Joining forces: Bilateral training conducted in Lithuania

Photo By David Overson | Lithuanian Army Lt. Col. Viktoras Bagdonas, chief of staff for the Lithuanian Army "Griffin" Brigade, stands outside of the Lithuanian Tactical Operation Center during Allied Spirit VII, which took place at the U.S. Army's Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Nov. 18, 2017. Approximately 4,050 service members from 13 nations are participating in exercise Allied Spirit VII at 7th Army Training Command’s Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, Oct. 30 to Nov. 22, 2017. Allied Spirit is a U.S. Army Europe-directed, 7ATC-conducted multinational exercise series designed to develop and enhance NATO and key partner’s interoperability and readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. David Overson)  

ALYTUS, LITHUANIA

07.16.2015

Story by Sgt. James Avery 

7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

ALYTUS, Lithuania – A bilateral exercise was conducted today by U.S. Army and Lithuanian Land Forces Soldiers as part of Atlantic Resolve, a multinational training and security cooperation of NATO allies, taking place across Europe.

The exercise was a land patrol involving Soldiers from Dog Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) and 2nd Platoon, 2nd Coy, Grand Duke Birute Uhlan Battalion, which required the two units work and communicate with each other.

The plan was simple enough: Patrol an area roughly two square miles in size and, together, keep the area secure from possible insurgent threats that might be in area of operation.

While neither unit spoke each other’s language very well, they all spoke Army, meaning they could get their thoughts across to one another using hand signals and basic speech or movements. This was helpful when, later an unknown force in the tree line of a nearby forest attacked them.

In command of the U.S. side of the patrol was Spc. Sean Jannicelli-Broda, he deployed his Soldiers along with LLF Lt. Arvydas Lukosevicius, 2nd Platoon Leader for 2nd Coy, Uhlan Battalion, in command of the LLF Soldiers. Together they deployed their units into the woods, established suppressive fire with light machine guns and small arms fire and flanked the enemy.

Moving as one unit, both the U.S. and LLF Soldiers suppressed and captured the enemy forces within their patrol sector, thereby completing the day’s training and achieving the approval of their evaluator, LLF 2nd Lt. Ernestas Ambrasas, 3rd Platoon Leader for 2nd Coy, Uhlan Battalion.

“The training went well today,” said Ambrasas, a native of Vilnius, Lithuania. “The platoons moved tactically and efficiently and communicated well. It’s important to train with our allies because it’s enhances the security of both units allows us to conduct other operations with them well.”

At the end of the exercise, the two units came together to congratulate each other on a job well done. Jannicelli-Broda could only smile and said he was glad his Soldiers had the benefit of knowing their jobs well, and while there were stumbling block along the way, the mission went smoothly for two units who had previously not worked together that closely.

“Today we shared experiences and tactics together,” said Jannicelli-Broda, a native of Souderton, Pennsylvania. “We showed what we [U.S.] are capable of, they [LFF] showed us what they’re capable of, and to show the world what we’re capable of together.”

• Date Taken: 07.16.2015
• Date Posted: 07.16.2015 16:19
• Story ID: 170239
• Location: ALYTUS, LT