Paratroopers with 173rd Airborne Brigade fire Javelins and mortars with Lithuanian forces

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Johnson | Pfc. Jerome Cuthbert (right) and Spc. Daniel Malek (left), mortar gunners assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, fire 60mm mortar rounds during training alongside Lithuanian forces at Pabrade Training Area in Pabrade, Lithuania, June 21. The exercise provided an opportunity for U.S. and Lithuanian Soldiers to train together and increased interoperability between NATO forces. (Photo by: Spc. Brett Hurd, 173rd Airborne Brigade)  

PABRADE, LITHUANIA

06.21.2014

Story by 2nd Lt. Leanna Maschino 

145th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

PABRADE, Lithuania – U.S. paratroopers and Lithuanian soldiers fired Javelins and mortars here June 21 in order to train mortarmen and fire-support personnel as part of training exercises taking place throughout the Baltic region.


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

First the Javelin operators scanned for targets using a thermal sensor, identified the target as an enemy armored vehicle, and then U.S. and Lithuanian forces engaged the target with Javelin missiles and mortar fire.

“It’s very rare that people get to see or shoot Javelins,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Rahaeuser, fire support officer for Company B, 1st Bn., 503rd Inf. Regt.

After the Javelin live-fire training, mortarmen instructed fire-support personnel with Lithuanian forces on employing 60mm mortars and then conducted a live-fire exercise, firing 180 mortar rounds.

“It was a great opportunity for our teams to fire both training and high explosive rounds in handheld mode,” said Rahaeuser.

Firing a mortar system in a handheld configuration, or direct lay, means that the mortar operator braces and aims the mortar tube with his hands instead of setting it in a stand to enable a quicker, albeit potentially less accurate, reaction time to fire upon enemy forces.

The training built interoperability between the NATO allies, as Lithuanian soldiers came away with an understanding of not just how to put the weapons systems into operation, but their tactical employment theory as well.

“It was a new experience for me because I’m just now moving up into a leadership position where I get to train people, and now I’m getting the opportunity to train people from different countries,” said Spc. Daniel Malek, a mortar gunner with Company B. “I really like the Lithuanians; I respect them a lot.”

This was one of the last training exercises Company B executed with Lithuanian forces before departing Lithuania to return to their home station in Vicenza, Italy. They will be replaced in the exercise by paratroopers from 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regt. based in Grafenwoehr, Germany, also from the 173rd Airborne.

• Date Taken: 06.21.2014
• Date Posted: 06.23.2014 10:20
• Story ID: 134021
• Location: PABRADE, LT