117th Military Police Battalion begins multi-national exercise

Photo By Lt. Col. Darrin Haas | Tennessee Guardsmen from Athens’ 117th Military Police Battalion and Murfreesboro’s 269th Military Police Company pose for a group photograph following the opening ceremony for Beyond Horizon 2024, a multi-national training exercise held at Bulgaria’s Novo Selo Training Site, May 14. These Soldiers will train with more than 140 military policemen from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, North Macedonia, and Romania during the nine-day exercise to improve multi-national teamwork and combat skills. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Darrin Haas)  

NOVO SELO, BULGARIA

05.14.2024

Story by Lt. Col. Darrin Haas 

Tennessee National Guard Public Affairs Office

NOVO SELO, Bulgaria – Nearly 20 Soldiers from Athens’ 117th Military Police Battalion and Murfreesboro’s 269th Military Police Company joined more than 140 military policemen from five different allied nations today for the opening ceremony of Beyond Horizon 2024, a multi-national training exercise held at Bulgaria’s Novo Selo Training Site, May 14-22.

The ceremony started a nine-day exercise where Tennessee Guardsmen will partner and work alongside military policemen from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, North Macedonia, and Romania to improve combat skills and ensure they meet NATO standards for interoperability. Some of the tasks they plan to train include military operations on urban terrain, critical site security, detainee operations, responding to improvised explosive devices, and conducting medical evacuations.

“For the first five days, each nation will have the opportunity to work together and train at the squad and platoon level,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Dye, commander of the 117th Military Police Battalion. “We have some great instructors from the 269th Military Police Company here to teach many of the classes and training events.”

After spending five days performing and perfecting their various military police tasks, the participating nations will then perform a joint, three-day culminating exercise to test those skills and improve their coordination between each other.

“The major exercise is where we really get to bond as partners and learn the nuances of how each country’s military operates,” said Dye. “During that time, we will be responding to realistic scenarios like protestors, terrorist attacks, detainee escapes, and medical emergencies, just to name a few. These events will test how we react and then we will adjust and make corrections to streamline our response; therefore, making us faster, more efficient, and safer.”

The Soldiers of the 117th, and members of the Tennessee National Guard, have been working with the Bulgarian military for more than 30 years. In 1993, Tennessee and Bulgaria became one of the first partners in the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.

“These events are great opportunities to train with our international partners who we often deploy and work with overseas,” said Dye. “Our relationship with Bulgaria is solid as we continue to learn the same tactics, techniques, streamline communications, and build relationships so we are more effective together as allies.”

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• Date Taken: 05.14.2024
• Date Posted: 05.14.2024 10:40
• Story ID: 471230
• Location: NOVO SELO, BG