Photo By Staff Sgt. Sharon Matthias | Elements of 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st...... read more read more
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ZAGAN, Poland- Soldiers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team (Dagger Brigade), 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas endured the frigid air as persistent rain fell to their feet, causing their tracked vehicles to mix the uneven loose soil into mud, as they prepared for Borsuk on Nov. 28, 2017.
Borsuk, a live-fire exercise at Presidenski Range, near Trzebian, Poland, spanned the course of nine days, and included approximately 1,200 Polish and U.S. forces during its duration.
The multinational team had a “call-to-fire,” which activated a combined effort to demonstrate interoperability and readiness with lethal force against a simulated enemy.
Troops, under direct control of an integrated command team, led by the Polish 11th Armored Cavalry Division, maneuvered their M1A2 Abrams tanks and M2A2 Bradley fighting vehicles from defensive operations to an aggressive posture, while supported by close air support and ground forces as they transitioned.
“I maintain the speed and stay on line with the other fleet, so the gunner has a good shooting platform,” said Pfc. Alexander Bloemer, a cavalry scout with 2nd ABCT. “My main job is to keep the Bradley stable, so the gunner can strike with accuracy.”
The muddy terrain tested Bloemer’s skills to operate his vehicle.
“Out here, there are a lot of ditches, you must control speed by coasting through, so the vehicle won’t bounce around,” said Bloemer, a native of Effingham, Illinois.
Sgt. Jonathan Davis, a cavalry scout and Bradley gunner with 5-4 CAV, was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Polish military, but also excited to showcase his ability.
“I am very confident in my abilities to engage and destroy the target, plus we spent many days in the field preparing for this,” Davis said, emphasizing they rehearsed the tasks to the point of being quick and accurate every time.
The objective of interoperability was clear when the battery fought with synchronized fury in a frontal attack by putting steel on targets.
Capt. Brian Campbell, a fire support officer with 5-4 CAV, said more than 60 U.S Soldiers participated in the exercise, which not only provided an opportunity to maintain and sustain readiness in a real-world environment, but added training to develop innovative and adaptive leaders.
Maj. Marcin Markowski, a Polish officer with the 11th Armored Calvary Division, said that while this is not the first time the Polish army has worked with the Americans, he added this was his first time working with 2nd ABCT. He added that he was glad to be afforded the opportunity to share his team's best practices and inculcate lessons from the Americans.
The units worked together to dominate their sectors of fire on the range, which focused on strengthening capabilities and sustaining readiness through the bilateral and multinational training exercise.
It took a team of tracked vehicle mechanics and crew chiefs to ensure the safety of the Soldiers and operability of the equipment to sustain the training.
“Before we move, we must conduct preventative, maintenance, checks and services (PMCS),” said Bloemer. “We’ll check tracks and fluids while the gunner conducts PMCS on the turret.”
When asked if the objective was met, Campbell said, “One hundred percent, yes.”
“The troops participated fully, it was good training, as we worked on building our combat proficiency and being able to work directly on our interoperability,” said Campbell.
| Date Taken: | 11.28.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2017 02:52 |
| Story ID: | 256912 |
| Location: | ZAGAN, PL |
| Hometown: | EFFINGHAM, IL, US |
| Hometown: | JUNCTION CITY, KS, US |
| Hometown: | MANHATTAN, KS, US |
| Hometown: | WETUMPKA, AL, US |
| Web Views: | 663 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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