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    173rd Airborne Brigade leads bi-lateral Urban Operations training

    173rd Airborne Brigade leads bi-lateral Urban Operations training

    Photo By Sgt. 1st Class William Tanner | U.S. Army Spc. Tamaricus Tanner (center), infantryman, along with other Paratroopers...... read more read more

    DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, Poland – Teamwork is a something U.S. Soldiers strive to improve on everyday. It contributes to the overall success of missions. Building cohesive teams requires a skillset that all good leaders need. Every good leader spends some time every day teaching their subordinates to both be part of, and how to build, a motivated, creative and determined team, that is always ready to face the next challenge.

    Working as a team is also something that the U.S. military works to improve on with its NATO Allies. Through bi-lateral training events and community engagements, U.S. Army leaders are continually making progress improving interoperability and readiness with Allied militaries.

    This was demonstrated in the most recent urban operations training event that took place between the Paratroopers assigned to Company D, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade and Polish Soldiers assigned to the 6th Airborne Battalion, 16th Airborne Brigade in Wedrzyn, Poland, on November 21, 2016.

    “We have been working on urban operations with the Polish by teaching how we do it and learning how they do it,” 1st. Lt. Alexander Canacci, officer in charge of range operations, D Co., 503rd Inf. Regt., 173rd Abn. Bde., said. “The biggest thing is the constant improvement and a shared trust between the two countries.”

    Throughout the unit’s rotation in Poland this year, the “Sky Soldiers” have been constantly training side-by-side with Polish Soldiers to improve their skills. Throughout this process the Paratroopers have learned from their European brethren as well, while Soldiers from both countries have shared a fundamental knowledge of what it takes to be infantry.

    “For us,” Pfc. Mariusz Kwidzinskei, a Polish Soldier assigned to 6th Abn. Bn., 16th Abn. Bde., said, “it is really important when we can train with other armies, like the American army, because we can watch your technique and compare it with ours. We can take your part of the technique and if it’s good for us, we will try it too.”

    A part of the mission throughout Eastern Europe for the 173rd Abn. Bde. is to help strengthen the NATO Alliance. This is done in part by enhancing Allies' light infantry tactical capabilities by sharing tactics and training techniques and procedures. The integration of this goal into everyday training is the key to success for the unit during its rotation at Atlantic Resolve.

    “Building a shared understanding and a mutual trust is what this is all about,” Canacci said. “So, if I understand how he does it and he understands how I do it, we don’t necessarily have to do it the same way.

    “As long as we understand what each others outcome is going to be,” he said, “we will accomplish the mission together -- even if we don’t have the same tactics when going into a situation.”

    As the U.S. continues its commitment to Poland and its NATO Allies in the Baltics, the “Sky Soldiers” of the 173rd Abn. Bde. will continue to be a part of a multinational force that spans international borders, enhancing NATO’s collective capabilities.

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 11.22.2016
    Date Posted: 11.22.2016 17:21
    Story ID: 215670
    Location: WEDRZYN, PL

    Web Views: 166
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN