Courtesy Photo | Dragoons of Iron Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct combined training...... read more read more
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TAPA, Estonia - “To see very tired Soldiers after a hard field exercise, but still, they are happy. I think that’s the most valuable training for the Soldiers,” said Lt. Col. Aron Kalmus, the commander of the Estonian Land Force’s 1st Infantry Brigade.
“Especially when you see the training ending and Soldiers coming out of the field together, Estonian and American. They are still smiling and appreciate the hard times during the training.”
Americans and Estonians have been participating in Operation Atlantic Resolve since April 2014. Dragoons from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, are currently deployed to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to conduct training with Allied forces in Eastern Europe and strengthen the NATO alliance. Dragoons from 2 CR’s Iron Troop are training in Tapa, Estonia.
“We spent about two weeks in the field training with the Estonians,” said Capt. James Gibbs, the commander of Iron Troop. “It’s really good to see what other countries’ armies can do, how they train, the equipment they have and what they can bring to the fight.”
Service members from both countries believe that a lot has been achieved since Operation Atlantic Resolve began last year.
“I think we have already accomplished quite a bit,” said 2nd Lt. Simmo Saar, public affairs officer with Estonia’s 1st Infantry Brigade. “With our American allies, we have shown that NATO works.”
Iron Troop’s commander was in agreement.
“We’ve been very successful,” said Capt. Gibbs. “Overall, we’ve met all of our training objectives and have completed over 15 partnership events with the Estonians.”
One of the main objectives of Operation Atlantic Resolve is for NATO allies to learn how to operate as one force.
“In a military point of view, I want to accomplish common understanding, friendship, partnership, the ability to learn and share experiences together,” said Kalmus, “So that we know how our allies are operating and working as well as vice versa.”
Operation Atlantic Resolve also aims to promote allied interoperability.
“For me interoperability means to be able to work and operate tactically with our Estonian allies,” said Capt. Gibbs. “Allies being able to communicate, whether it’s me as a commander or one of my platoons attached to an Estonian company.”
Members of the Estonian military are happy to see a NATO presence in Estonia after helping their NATO allies during the past decade.
“I have to say that the presence of our allies in Estonia is really important to us,” said Saar. “It shows the Estonian public that the efforts we made in Afghanistan and Iraq mean something. It shows our potential adversaries that Estonia is not a piece of cake.”
Even though troopers of 2 CR return home in March, Operation Atlantic Resolve will continue as Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division replace them.
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2015 09:56 |
| Story ID: | 155895 |
| Location: | TAPA, EE |
| Web Views: | 707 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Operation Atlantic Resolve brings Americans, Estonians closer, by CPT Paul Nadolski, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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