Meet Capt. Ryan Croft, a human resources officer with 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 29th Infantry Division, Virginia National Guard. Croft poses for a portrait at Libava, Czechia in support of Immediate Response 24, May 10, 2024.
A native of Bedford, Virginia, Croft has been in the military for 11 years.
“I can tell you that this is my first annual training outside of the United States. By contributing to Immediate Response 24, we are able to work in close proximity with our Czech soldiers. As part of NATO, we are here to work with the Czech military to synchronize our movements and work through communication hurdles and obstacles in order to create a more combined force.”
“This entire experience has been incredible, from the landscape to the Czech military and civilians we have met. I have a soldier who has never been outside of the United States before, and he is loving this exercise. So I hope we will be able to do many more of these in the future.”
DEFENDER is the Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness, and is a U.S. European Command scheduled, U.S. Army Europe and Africa conducted exercise that consists of Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response. DEFENDER 24 is linked to NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercise, and DoD’s Large Scale Global Exercise, taking place from 28 March to 31 May. DEFENDER 24 is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe and includes more than 17,000 U.S. and 23,000 multinational service members from more than 20 Allied and partner nations, including Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Reed)
| Date Taken: | 05.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2024 04:51 |
| Photo ID: | 8408139 |
| VIRIN: | 240510-A-OO122-4919 |
| Resolution: | 6720x3780 |
| Size: | 1.69 MB |
| Location: | CZ |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Know Your Defender Capt. Ryan Croft [Image 5 of 5], by SSG Brian Reed, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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