Photo By Staff Sgt. Anthony Jones | Mati Raidma, Estonian National Defense Committee chairman, speaks to U.S. Army...... read more read more
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AMARI AIR BASE, Estonia – U.S. Army paratroopers arriving in Estonia this week will take part in NATO training exercises with the Estonian Defense Forces.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade replaced its paratroopers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment June 19.
“The partnerships that Company C and the 173rd have made with not only the Estonian people, but the scouts battalion is one that’s going to last,” said U.S. Army Capt. Colin Bair, commander of Troop B.
The Soldiers of Troop B will conduct numerous training exercises covering basic rifle marksmanship, leadership, communications and airborne training.
“We are honored to be a part of this partnership opportunity,” Bair said, “And, we look forward to sharing our experiences, our culture and our time with our host, the nation of Estonia, as well as the Estonian Army, whose reputation is that of valor and professionalism.”
Estonian Defense Forces will be training side by side with their U.S. and NATO counterparts in their own country, which provides their NATO allies the opportunity to become familiar with the terrain in Estonia.
“My hope is that in coming months we continue to show mutual support and solidarity with our allies,” Bair said, “We’re better trained as Soldiers and paratroopers and we maximize unique opportunities conducted with the citizens and communities of this great nation.”
U.S. troops will continue to rotate into Estonia in order to further reassure NATO allies in the region that the U.S. will assist with the defense of their countries.
“The fast implementation of reassurance measures on NATO’s eastern flank and the ongoing work on strengthening our collective defense and deterrence, in the long run show that NATO is and will be relevant and credible,” said Mati Raidma, Estonian national defense committee chairman.
Company C arrived in Estonia on April 28 and was the first U.S. Army unit to enter into this NATO training cycle. Approximately 600 paratroopers from the brigade are in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as part of an unscheduled land-forces exercise to demonstrate commitment to NATO obligations and sustain interoperability with allied forces
“I think we did a great job instilling confidence in our Soldiers and our ability to work with our NATO partners,” said 1st Lt. Kirk Van Everen, an operations officer with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, ”I think that was probably our biggest accomplishment.”
During Company C’s time in Estonia, they trained with troops from the Estonian Defense Forces to build interoperability between both Estonian and U.S. troops.
“We were able to understand their strengths and weaknesses,” Van Everen said, “We were able to work within those parameters, it was excellent training and the Soldiers did an excellent job on understanding how to operate with our NATO allies.”
The Soldiers of Company C were provided with logistical support by the Estonian Defense Forces, which allowed them to conduct training properly and safely in a controlled environment.
“Our Estonian partners did a tremendous job of welcoming us here, from the day we stepped off the aircraft until basically the day that we’re leaving,” Van Everen said, “They’ve been incredibly supportive and I would absolutely fight next to them any day.”
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.22.2014 04:20 |
| Story ID: | 133943 |
| Location: | EE |
| Web Views: | 274 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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