing U.S. Army Aviation support for exercises being conducted here. Today they transported the Dutch Soldiers to conduct detainee and casualty evacuation missions.
The Dutch soldiers are part of a spearhead package designed by NATO to deploy within 48 hours in support of NATO operations.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Phillip W. Manzingo, the commander of 4-3 AHB, said working with the Dutch Soldiers during this exercise has been a growing experience for his unit.
“We've been able to get in here and understand how each country fights, and this has done a great deal to improve our ability to work with other nations,” said Mazingo. “We use their techniques for sling loads, the practice of transporting equipment underneath a helicopter, so we can understand their equipment and how they do it.”
Mazingo said he was grateful for the opportunity to train with the Dutch Soldiers during the exercise.
“It's been fantastic, and I'm very pleased with the ease of integration on all the training exercises,” said Mazingo. “We're a very powerful alliance through NATO, and we're able to get the mission done as a team.”
Integrating with U.S. Soldiers is not a new concept for the Dutch soldiers as they conduct regular training in Fort Hood, Texas, throughout the year in order to meet their training requirements as part of the NATO Reaction Force.
Danish Sgt. Maj. Van Nierlo, the helicopter operations noncommissioned officer for the 11th Infantry Battalion, said that he and his unit have completed many levels of training prior to coming to Noble Jump, but this exercise has allowed members of his unit to help train the U.S. Soldiers as well.
“They're really willing to fly and do the things we need to do,” said Van Nierlo. “They needed to do some certifications on sling loads and we've got enough stuff to sling and troops to sling with.”
One of the U.S. pilots flying the Dutch soldiers during the operation is Capt. Nathan Wagner, a pilot for 4-3 AHB. Wagner said he was impressed with how the training has went.
“The training here has been great,” said Wagner. “The Dutch soldiers do things a little bit differently than we do, so we were able to share our mutual knowledge, creating a great experience for us over all.”
Although this exercise comes to an end June 18, 2015, each group echoed the same sentiments by saying that the training they've received will help them work together more efficiently in the future.
Noble Jump is an exercise designed to test and refine the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, or VJTF, concept. The VJTF has been established to enhance NATO's ability to respond quickly to security challenges, particularly in response to threats along its southern and eastern borders.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2015 09:58 |
| Story ID: | 167112 |
| Location: | SWIETOSZOW, PL |
| Web Views: | 367 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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