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Training Support Activity Europe
A U.S. Soldier observes a combined arms live fire exercise at the Bucierz Range as part of Phase II of DEFENDER-Europe 20, Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, August 10, 2020. DEFENDER-Europe 20 was designed as a deployment exercise to build strategic readiness in support of the U.S. National Defense Strategy and NATO deterrence objectives. In response to COVID-19, DEFENDER-Europe 20 was modified in size and scope. Phase I of the modified DEFENDER-Europe 20 was linked to exercise Allied Spirit, which took place at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, June 5-19 with approximately 6,000 U.S. and Polish Soldiers. In phase II of the modified DEFENDER-Europe 20, a U.S.-based combined arms battalion will conduct an emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise to Europe July 14-Aug. 22.
(U.S. Army photo by Jason Johnston.)
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U.S. Army Europe
U.S. Army Soldier awaits orders on a tank staged at the Bucierz Range in preparation of Phase II of DEFENDER-Europe 20, held at the Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, August 11, 2020. DEFENDER-Europe 20 was designed as a deployment exercise to build strategic readiness in support of the U.S. National Defense Strategy and NATO deterrence objectives. In response to COVID-19, DEFENDER-Europe 20 was modified in size and scope. Phase I of the modified DEFENDER-Europe 20 was linked to exercise Allied Spirit, which took place at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, June 5-19 with approximately 6,000 U.S. and Polish Soldiers. In phase II of the modified DEFENDER-Europe 20, a U.S.-based combined arms battalion will conduct an emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise to Europe July 14-Aug. 22.
Photo by: Pfc. Raekwon Jenkins
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173rd Airborne Brigade
A U.S. Army paratrooper assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade fires at hatch gunners fighting from a BMP-2M tank during a battalion engagement Aug. 16, 2020 as part of Exercise Saber Junction 20. This exercise is taking place at the Joint Multinational Training Center in the Hohenfels Training Area, Germany from Aug. 10 to Aug. 26, 2020.
Saber Junction 20 is a 7th Army Training Command-conducted, U.S. Army Europe-directed annual exercise designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment, and to promote interoperability with participating ally and partner nations. For more information, go to https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/SaberJunction
The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapidly deployable forces to the United States European, African and Central Command areas of responsibility. Forward deployed across Italy and Germany, the brigade routinely trains alongside NATO allies and partners to build partnerships and strengthen the alliance.
(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John Yountz)
Photo by: Sgt. John Yountz
In an era of evolving challenges, both globally and across Europe, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and its components continue to train and bolster their readiness to execute any mission or respond to an emergency at a moment’s notice.
Most recently, U.S. forces in Europe leveraged several opportunities to hone their skills and expertise through exercises like DEFENDER-Europe 20’s Phase II, Saber Junction and Resolute Castle.
“Through each of these exercises, U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians have worked alongside host nations, Allies and partners to advance the interoperability and capabilities necessary to support the National Defense Strategy, NATO and the command’s lines of effort,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Jesssica Meyeraan, USEUCOM’s deputy director of partnering, security cooperation and missile defense. “Across the continent, U.S. personnel have worked day in and day out to further collective defense and transatlantic security -- all while confronting the realities of the COVID-19 environment and maintaining the health and wellbeing of the force, their families and their communities.”
As part of Exercise DEFENDER-Europe 20’s final phase, more than 550 Soldiers from America’s Army base at Fort Hood, Texas, deployed to Europe to participate in the monthlong phase of training for this U.S. Army Europe-led exercise, which concluded Saturday. Demonstrating its emergency deployment readiness, the Department of Defense-directed strategic deployment of Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division to Poland showcased the Army’s ability to rapidly alert and deploy its forces across the globe. As part of the Dynamic Force Employment, the American Soldiers fielded equipment originally pulled from Army Prepositioned Stocks in Germany and Belgium for the earlier phase of DEFENDER-Europe 20 and conducted company-level, combined live-fire exercises with approximately 55 Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles.
During DEFENDER-Europe 20’s first phase in June, nearly 6,000 U.S. and Polish Soldiers participated in joint training in Poland’s Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area.
Together with forces from eight Allied and partner nations -- Albania, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania and Ukraine -- U.S. Army Soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade participated in Exercise Saber Junction 20 in Germany’s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels military training areas this month. Designed to assess the readiness of the American airborne brigade’s ability to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment, the more than 4,000 participating forces will conclude this major exercise Thursday.
Another USAREUR-led, multinational exercise, Resolute Castle 20 is designed to reinforce regional partnerships and promote interoperability between nearly 400 American and Polish forces by constructing projects and improving existing infrastructure on Polish military training areas. From constructing an intermediate staging base, warehouse and fuel system supply point to clearing a helicopter landing zone and improving railhead byways and range roads, this nearly four-week exercise, which concludes Sept. 3, continues to forge Polish-American relationships.
“Whether large scale with several thousand forces participating across multiple countries or smaller, more focused exercises operating within single military training areas, each of these exercises has a profoundly positive impact on USEUCOM’s overarching readiness and our strong relationships with Allies and partners,” Meyeraan added.
