Photo By Lt. Col. Darrin Haas | U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. Michelle Gutierrez and Spc. Christopher Ray with...... read more read more
Subscribe
NOVO SELO, Bulgaria – After nearly two weeks of preparation and intense training at Bulgaria’s Novo Selo Training Area, the Tennessee National Guard and five other allied nations held the closing ceremony, May 20, for Beyond Horizon 2024, a multi-national training exercise between military policemen of various NATO countries.
More than 140 Soldiers from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, and members of Tennessee’s 117th Military Police Battalion, headquartered in Athens, completed a nine-day exercise to improve combat skills and ensure they meet NATO standards for interoperability.
“This has been an amazing exercise and experience where each partner nation had the opportunity to work and train together,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Dye, commander of the 117th Military Police Battalion. “We had great instructors from Murfreesboro’s 269th Military Police Company here, teaching many of the classes, helping with various training events, and supporting the final exercise.”
Beyond Horizon 2024 officially began on May 13, when troops arrived in Bulgaria and established the exercise’s operations center. Next, the Bulgarian Military Police held an opening ceremony where each nation was welcomed by Col. Dimitar Dimitrov from the Bulgarian Military Police Force. After opening remarks, he introduced each nation and presented every Soldier with a special commemorative patch.
Over the next four days, the participating nations organized into four platoon sized elements and trained on various combat skills that would be evaluated during a culminating exercise. U.S. and Canadian military policemen who specialized, and had combat experience, in those skills, taught classes and led practical exercises which included detainee operations, reacting to Improvised Explosive Devices, critical site security, medical evacuation, Military Operations on Urban Terrain, and others.
“Everyone brought different experiences here which helps us all be better,” said Staff Sgt. Lacy Littrell with Tennessee’s 269th Military Police Company. “As we taught classes, Soldiers would demonstrate how their nation would engage a certain tactical problem, and everyone was able to learn and incorporate it into their own procedures. By the end of the day, everyone was better for it and we knew more about our fellow allies.”
While platoons learned combat skills, the senior staff integrated into a fully functioning joint staff to command and control their forces in the training areas. The Bulgarian Military Police Company led the company tactical operations center while U.S. staff performed as the unit’s higher headquarters.
“Each staff officer was paired with another staff officer from a different nation and worked with each other in the various sections,” said Dye. “We got to know one another very well and learn the differences in how we operate. Working through the different languages was challenging at times, but it was quickly overcome as we became a fully integrated staff.”
Once the initial training was complete, the military policemen transitioned into the culminating exercise where each of their newly learned skills were tested. The multi-national platoons faced realistic scenarios which included the escort of VIPs, civil unrest, responding to IEDs, and a myriad of other challenges an MP may face in combat.
“The scenarios were some of the most realistic I have seen,” said Littrell. “Not only was it accurate to what MPs often face, but we were able to practice with each other’s equipment, weapons, and vehicles, which may happen during a deployment.”
While the platoons reacted to scenarios, the joint staff performed all the needed staff functions while providing command and control of the exercise.
“This is where we really bonded as partners and learned the nuances of how each nation’s military operates,” said Dye. “We responded to terrorist attacks, protecting VIPs, and medical emergencies, just to name a few. The scenarios tested our reactions, teaching us what to adjust and correct to streamline our response; therefore, making us faster, more efficient, and safer.”
Once the culminating exercise was complete, everyone attended the closing ceremony, hosted by Brig. Gen. Borislav Sertov, commander of the Bulgarian Military Police. He thanked each nation for participating and presented every military force with a metal plaque honoring their participation and support.
“These events are always great opportunities to train with our international partners who we often deploy and work with overseas,” said Dye. “Our relationship with Bulgaria, who we have been a partner nation with for over 30 years as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership for Peace program, is solid. We continue to learn tactics, techniques, streamline communications, and build relationships so we are more effective together as allies. I look forward to training with them again and all our NATO allies.”
- (30) -
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2024 15:34 |
| Story ID: | 472619 |
| Location: | NOVO SELO, BG |
| Web Views: | 397 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Tennessee National Guardsmen complete multi-national exercise in Bulgaria, by LTC Darrin Haas, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
