One team; one fight - Bonds created serve mission intent

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Lance Pounds | Spcs. John Ridgley and Alejandro Vedia, two of more than 150 Soldiers assigned to 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, bond with Samuel Luna and Sanchez Ruiz Gonzalo, Legionnaires assigned to 2nd Brigade Spanish Legion in Almeria, Spain. The Soldiers are in Almeria to participate in African Readiness Training 15, a combined arms exercise with the Legion, as well as Marines from 2nd Platoon, F Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, June 1-19.  

ALMERIA, SPAIN

06.13.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Lance Pounds 

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

ALMERIA, Spain – Breaking the ice can be difficult if you don’t speak the language, or so Spc. John Ridgley thought.

A battle buddy, Spc. Alejandro Vedia offered to help Ridgley by translating English to Spanish for him.

“I’d like to pay those Legionnaires order,” said Ridgley. Vedia translated the message in Spanish to a waitress in the base cantina.

Before Ridgley knew it, he was being flagged by the Legionnaires to come sit with them.

Ridgley and Vedia obliged.

The Specialists are two of more than 150 Soldiers assigned to 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, in Almeria, Spain to participate in African Readiness Training 15, a combined arms exercise with the Spanish Legion and Marines from 2nd Platoon, F Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, June 1-19 in Almeria, Spain.

The intended goal of the exercise is to improve combined and joint interoperability of participating of forces.

Ridgley, a native of Lemoore, Calif., said the Legionnaires seemed surprised that a stranger would pay for their order.

“Why did you pay for us? You don’t know us,” said one of the Legionnaires.

Ridgley asked for their names.

“I’m Samuel and Sanchez Ruiz Gonzalo,” said Samuel Luna Tapia, “We are with the 2nd Brigade Spanish Legion.”

“Now we know each other,” Ridgley replied. “One team, one fight.”

The four talked about what they do, where they come from, and how their cultures differed.

The bonds created between the four servicemen, contributes to the overall intent of the exercise, to improve interoperability among the participating militaries.

“They made me feel like I was at home and not 3,000-miles away,” said Ridgley.

• Date Taken: 06.13.2015
• Date Posted: 06.13.2015 03:35
• Story ID: 166521
• Location: ALMERIA, ES
• Hometown: ALMERIA, ES
• Hometown: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US
• Hometown: FORT BLISS, TX, US
• Hometown: LEMOORE, CA, US