Marines, Black Sea Allies complete Exercise Platinum Eagle

Photo By Sgt. Sean Berry | U.S. Marines with Black Sea Rotational Force 17.1 engage targets with the 81 mm Mortar during the final range of Exercise Platinum Eagle aboard Smardan Training Area, Romania, Feb. 28, 2017. Five partner countries from the Black Sea region came together for the nearly two week training event to increase interoperability through combined arms training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sean J. Berry)  

SMARDAN TRAINING AREA, ROMANIA

03.03.2017

Story by Cpl. Sean Berry 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

U.S. Marines from Black Sea Rotational Force 17.1 and soldiers from various allied nations attended Exercise Platinum Eagle 17.1 to increase the ability to fight together through combined arms training aboard Smardan Training Area, Romania from Feb. 19-March 1, 2017.
“We’re here training with our NATO allies along with several other regional partners to increase our interoperability at the battalion and even smaller unit level,” said Capt. Chase Bradford, the company commander for Weapons Company, Black Sea Rotational Force 17.1. “This is to share our techniques and procedures at the tactical level to ensure that if we’re ever called upon to defend together one of our NATO allies or regional partners that we have the shared experiences of working together in the past.”
The exercise included various ranges throughout the nearly two week training evolution to include dismount ranges that allowed the countries to be able to train bounding and covering ground as squad sized units.
“We’re here building those relationships with other nations,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Moyer, a platoon sergeant with the unit. “A lot of times we don’t have that opportunity being able to work with them, and overcoming difficulties, and building faith and trust in our ability to work with other countries despite language barriers and different tactics and procedures.”
The event also allowed countries to learn from each other as they took on the various courses of fire and witnessed the capabilities of their allies.
“It’s great to see the different ways that different people do things,” said Moyer.
This was the first of series of military-to-military training events for BSRF 17.1 on their deployment to Eastern Europe as they look to improve their ability to work with partner nations in the region.
“I think the most important thing the Marines can take away from here is the shared understanding of the techniques and procedures that our partners use to fight at the tactical level as well as the relationships that they’re going to build out here,” said Bradford. “I wake up every morning and look at my job as a Marine officer in one way; and that’s to make sure the Marines are well trained and well taken care of to complete any mission that we ask them to accomplish.”

• Date Taken: 03.03.2017
• Date Posted: 03.03.2017 11:15
• Story ID: 225567
• Location: SMARDAN TRAINING AREA, RO