War Paint Troopers participate in Exercise Wise Foresight

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Dean Gannon | Soldiers from 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment join their Hungarian and Romanian Allies for the Exercise Wise Foresight opening ceremony at Ujmajor, Hungary, Dec. 3. The exercise allowed Hungarian, Romanian and U.S. sections and platoons to hone battle drills, streamline standard operating procedures for increased interoperability among nations, and improve interpersonal and professional relationships.  

ULMAJOR, HUNGARY

12.09.2015

Story by Sgt. Dean Gannon 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

VARPALOTA, Hungary- Hungarian, Romanian and U.S. forces are strengthening their partnerships during Exercise Wise Foresight, a multinational training exercise taking place in Hungary from Dec. 1-8.

The exercise allows sections and platoons to hone battle drills, streamline standard operating procedures for increased interoperability among nations, and improve interpersonal and professional relationships.

Though the Hungarian and Romanian forces train together annually, U.S. forces are a new variable in this training scenario. The exercise included soldiers from 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, deployed from Fort Stewart, Georgia as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

“The squadron’s capabilities have grown with participation in Wise Foresight,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Mahaffey, the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. Commander. "They’ve had the opportunity to work with both the Romanian and Hungarian staffs in a STAFFEX [staff exercise] environment, doing a computer-aided exercise that allowed them to learn the strengths and weaknesses of those teams when it comes to the Military Decision Making Process. It strengthens our understanding of MDMP as our NATO partners see it.”

Capt. Julio Fernandez, Bravo Troop Commander, 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Regt., emphasized his unit’s depth of interoperability with Hungarian and Romanian forces.

“It’s been an excellent opportunity to hone their skills at the platoon level,” Fernandez said. “The platoons are maneuvering together, executing live fires and most importantly, they’re executing maneuvers with Hungarian/Romanian-mixed units and with Hungarian Army units. It’s made the platoon leaders and section sergeants a lot more proficient in operating with other Allied nations.”

Sgt. 1st Class Terry Spiecher, a mortar sergeant with Bravo Troop, 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Regt., said he noticed changes in the Hungarian standard operating procedures after the units began working together.

“What they had a tendency to do at first during their battle drills was keep their vehicles close together and not use terrain features to their advantage for cover and concealment,” said Spiecher. “They would bound the BTRs [vehicles], and move forward that way. As we worked, and they watched what we did with the Bradley [Fighting Vehicle], they started using the terrain to their advantage as well. They started looking for the low ground, and started looking for the wood line to use while they were moving.”

Changes like these enabled Hungarian forces to release dismounted personnel from multiple positions instead of confining them to a battle position release point.

“They started watching what we were doing,” Spiecher said. “Then they started to follow suit.”

According to Spiecher, the training helped remove some of the uncertainty associated with working other NATO members. Unit equipment, capabilities and battle drills, as well as planning ranges and communication have all been streamlined.

“It’s gotten a lot better,” declared Spiecher.

• Date Taken: 12.09.2015
• Date Posted: 12.10.2015 10:10
• Story ID: 184115
• Location: ULMAJOR, HU