Iron Troop participates in Estonian nationwide readiness exercise

Photo By Staff Sgt. Steven Colvin | Iron Troop Soldiers and a convoy of U.S. Army M1131 Stryker vehicles from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Iron Troop, stationed out of Vilseck, Germany, return to Tapa Training Area from Amari Air Base in Harjumaa, Estonia, in response to the Estonian nationwide readiness exercise, March 17, 2016. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steven M. Colvin/Released)  

TAPA TRAINING AREA, ESTONIA

03.17.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Steven Colvin 

10th Press Camp Headquarters Wolfpack

TAPA TRAINING AREA, Estonia – U.S. Army Iron Troop Soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, stationed out of Vilseck, Germany, were afforded the opportunity to test their readiness when they were activated as part of a nationwide, Estonian mobilization exercise at Tapa Training Area in Estonia, March 17, 2016.

Iron Troop Soldiers were starting to enjoy their first day off after being in the field for almost three weeks when the call came in from the 1st Brigade, Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) Headquarters (HQ). The active components of the EDF received orders to mobilize and deploy to various key sites across the country and Iron Troop was tasked to secure Amari Air Base in Harjumaa, Estonia, with the EDF Scouts Battalion.

Three hours after the alert, U.S. Soldiers and M1131A1 Stryker vehicles were prepared to depart Tapa Training area and make the 130km movement to Amari Air Base. Coordination with the Estonian Scouts Battalion was already underway due to the previous training events where Iron Troop worked with the Scouts. When the order came to depart, Iron Troop received enough information to conduct Troop Leading Procedures (TLP) in route to the objective.

“This is the perfect example of Readiness,” commented Capt. Joe Vanderlip, the commander for Iron Troop. “We drilled into the recovery of the vehicles and equipment coming out of the field, and the day after we finish, we get put on a no notice mission. All the hard work the guys put in paid off when we were able to pack, draw our weapons, put the radios into the trucks and stand by for the green light.”

Upon arrival, U.S. Soldiers met familiar faces at the Estonian Scouts field HQ and received further guidance to secure the Ammo Supply Area of Amari Air Base, which Iron Troop continued to secure throughout the night until they received a change of mission the following day to return them to Tapa, saying “farewell” to the Estonian Scouts Battalion until they meet again.

The seamless integration of a U.S. Troop into an Estonian Battalion is a testament to the interoperability training that occurs during Atlantic Resolve and how important the relationships are between the units of both forces.

Training exercises like these are part of the U.S. Army Europe-led Operation Atlantic Resolve land force assurance training taking place across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Atlantic Resolve also provides U.S. Soldiers the opportunity to work with and train alongside our NATO allies, forge relationships that foster trust and mutual understanding, strengthen interoperability, and demonstrate the United States’ commitment to the NATO Alliance.

• Date Taken: 03.17.2016
• Date Posted: 03.19.2016 10:36
• Story ID: 192933
• Location: TAPA TRAINING AREA, EE