Photo By Sgt. Marcus Floyd | An infantry Soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat...... read more read more
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GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Bounding uphill towards a building filled with potential threats, infantrymen return fire after engaging enemy targets.
But rather than training in the dusty fields of Fort Hood, Texas, these Soldiers advance through a dense and damp wood line after dismounting from M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles Oct. 12, 2014, in Grafenwoehr, Germany, during Combined Resolve III.
“It’s really fun,” said Pfc. Devon Earle, an infantryman with the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division “A lot of times we don’t really get to do that kind of training at Fort Hood. So, to be able to do it here, and especially in such a beautiful area, it’s been really fun.”
The difference in terrain makes the training for the 2nd Bn., 12th Cav. Regt unique and provides a scenario with which many of the newer Soldiers are not familiar.
“It’s been different, going through the wood lines, it’s not the same as Fort Hood,” said Earle. “At Fort Hood, the trees are a little more spaced out, but here it gets more challenging when in the wood lines.”
In addition to denser forest, the environment of Grafenwoehr provides other challenges, such as marshes and boggy areas, that help Soldiers prepare for potential missions.
“We’ve got to be prepared for any mission we are assigned,” said Capt. Stephen Sorrells, an infantry officer with the 2nd Bn., 12th Cav. Regt. “[The National Training Center] and Fort Hood don’t give you all the terrain you may see worldwide. I absolutely think being out here is a great opportunity for our guys. They’ll experience some new terrain, work with some multinational partners, hone our skills, and hopefully learn some new skills from our partners as well.”
Conducted at Hohenfels, Germany, units like the 2nd Bn., 12th Cav. Regt will conduct training exercises with 15 different NATO partners and allied nations.
“We’re ecstatic, we are very excited to work with all of our multinational partners,” said Sorrells. “We’re ready to bring them in, and as we know they are excited to work with us as well.”
Centered on partnership, Combined Resolve III is essential in bringing NATO members together to train, build relationships and trust.
The training will also help to develop technical and tactical interoperability among Soldiers and partner nations.
“Partnership is the ability to integrate those multinational partners into our formations seamlessly,” said Sorrells. “Being able to work with our partners and execute the mission is huge. This training opportunity allows us to ensure we are on that level and if we are called to go forward with the NATO response force we are able to do so.”
Although there will be challenges when working with multinational partners such as the language barriers, the 2nd Bn., 12th Cav. Regt. trained to integrate other nations into their formations such as avoiding Army terminology and conducting maneuver rehearsals, said Sorrells.
“We work as one team, and are the NATO force,” said Sorrells. “We wear the American flag on our right shoulder, but ultimately we are working for NATO.”
| Date Taken: | 10.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.17.2014 10:29 |
| Story ID: | 145318 |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, DE |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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