Photo By Spc. Andrew Clark | An Esercito Italiano (Italian Army) infantry soldier assigned to 12th Company Draghi,...... read more read more
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BEMOWO PISKIE TRAINING GROUND, POLAND - Saber Strike 24, a multilateral NATO exercise spanning nearly one month, demonstrated the capability and interoperability of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR), V Corps, and NATO Allied forces through increasingly complex training events. The exercise ends as participants and equipment begin the long journey home with more experience, knowledge, and more than a few international patches traded between them.
This iteration of Saber Strike kicked off with a tactical road march from Rose Barracks, Germany, to Bemowo Piskie Training Ground (BPTA), Poland. Preparations on 2CR's end have been underway since last June. Upon arrival at BPTA, 2CR conducted a hand-over-take-over (HOTO) between U.S. Army Col. Robert McChrystal, the commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and Czech Army Brig. Gen. Jan Stepanek, the deputy commander of NATO Multinational Division North-East. Once the HOTO was complete, numerous Allied and partner nations participated in live-fire exercises involving infantry, armor, aerial assets, and artillery.
A key aspect of Saber Strike 24 involved defining the distributed Command and Control (C2) between NATO Allies and partner nations. As the scenario in the exercise developed, each partner nation faced challenges across various domains. The exercise proved to be an essential test of interoperability during multilateral operations. The coordination of these nations supporting one another in a single engagement was one of the specific goals of the exercise. Technological innovations like the Radio Integration Communications Suite (RICS), part of the Mission Partner Kit (MPK), were created to assist with interoperability.
"Technical interoperability enhances readiness and allows us to stay ahead on the battlefield," said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Joshua Chang, a liaison officer with 2CR.
Three applications make up the MPK: the end-to-end encryption service Wickr, the voice interoperability application Instant Connect Enterprise (ICE), and a Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) with variations for operating systems from Apple, Android, and Windows devices. The RICS kit is also included in the MPK.
"We already used the systems on our march here together with 2CR," said German Army Lt. Col. Sebastian Hagen, the commander of the 1st Jäger Battalion, 21st Panzer Brigade. "From my point of view, it works pretty well. It is easy to handle, even for German company commanders who have never seen this system before. It took them just hours to operate the systems."
NATO Allies participating in the exercise worked closely together to exercise and hone skills and interoperability. Each Allied and partner nation focused on the overall goal of collective security and functionality, an imperative task for the countries alongside NATO's eastern flank.
"Saber Strike is an important exercise to improve the tactics, techniques, and procedures of all Allied nations," said Italian Army Graduato Scelto Gianluca Ruggiero. The Italian Army was integrated during a multinational live-fire during Saber Strike 24. The live-fire had Spanish, Italian, and German forces all supporting U.S. tanks.
Saber Strike is integral to the Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness (DEFENDER) series of training exercises. DEFENDER 24 is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe and includes more than 17,000 U.S. and 23,000 multinational service members from more than 20 Allied and partner nations.
"We accomplished several things here during the exercise," McChrystal said. "It really serves as a training highlight for our year. I just want to highlight one thing: the value of this training for our Soldiers and being part of Steadfast Defender, the largest exercise in Europe."
Saber Strike is an imperative example of the dynamic training required for deterrence in the European region. These exercises exemplify NATO's importance and the resounding commitment to collective security and cohesiveness among allied and partner nations.
"I'm pretty impressed how my task force has integrated with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment," said Hagen. "I have the feeling that the commander is treating me like every other officer or lieutenant commander, and that's a good feeling. I am impressed at how easily my company commanders integrated into the system, and how they can work together with allies and partners."
The exercise culminated with a regrouping of forces as NATO Allies worked with 2CR to establish defensive positions in the Suwalki Gap. Members of 2CR's 4th Squadron integrated and trained with Poland's Territorial Defense Forces, sharing tactics, skills, and experiences in the biting cold of the training area.
"I think it's powerful that our Soldiers are integrating with their partners," said U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Doyle, command sergeant major for 2CR. "We're all eating together, all sharing the same space together, and that right there sends a powerful message that we're all partners and friends."
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2024 09:43 |
| Story ID: | 469474 |
| Location: | PISZ, PL |
| Web Views: | 136 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Saber Strike: An Exercise in Foundational Partnership, by SGT Austin Robertson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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