Breaking barriers and building bonds

Photo By Staff Sgt. Angela Parady | U.S. and Norwegian Soldiers conducted Master Breachers Course at Adazi Training Area, Latvia, where the Soldiers are participating in Operation Atlantic Resolve, Oct. 29, 2014. The U.S. Army Europe-led Operation Atlantic Resolve land force assurance training is taking place across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to enhance multinational interoperability, strengthen relationships among allied militaries, contribute to regional stability and demonstrate U.S. commitment to NATO. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Angela Parady)  

ADAZI, LATVIA

10.31.2014

Story by Sgt. Angela Parady 

U.S. Army Europe and Africa     

ADAZI, Latvia - Bent over and huddled close on a range at the Adazi Training Area, Latvia, two Soldiers work together to combine detonation cords. One ties a single square knot and uses a small piece of electrical tape to make sure they are held together; the other ties the cord like shoelaces. Satisfied, they stand up, and examine the others work.

The two Soldiers are conducting the final portion of the Master Breachers Course, a class typically reserved for combat engineers.

Spc. Derrick Olavarria is an infantryman in Company A., 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Regiment. In a normal situation, he would not have been able to participate in the course.

“I am not an engineer, I am an 11B, infantry,” he said. “I take this cross-training to be a great experience. Not many infantrymen know how to attach C4 explosive to a door when the engineer has fallen. I can pick his kit up, and pursue the mission.”

The Norwegian and U.S. Soldiers are here as NATO’s Operation Atlantic Resolve continues to bring land force assurance training to the region. The mission is doing more than contributing to regional stability. Soldiers are learning how to communicate with partnered nations. Training together and learning each other’s tactics and procedures on the battlefield, will not only help strengthen relationships between the countries, but also help create well-rounded, stronger soldiers.

While it seems like a blast, ripping apart doors and breaking through obstacles, is helping to build the relationships and bonds of the soldiers while providing an opportunity. Having the two countries together, training in a way they don’t normally get to, allowed them to learn from each other along the way, said Sgt. Petter Lovlien, a sapper with the Norwegian Armed Forces. Much like their American counterparts, Lovlien’s unit provides mobility and immobility to the infantry. They need the skills necessary to stop enemy units from advancing, or provide mobility to their forces when faced with an obstacle.

“We are a much smaller army, so we have to cover a wider range,” said Lovlien. “American SAPPERS are more specialized. We are always with the infantry guys, so we are closer to infantry, doing much more of our service directly to them.”

Lovlien said that most of the technical terminology they study is in English and having that in common with the fellow American classmates, made the classroom portion a good review of things they had learned. In the field, they continued to learn by working hands on with the explosives.

“The best part of the course, I think, is blowing things up,” he said. “Setting up the charges, seeing how the charges I don’t really know work. We don’t really get to go out in the field and actually blow stuff up as much as we would like. It is valuable for us just to come out here and go over the routines and practice.”

Lovlien will take the lessons he learned here and integrate them into the rubric they use for his sappers. He said he is looking forward to continuing to train with the allied soldiers.

“This makes sure that the NATO system works,” he said. “It is important to know how another nation thinks, and their tactics, down to every level. It is good to know how your fellow soldier will react in certain tactical scenarios, so by training with other countries you can learn and exchange knowledge.”

For many of the U.S. Soldiers who have not yet faced a deployment, such as Olavarria, this training has helped develop them personally and professionally. Here, not only was he able to gain more knowledge and experience but also broaden his worldly perspective.

“Working with the Norwegians really helped open my mind,” said Olavarria.

“They have a broad band of knowledge with this stuff, but they do things a bit differently than us. Earlier today, we did different knots and they explained how they did theirs one way, but we do ours another way. They both get the job done. Its just another tool.”

While the Soldiers were able to work together and learn from one another in the classroom and on the field, the end result wasn’t just learning how demolitions work, and setting explosions. It was about learning how to work with another culture, building bridges, and forging relationships with other soldiers.

For Olavarria, this is his first time training with multinational soldiers and his first time overseas.

“This training is building a friendship between our NATO allies to reassure our allies that we are here, that we stand strong, and we are professional. Additionally, it is teaching me a lot about leadership. Being around all of the different countries, languages, culture, barriers you have to overcome to understand one another. Always be open-minded, understand that you aren’t the only one. We are a team, we are all one team: fight together, stand together.”

• Date Taken: 10.31.2014
• Date Posted: 10.31.2014 09:26
• Story ID: 146655
• Location: ADAZI, LV