Reservists a Combat Multiplier in Defender Europe 21

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Sawyer | Sergeant 1st Class John Faller, Logistics Operations Noncommissioned Officer, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion checks vehicle information of incoming vehicles for exercise Swift Response 21. Swift Response 21 will occur May 6-11, as the airborne operation portion of DEFENDER-Europe 21. It will validate U.S. European Command's ability to send high readiness forces into a designated area by conducting an airborne exercise consisting of strategic jumps as part of a Joint Forcible Entry (JFE) in three countries to seize key terrain.  

PAPA AIRBASE, HUNGARY

05.06.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Jacob Sawyer  

173rd Airborne Brigade

Papa Airbase, Hungary – Two Army National Guard soldiers and one Army Reserve 
soldier is participating in Exercise Swift Response 21 as part of 173rd Airborne Brigade 
in Papa Airbase, Hungary. Exercise Swift Response 21 occurred May 6-11, as the Joint 
Forcible Entry portion of DEFENDER-Europe 21.


Swift Response 21 validated U.S. European Command's ability to send high readiness 
forces into a designated area via an airborne exercise spearheaded by the 82nd 
Airborne Division, and consisting of strategic jumps and airlifts as part of a Joint Forcible
Entry (JFE) in three countries to seize key terrain.

These three Soldiers are a part of the Contingency Operation for Active Duty 
Operational Support (CO-ADOS) program and have been seamlessly integrated with 
their new colleagues to ensure the success of the multiple operations going into the 
exercise.


“It’s a unique experience helping the brigade get ready for airborne [and} air assault 
operations,” said Maj. Sara Alan, Force Modernization Chief, Headquarters and 
Headquarters Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade. Alan comes from Joint Forces Headquarters, California National Guard.

“I’m also just getting together with all the different battalions to see what assistance they need when it comes to new equipment fielding and training for whatever is coming down next fiscal year.”

These Soldiers are able to serve in CO-ADOS positions in one year increments for a 
maximum of four years. As part of this mission, they help units execute unique 
missions, build working relationships and increase the brigade’s combat capabilities 
exponentially.

“It’s been great, said Sergeant 1st Class John Faller, Logistics Operations Noncommissioned Officer, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion. Faller’s home unit is 1st Squadron, 214th Cavalry, Texas Army National Guard.


“I was welcomed in and they made it known to me right off the bat that I was a combat 
multiplier and set me running. It’s been a pretty seamless transition really, I’m not 
treated any different than the other active duty Soldiers and that’s actually a good thing.”


As another combat multiplier in exercise Swift Response 21, Spc. Giovanny Lopez is a 
combat camera man serving at the brigade’s Public Affairs section. Lopez serves with 982nd Combat Camera Company, U.S. Army Reserve in Georgia.


“This exercise and this assignment have been quite interesting,” said Lopez. “I’ve been seeing 
a lot of equipment that I’ve never seen before and also experiencing more close contact
with airborne units and staff. Especially with the riggers that I’ve seen in videos and 
interviews but I have never seen them in person. So everything is very exciting and new
to me.”


While the COADOS soldiers were assigned to the brigade before the exercise, their 
presence and support to the brigade is critical to operations like Swift Response 21. The
 necessity to spread forces across multiple staging and operating bases, provide logistical support and inform the public is a key piece of these missions. The professional and capable augmentees from the reserve forces help make this happen.

This exercise not only tested the 173rd’s ability to shoot, move and communicate but 
also increased interoperability with NATO allies; as well as showcased allied access 
across three different countries.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army’s Contingency Response Force in Europe,
providing rapidly deployable forces for Combatant Commanders in the Africa, Central 
and European Command areas of responsibility. Forward deployed across Italy and 
Germany, the brigade routinely trains alongside NATO allies and partners to build 
partnerships and strengthen the alliance. As America’s only forward stationed Airborne 
Brigade, it is strategically positioned to rapidly deploy into an ambiguous operational 
environment to seize, retain and exploit the initiative, supporting the joint and coalition 
force to decisively win.

• Date Taken: 05.06.2021
• Date Posted: 05.16.2021 09:17
• Story ID: 396544
• Location: PAPA AIRBASE, HU