Photo By Sgt. Elizabeth DeGroot | U.S. Soldiers assigned to “Viper Company," 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment,...... read more read more
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ROVANIEMI, FINLAND—The United States Army and the Finland Defense Forces conducted a Combined Maneuver Live Fire Exercise (LFX), Aug. 8-11, 2022. The LFX was part of a combined effort for Soldiers and conscripts alike to be able to work side by side, bolster an extended network of partnerships, and do so with the capability of decisively conquering challenges together.
Finland officials hosted the LFX in the country’s Rovaniemi Training Area with Finnish Army Jaeger Brigade and U.S. Soldiers assigned to “Viper” Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) participated.
“There [are] two goals for these types of exercises,” said U.S. Army Sgt. George Arthur Babbage, Alpha Team leader, 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon. “One goal is to prove we can successfully and safely perform these exercises to fight in that battle space. The second reason is to show the Finnish how we fight and to learn from them and hear how they’d like to see things done with us. [They] can also learn from us and show what might work better or doesn’t work so well on the terrain with the potential near-peer fights we may have in the future.”
Definitive objectives accomplished during the LFX included U.S. Soldiers learning Finnish weapon systems, tactics, and how to cross Finland’s highly-restrictive terrain, like Rovaniemi’s tightly-knit forest and waterlogged marshlands which could only be crossed dismounted. U.S. Soldiers and Finnish conscripts also actively honed battle skills by notionally seizing territory, conducting breaches, and occupying defensive positions. All platoons conducted hasty defense operations and repelled enemy counterattacks. The combined force executed these objectives over a series of maneuvers and attacks.
The first portion of the LFX took place Aug. 8, with the deployment and movement of troops through convoys and buses to the Rovaniemi Training Area from previous positions in Sodanklyä. Once in place, troops conducted a medical evacuation transportation operation.
The next day, platoons familiarized themselves with Finnish weapon systems and Finnish conscripts received experience with the U.S. Army Howitzers, utilizing the 105mm Howitzer Shell with blank ammo.
On Aug. 10, Soldiers and conscripts performed a combined arms maneuver live fire exercise: conducting a conditions check, a range safety brief, and ammunition draw. Unit leaders conducted a tactical exercise without troops—which is a wargame, or training exercise, where troops themselves are not deployed—and a combined arms rehearsal (CAR). U.S. Army officers used the CAR to explain their expert battle strategies for the following day’s operations, showing off a large representation of the seemingly unfamiliar battlefield and how and where they would move and operate.
During the exercise, Soldiers became acquainted with the Finnish terrain, which is heavily forested, cold, and in many parts, rife with hidden marshlands capable of consuming unsuspecting dismounts and vehicles. Finnish officers used their expertise to explain to American troops that Finnish service members rely heavily on their familiarity with the terrain. The topography is difficult to navigate for foreigners, which allows conscripts to operate and maneuver tactically, attacking as needed and essentially, as one officer phrased it, “vanishing back into the trees like ghosts into thin air.” The marshlands initially challenged the American troops as they crossed through it into the forest. However, under the guidance of the Finnish, they were able to learn the tips and tricks necessary for a successful crossing.
The final day concluded the LFX with the actual live fire portion: using live rounds rather than blanks. The ammunition draw took place then conscripts and Soldiers moved into positions, U.S. Soldiers now capable of operating Finnish weapon systems, such as the Bangalore, and navigating the challenging terrain with relative ease. After the exercise, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Commanding General Maj. Gen. Joseph P. McGee facilitated an After-Action Review along with Lt. Gen. Pasi Välimäki, commander of the Finnish Army. Soldiers and conscripts alike spoke highly of the overall experience, stating that it was good training and that it benefited them greatly to learn how to operate with one another as a combined team.
“Working with the Finnish Soldiers has been a good experience; it’s good to work with other nations,” said Sgt. Isaac Anest, a squad leader with the participating U.S. Army unit. “I think there should be more exercises like this because it promotes international cohesion. I’ve seen Soldiers and ‘the Finns’ trade so many patches and that, to me, just represents all the good that can come out of these experiences. You are taking and sharing from each other and that makes both our militaries better.”
It was agreed upon that when their forces combined, the two nations were stronger together.
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2022 09:54 |
| Story ID: | 427820 |
| Location: | FI |
| Web Views: | 235 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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