Michigan National Guard and Latvia Land Forces fire ‘firsts’ during Operation Summer Shield XII [Image 1 of 2]

ADAZI, RIX, LATVIA

03.27.2015

Photo by Staff Sgt. Kimberly Derryberry 

Michigan National Guard

Maj. Girts Savins, infantry brigade combat support battalion commander of the Latvia Land Forces, fires an M777A2 howitzer as Staff Sgt. Michael Mansell, gun chief assigned to Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard, verifies displacement of the canon during Operation Summer Shield XII near Adazi, Latvia, March 27, 2015. The round was the first live round fired by a soldier of the Latvian Land Forces. Summer Shield XII was the first time a howitzer round by the 1-119th FA fired on European soil since World War II. The Michigan National Guard 1-119th FA is working with their Latvian counterparts as part of Operation Summer Shield XII, a multinational NATO training exercise whose participants include U.S. active duty Army, Reserve, and National Guard, U.S. Marines, and units from Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Luxembourg, and Canada. Michigan and Latvia have worked together in the State Partnership Program for 23 years. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kimberly Bratic, Michigan National Guard/Released)

• Date Taken: 03.27.2015
• Date Posted: 03.30.2015 05:47
• Photo ID: 1844602
• VIRIN: 150327-Z-LE308-001
• Resolution: 6330x4170
• Size: 860.82 KB
• Location: ADAZI, RIX, LV