7ATC trainers provide expertise during Saber Guardian 17

Photo By Staff Sgt. Kathleen Polanco | Bezmer Airbase, Bulgaria (July 19, 2017)- Sgt. First Class Megan Brown, a Timberwolve O/C-T, provides expertise during the airfield seizure, here. Saber Guardian 2017 is an annual, multinational exercise held in the Black Sea Region as part of the U.S. European Command Joint Exercise Program. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kathleen V. Polanco, 7th Army Training Command)  

BEZMER AIRBASE, BULGARIA

07.21.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Kathleen Polanco  

7th Army Training Command

Bezmer Airbase, Bulgaria (July 21, 2017) -- "Without the Observer, Coach/Trainers (OC/T) from the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), you lack the outside point of view," said Sgt. First Class Megan Brown, as she watches paratroopers fall from the pink overcast sky at dusk, July 19.

More than 230 O/C-Ts assigned to JMRC were supporting Saber Guardian 2017 (SG 17) throughout Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania from July 11-20.

The largest of the Black Sea Region exercises, SG 17, was an annual multinational exercise that was co-hosted by the Bulgarian, Hungarian and Romanian land force components.

The exercise consisted of multiple events across Europe to include command post exercises, live fires, river crossings and a mass casualty exercise, which required simultaneous O/C-T support at all events.

The O/C-Ts not only provide world class training and feedback at their home station in Hohenfels Training Area (HTA), Germany, but they can also deliver the same quality of expert mentorship as an exportable capability, which is what they did this summer.

"We can give perspectives from all over," said Brown, an O/C-T with the Timberwolves team. "We don't need our training area to be able to give our expert feedback. We can give it anywhere, so utilizing us all over the place is great."

The same-valued exportable capability allows for other countries to always have an opportunity for interoperable training across all warfighting functions such as maneuver, logistics training, close air support, engineering, military police, military intelligence, fire support and artillery, aviation, as well as brigade operations.

"We have pretty much the entire package of what ground forces would need," said Sgt. First Class Bradley Kauwe, an O/C-T with the Raptor team.

Kauwe, a combat engineer, was one of the many O/C-Ts who provided support during the night-time, wet gap crossing event in Valcea, Romania, July 16. He observed Dutch, German, Romanian and U.S. Soldiers working together to build three bridges over the same river in order for the maneuver units to reach their objective.

The multinational event was an opportunity for JMRC's O/C-Ts to apply their distinctive skills in building and sustaining strong relationships with Allies.

"I think our O/C-Ts have a unique level of experience when it comes to working with different units, said Sgt. First Class Sebastian Chrzanowski, another Raptor O/C-T. "We have the experience of working with multinational partners, which is not readily available at other combat training centers."

Although the O/C-Ts are already familiar with operating in a complex multinational environment back in HTA, operating away from home station allows them to fully understand those multinational units' backgrounds and proficiency levels.

For example, building a bridge is something that can't be done in HTA due to the fact there isn't a river to build over. So, for Kauwe and Chrzanowski, they were able to visually understand the capabilities of the various units who participated in the event.

In addition to gaining greater understanding of the training audience, receiving feedback from units is also a critical function for an O/C-T.

Some of the after action reviews Kauwe and Chrzanowski received from an event in Hungary led to higher headquarters' awareness of a shortcoming with the NATO Standardization Agreement and US doctrine. The feedback called for revisions in order to improve the effectiveness of the interoperable force, one of the reasons why multinational exercises like SG 17 exist.

"When we get feedback from the units about what we are doing, it helps us put more stuff in our tool bags," said Brown. "It helps us become better.

Both sides of the house, the O/C-Ts and the training audience, were able to provide instrumental feedback that geared at improving interoperability training in the European theater.

"We're not always going to be able to bring everybody to the Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr Training Areas, but we can bring Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr training to them," said Kauwe. "That's pretty much what we're doing here."

• Date Taken: 07.21.2017
• Date Posted: 07.24.2017 07:18
• Story ID: 242295
• Location: BEZMER AIRBASE, BG