Photo By Staff Sgt. Frank Brown | Lt. Col. Jeffery Searl, 709th Military Police Brigade Commander, receives a brief from...... read more read more
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Râmniçu Valcea, Romania – Saber Guardian benefits participating nations as it provides a crucial training opportunity to improve theater security cooperation and enhance joint and combined interoperability.
The 709th Military Police Battalion capitalized on the opportunity to work with NATO allies and partners by fully integrating them into operations in an austere environment in the Black Sea region. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Warrior Battalion is the Republic of Macedonia. With less than a day on the ground, the Macedonian Military Police immediately joined the fight, providing crucial security and maneuver and mobility support capability to the task force.
“It’s interesting to see how they operate compared to the way we do,” said 2nd Lt. Josh Penny, Base Defense Officer in Charge. “I think it helps fill the gap between things we hadn’t thought of and things they hadn’t considered. It gives us a much better perspective for the environment in Eastern Europe since they’re much more experienced in this region.”
A platoon of Macedonian soldiers also integrated into the 110th Military Police Company, a regionally allocated forces element from Fort Carson, Colorado. The 110th has augmented the 18th MP Brigade in Europe. The availability and employment of regionally allocated forces is central to deterring aggression and providing persistent, tangible evidence of U.S. commitment to our collective security.
Interoperability with the Macedonian military police continue in the Tactical Operations Center, greatly contributing to mission command. Logistics, maintenance and administration officers are partnered with Macedonian counterparts, effectively communicating and executing critical mission tasks for a successful operation.
“We’re conducting the Military Decision Making Process currently and our staff officers and NCOs are actively participating,” said Maj. Dimitar Kirkovski, Macedonian military police officer, who was appointed as Battalion Executive Officer for 709th Military Police Battalion. “Fortunately we have similar equipment and planning processes, it makes it easier to accomplish our goals quickly.
Kirkovski went on to speak about exercises like Saber Guardian being a laboratory for leadership.
“Even if units make mistakes during exercises, through learning and interoperability, they won’t make mistakes on the battlefield,” he said.
Participation in joint and combined exercises enhances our professional relationships and improves overall coordination with allied and partner militaries during times of crisis. The 709th has a long history with their Macedonian counterparts, including previous exercises such as Anakonda ’16. Continuous training sends a clear message that partner nations are capable of uniting and working together to respond more effectively to regional crises.
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2017 07:32 |
| Story ID: | 241129 |
| Location: | RâMNIçU VALCEA, RO |
| Web Views: | 256 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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