Photo By Sgt. Cecil Elliott II | A M1A2 Abrams tank with 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade...... read more read more
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BEMOWO PISKIE, Poland - From its inception, exercise Dragon 24 was designed to test NATO’s interoperability. The exercise consisted of over 20,000 troops from nine NATO allied countries encompassing a river crossing, a long and arduous road movement designed to test troops, machines and ability to sustain them. It culminated in a display of lethality through a multi-day stress exercise that highlighted armored gunnery proficiency and artillery coordination across cultural, language and weapon system platforms. Dragon 24 displayed NATO allies as being truly stronger together.
Dragon 24 started with a multinational movement across a body of water called a wet gap crossing. The crossing began early in the morning, March 4, 2024, with Polish, French and German troops successfully crossing the Omulew River near Sedrowo, Poland, with the help of numerous logisticians and military engineers, enabling freedom of movement for the multinational armored forces across the formidable terrain feature, ensuring the tanks making the crossing were in fighting shape on the other side.
“What we’re doing here during this exercise is lots of things. Starting with the Vistula River, we did a river-crossing down in that town and then we came up to [Sedrowo, Poland] to do live-fire training,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kenton Komives, commander of 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. “We’re doing a lot of interoperability training, learning how other nations and NATO fight, and then how we can fight together to be better as an organization.”
The troops, equipment and tanks dried off and pushed forward toward their next objective, 300 kilometers away. The troops and equipment were pushed to their limits, yet through proper maintenance of the equipment, expert driving, prompt transportation, and delivery of fuel, movement to Bemowo Piskie Training Area was completed. These movements and maneuvers stress-tested the sustainability of the war-fighting functions, yet, the cooperation of NATO allies enabled the successful completion.
The mass movement of combat power resulted in military assets coming together to engage in a series of numerous day tank, artillery and dismounted troop exercises. The armored tank movement and gunnery drills were first on the agenda. Several NATO countries engaging in the drill participated in a friendly accuracy competition, highlighting international cooperation, camaraderie and above all expert levels of lethality in their issued weapon platforms.
“Seeing our ability to move and all of our warfighting functions, whether that is movement and maneuver, sustainability, working those functions, stressing those functions, it all matters due to our integration and interoperability with our NATO allies, ” reflected U.S. Army Capt. Charles Hoster, a battalion fire support officer for 3rd Bn., 15th IN, 2nd ABCT, 3rd ID.
Artillery batteries and mortar units from across the NATO allied nations began their portion of Dragon 24 by firing day and night while inclement weather moved into the area. Undeterred, the troops displayed their expertise in their weapon platforms with overwhelming accuracy due to continued support from the sustainment elements of the exercise.
As the tanks wound down, and artillery still in full swing, soldiers sprung into action with dismounted maneuvers. Allied troops would be transported to the location via various troop-carrying. vehicles. Troops would dismount and engage in urban combat focusing on room and building clearing tactics, trench clearing and holding tactics, and fortified position clearing and holding tactics.
Exercise Dragon 24 assured troops from all participating NATO allied countries a better understanding of their equipment and its capabilities, themselves and how to work together with members from all over the globe. Be it rain, or freezing temperatures nothing could deter the NATO troops from achieving their goals NATO’s strengths were highlighted and reinforced with expert leadership and a willingness to work together.
| Date Taken: | 03.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2024 12:01 |
| Story ID: | 466375 |
| Location: | BEMOWO PISKIE TRAINING AREA, PL |
| Web Views: | 717 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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