Photo By Master Sgt. Kenneth Upsall | Latvian 1st Lt. Aleksandrs Naumovs discusses the joint training he and his soldiers...... read more read more
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ADAZI TRAINING AREA, Latvia — On a day when the raw cold soaks into your bones, soldiers from A Company, 91st Engineer Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, spent the afternoon training Latvian army soldiers how to operate a U.S. Army D7R2 bulldozer.
This hands-on experience not only allowed the Latvians to see the bulldozer in action; stockpiling dirt, digging tank ditches and leveling uneven terrain, but also gave them the chance to operate the bulldozer.
He believed this was the first time many of his soldiers were able operate heavy machinery.
“They absolutely love it,” said Latvian army 1st Lt. Aleksandrs Naumovs about his soldiers being able to operate the bulldozer.
“Maybe they have seen it on YouTube,” Naumovs said about his soldiers’ experience with equipment operations. Behind him, a D7 lurched back and forth as one of his soldiers received instruction on basic bulldozer operations.
Second Lt. Peter Kniesler, a platoon leader in A Company since April and a native of Westminster, Maryland, said the Latvian soldiers were very attentive and focused on learning about U.S. engineer operations.
Kniesler said the opportunity for joint training between Latvian and U.S. forces has been a highlight for him during this training rotation.
The Latvians were having a good time, said Kniesler, and learning about equipment they don’t have in their engineer arsenal.
The training opportunity was conducted as part of the U.S. Army Europe-led Operation Atlantic Resolve land force assurance training taking place across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to enhance multinational interoperability, strengthen relationships among allied militaries, contribute to regional stability and demonstrate U.S. commitment to NATO.
Learning together, and learning to fight together, is the best way to strengthen ties between allies, said Naumovs. He said he was very grateful for everything the U.S. troops taught his soldiers.
“The fact that you are here shows that you are not kidding around and not wasting words and promises,” Naumovs said about the reassurance U.S. forces working jointly with Latvian soldiers provided. Naumovs said American troops having boots on the ground in Latvia shows the world the solidarity of the NATO alliance and the friendship between Latvian and U.S. armed forces.
Kniesler spoke highly of his Latvian counterpart, saying “he has been nothing but helpful in coming out and doing some joint training.”
The Latvian army does not have the same horizontal construction assets as U.S. forces, which makes seeing the bulldozer in action, learning about it’s capabilities in a combat environment and understanding what the 91st can bring to the battlefield was a great educational experience for the Latvian soldiers, Naumovs said.
Kniesler pointed to the fact that the Latvian soldiers had more experience in combat engineering operations than his heavy equipment-focused soldiers.
Being able to exchange knowledge of engineering operations was something both lieutenants felt was a highlight of the exercise. Working in a joint training environment afforded an opportunity to all the service members involved to expand their knowledge and make personal and professional connections which can be carried to the next training session or downrange.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2014 08:21 |
| Story ID: | 147467 |
| Location: | ADAZI, LV |
| Hometown: | RIGA, RIX, LV |
| Hometown: | FORT CAVAZOS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | WEST POINT, NY, US |
| Hometown: | WESTMINSTER, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 549 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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