Photo By Sgt. Nolan Brewer | U.S. Army Capt. Bailey Ader, assigned to the 486th Civil Affairs Battalion, and a...... read more read more
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The 415th Civil Affairs Battalion, assigned to Task Force Pegasus, and the 486th Civil Affairs Battalion officially began participating in POWERFUL WORD 2024, a critical multinational training exercise in Olomouc, Czech Republic. The exercise, running from Oct. 3-11, 2024, provides a key opportunity for Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Belgium, Germany, England, and United States Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) elements to enhance their ability to execute CIMIC, psychological operations (PSYOP), and information operations (IO).
The training scenario simulates an Article V event, testing NATO’s collective defense response in a real-world environment. Article V provides that if a NATO ally is the victim of an armed attack, each other member of the alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the ally attacked.
The U.S. civil affairs elements trained alongside their multinational counterparts to improve unit operational readiness, proficiency, and interoperability, supporting V Corps lines of effort. These objectives are critical as the team integrates into the multinational structure, focusing on synchronizing efforts and aligning tactical-level operations to strengthen collective defense capabilities.
As part of their mission, they will include different scenarios simulating wartime operations and different tactical civil affairs training.
“This training event is to exercise CA, CIMIC, and information operation capabilities in a simulated wartime environment,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Sexton, a team NCO with 415th Civil Affairs Battalion. “It’s also to familiarize nations with working with each other and NATO allies, communicating, and making sure that they cable to work effectively in an Article Five situation.”
The expected outcome of the exercise is increased integration for NATO CIMIC forces, ensuring that non-lethal effects are synchronized across the multinational force. The exercise is expected to enhance interoperability at the tactical level and within the staff, developing joint tactics and techniques that will be crucial for future joint operations.
“We will operate as a tactical civil affairs team, working with other NATO CIMIC and PSYOP teams, making sure that our procedures align with theirs and that they can integrate effectively to increase the interoperability of all the different types of teams,” said Sexton.
Task Force Pegasus, as a rotational force in Europe, regularly works alongside NATO allies to enhance regional security and provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America’s forward-deployed corps in Europe. Task Force Pegasus has control of infantry, armored, aviation, artillery, and logistics units across Poland and the Baltic Region, further deterring aggression against NATO member states and training with multinational forces to build readiness and strengthen interoperability.
“When there's a large-scale war, there can be an extreme impact on the civilians, and our role is to minimize the civil impact on the ongoing military operations in the area,” said U.S. Army Capt. Austin Sky-Kappler, a team chief with 415th Civil Affairs Battalion.
POWERFUL WORD 2024 demonstrates that V Corps is ready to support multinational efforts, strengthen collective defense capabilities, and build lasting partnerships with allied nations. This exercise enables V Corps to work closely with allies and partners, improving technical, operational, and personal integration and building confidence, rapport, and interoperability.
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.09.2024 09:43 |
| Story ID: | 482600 |
| Location: | OLOMOUC, CZ |
| Web Views: | 746 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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