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    US Dragoons leaving Poland with stronger alliance

    Operation Atlantic Resolve

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Oscar Gollaz | Col. John Meyer, commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, met with Col. Marek Gmurski,...... read more read more

    DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, POLAND

    03.12.2015

    Story by Sgt. Oscar Gollaz 

    112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

    DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, POLAND - Dragoons from K Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment and Polish infantrymen from 3rd Company, 1st Infantry Battalion, 12th Mechanized Brigade forged a stronger alliance after months of conducting a variety of joint exercises during Operation Atlantic Resolve in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, from January to March, 2015.

    Operation Atlantic Resolve is a NATO effort to improve military interoperability between the U.S., Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia while demonstrating American and NATO commitment to a safe and prosperous Europe. Troopers from 2 CR deployed to each country in January to train with each allied military. They will soon be replaced by Soldiers from the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team.

    Col. John Meyer, commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, sees Operation Atlantic Resolve as an opportunity to continue to develop strong relationships with NATO allies in Eastern Europe. His Troopers from 2 CR have been at the forefront of the effort to achieve allied interoperability, and the experience has helped develop junior leaders in the regiment.

    “We found that Operation Atlantic Resolve is a great leadership development opportunity where our young non-commissioned officers and officers are learning their profession of leading soldiers in a complex world,” he said.

    “I think that we are assuring our allies,” Meyer said. “We are showing them that we are credible, and that we are here as allies to help defend the alliance. I think that the credibility that we are showing is having a lasting impact.”

    “We’re deterring any potential adversaries,” he added. “Our presence is showing our country’s commitment to a strong Europe.

    The relationships established during Atlantic Resolve are based off of trust and confidence. Those bonds will leave a lasting impression on the U.S. troopers and soldiers from its NATO allies that they will remember for the rest of their lives, said Meyer.

    In Poland, Dragoons and Polish soldiers demonstrated their interoperability by working together throughout the planning, rehearsal, and execution stages of medevac, support fire, tactical operations and live-fire training exercises. The lessons learned during the past few months of training between the U.S. Dragoons and Polish soldiers are invaluable for the two armies because the joint training exercises they conducted during Atlantic Resolve may one day be real-world.

    “The biggest accomplishment for K Troop in Poland is seeing the relationship and the alliance with the Polish army grow,” said 1st Lt. Christian Bellavia, K Troop’s fire support officer. “It’s definitely been a combined arms experience, which is a unique opportunity to work with the Polish army.”

    A joint medevac training exercise, for example, was critical because over the years, the U.S. and Polish militaries have each developed their preferred method of removing injured soldiers from the battlefield. Without joint training, the differences in tactics and procedures could prove fatal during a real-world situation. By training in a collaborative environment the two armies became more efficient and familiar with each other's processes.

    "I think working with our allied partners has been beneficial all around," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Kimball, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot from B Company, 3rd Battalion, 158th Assault Helicopter Brigade. "You get to see different points of view, different ways of doing something that maybe you haven't thought about in the past, and you can adapt it to the way you do things."

    Support fire by way of mortars is a powerful force multiplier in a combat zone. Polish and 2 CR mortarmen can immobilize tanks, devastate enemy forces, or destroy small buildings and other high-value targets from a long distance, and the two units once again were able to train together and see how each military’s mortars could support the other.

    The regular joint tactical operation exercises conducted over the course of the past several months demonstrated the ability of U.S. and Polish forces to cohesively take, defend and secure key objectives. The strength of the newfound interoperability developed during Operation Atlantic Resolve was on display during a joint exercise when Dragoons and Polish forces raided an enemy facility. The two armies alternated between defensive and offensive roles during the exercise with one providing a security perimeter and the other assaulting a building.

    First Lt. Micheal Kulas, acting executive officer for the Polish army’s 3rd Company, 12th Mechanized Brigade, said he sees success as both the U.S. and Polish operating efficiently together, getting to know each other, combining each army’s tactics and performing them jointly during the exercises.

    Troopers from 2 CR agreed.

    “I know without a doubt that we can work together,” Staff Sgt. Brandon Maloney, a squad leader with K Troop, said. “If the time ever comes to be deployed together we will get the mission done.”

    The true test of the two militaries’ interoperability came during recent live-fire exercises. Live-fire training represents the epitome of collaborative missions because it emphasizes mutual trust. Each Trooper and Polish soldier is expected to be an expert with their weapons, vehicles, or equipment, Bellavia explained.

    “The biggest take away from the exercise is that planning is very important,” he said.

    “Between the orders process and working with our allies, we’ve seen that communication is the key to any successful military operation,” he added.

    The joint exercises have been an enriching interoperability experience for the 2nd Cavalry Regiment Dragoons.

    “Overall the training during Operation Atlantic Resolve has been exactly what we expected,” said 1st Lt. Ethan Klausner, a platoon leader with K Troop. “We received great training with our Polish allies, and it’s great to see all of that hard work come together.”

    The 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s Dragoons will return to Germany from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in the coming weeks after which, Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division will take their place and continue building interoperability with their NATO allies.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 03.12.2015
    Date Posted: 03.12.2015 06:12
    Story ID: 156733
    Location: DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, PL

    Web Views: 938
    Downloads: 0

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