Photo By Master Sgt. Thomas Duval | U.S. Army Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry...... read more read more
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HOHENFELS, Germany - Months of training and preparation for an upcoming deployment to Kosovo culminated Feb. 25, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center as Soldiers from around the world participated in Operation Dynamic Manor.
During the operation, Soldiers from the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division and active duty Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, responded to violent protests simulated in the town of Kittensee.
Side by side with Albanian and Romanian riot control teams, about 300 U.S. Army Soldiers went toe-to-toe with more than 100 demonstrators.
The rioters, who were no match for the multinational team, aggressively threw their bodies and debris into the large formation of peacekeepers as the team approached and dismantled road blocks which had once limited access to the town.
As the Soldiers moved forward the rioters retreated until there were no barriers between the massive force of trained Soldiers and themselves.
The angry mob that had once limited movement into the town and held five workers hostage quickly dispersed as the team of Soldiers reclaimed freedom of movement.
Watching from a hilltop overlooking the town, Lt. Col. Thomas Ehrhart, commander 1-41st Inf. Regt., said he was impressed by his Soldiers’ performance.
“This mission was absolutely a success,” said Ehrhart. “Our Soldiers performed very well, very disciplined.”
Ehrhart also said a hallmark of his Soldiers’ success was how few injuries occurred.
From the hilltop, the clash between the two groups may have appeared easy, however, for the Soldiers on the ground it was anything but.
“It was pretty intense,” said, Sgt. Jeremy Roach, a team leader with the 1-41 Inf. Regt. “You can train for it and you can try and think you know what you’re going to expect and then when you get out there everybody’s emotions run crazy and you get caught up in the craziness of it all.”
The chaotic nature of the operation replicated the worst day in Kosovo, said Ehrhart.
The exercise’s intensity was deliberate and aimed to test the Soldiers’ mental and physical effectiveness while under extreme pressure.
This effectiveness will be key as the 1-41st Inf. Regt., under the command of the 2IBCT, 28ID, joins Multinational Battle Group- East during Kosovo Force 21 later this year.
The MNBG-E is comprised of Soldiers assigned to 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard; California National Guard’s 250th Military Intelligence Company, 40th Public Affairs Detachment and 28th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the 763rd Ordnance Disposal Company, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, as well as multinational partners from various countries.
Under the command of Col. Ros Gammon, the 2IBCT, 28ID, will assume authority for the MNBG-E and will be influential in supporting peace within their area of operation.
Once in Kosovo, the Soldiers will work alongside the local police and security forces to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the Kosovars.
| Date Taken: | 02.26.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2016 09:45 |
| Story ID: | 190325 |
| Location: | HOHENFELS, DE |
| Hometown: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 418 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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