Photo By David Overson | Lithuanian Army Lt. Col. Viktoras Bagdonas, chief of staff for the Lithuanian Army...... read more read more
HOHENFELS, Germany -- Wearing nontraditional uniforms, and a drive to train others, U.S. Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment stepped up their game on a multinational level this week.
Playing oppositional forces, or OPFOR, the 1-4 Infantry Regiment is working side-by-side with multinational forces in a major training exercise here at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center called Saber Junction 15.
Oppositional forces provide a challenging environment to all the multinational allies that have gathered for the exercise, tailoring their approach to the rotational training unit's needs with equipment and tactical measures.
For Saber Junction 15, the OPFOR consists of the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, C/1-294 Infantry Batallion from the Guam Army National Guard, the 396th Engineer Company of the U.S. Army Reserve out of Ashland, Kentucky, as well as Lithuanian, Romanian and Bulgarian soldiers.
Saber Junction 15 is a U.S. Army Europe-led training exercise demonstrating a simultaneous combination of offensive, defensive and stability operations designed to strengthen international military partnerships, enhance multinational interoperability and prepare participants for worldwide contingency operations.
There are about 4,700 participants from 17 nations involved in the overall exercise, which spans April 1-30.
In addition to honing the operational skills of participating units and nations, OPFOR creates a symbiotic relationship with the training nations by exposing new battle plans and avenues of approach that an enemy force may implement.
"This gives us an opportunity to understand what the enemy is thinking and provides insight as far as what to expect," said Spc. John Corley of Company C, 1-4 Infantry Regiment.
Lt. Col. Barry Carlson, battalion commander, said that participating in a multinational exercise helps establish cohesion and unite the force on the battlefield.
"This exercise is a great opportunity to rehearse building partnerships and relationships, to understand various countries' capabilities and capacity as well as the cultural aspects of working with multinational partners," Carlson said.
Saber Junction 15 demonstrates the U.S. Army's commitment to regional security and stability of NATO allies and support for other nations in Europe.
Multinational-soldier interaction presents learning opportunities for all involved by providing an understanding of how other militaries operate and what they can provide.
Working with multiple nations also allows Soldiers to build relationships, enhance cultural understanding and recognize the need for strong NATO alliances.
"I'm learning just how different we are but we have the same objective. We're learning from each other and that's really what being here is all about," said Pvt. Douglas Golgar, Company A.
The overall purpose of the decisive action training exercise, as with all training exercises, is to train, coach and mentor Soldiers involved to enhance interoperability.
"These multinational exercises have a huge impact on the world stage. We are building the future, one rotation at a time," Carlson said.
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2015 10:58 |
| Story ID: | 161270 |
| Location: | BISMARCK, ND, US |
| Web Views: | 242 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Playing the bad guy at multinational exercise Saber Junction 15, by SGT Sara Marchus, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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