Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan | U.S. Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st...... read more read more
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Deploying to a foreign country, training with 12 other nations and meeting the president of an another country is a typical 2 weeks in the life for Soldiers of Bravo and Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. They are supporting Noble Partner 18 at Vaziani Training Area, Georgia, Aug. 10, 2018.
Noble Partner 2018 is a cooperatively-led event improving readiness and interoperability between Georgian Armed Forces, U.S. Army Europe and participating nations.
U.S. Soldiers flew in from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, July 25 to Tbilisi International Airport on a Gerogia Air National Guard C-130. Upon landing, they joined more than 3,000 personnel at the Vaziani and Camp Norio training areas for the exercise scheduled from Aug. 1-15 through 15th .
"It's a real experience for everyone (in the unit)," said U.S. Army Spc. William Bobo, a tank mechanic with Charlie Company, 2-5 Cav, 1st ABCT, 1st CD.
The next week was a flurry of activity as the M1A2 Abrams tanks, M2A3 Bradley fighting vehicles, M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle, M113 armored personnel carriers arrive from the Port of Poti. Drivers intently watched as fellow Soldiers guided them down the truck ramps. Once parked, crews prepared the vehicles for the upcoming training.
Over the next several days, unit leaders developed training schedules with their Georgian, German, Ukrainian and British peers to better work together at the upcoming joint training events across the base's numerous ranges.
"It is interesting to coordinate with the Germans and Georgians, a real reward for everyone," said U.S. Army Sgt. Robert Devora, a Bradley commander with Bravo Company, 2-5 Cav, 1st ABCT, 1st CD.
The planning paid off as the units prepared for combined urban operations training. It's a complex mission with multiple U.S. Bradley and German Marder infantry fighting vehicles with U.S. Soldiers and German soldiers assaulting a village defended by Georgian soldiers acting as opposing forces.
Armored vehicles roared forward to the abandoned buildings of the training site. Once the vehicles came to a stop, the ramp dropped and U.S. and German soldiers ran out and secured the immediate area. Leaders ordered soldiers to seize the nearest building.
Teams of soldiers rushed forward as other soldiers provided cover fire. Upon entering the target building they moved room to room carefully checking for any opposing forces and simulated traps.
German and U.S. Soldiers then teamed up and overwhelmed target buildings to further advance together as a single unit. After hours of effort the objective was theirs.
"it's a lot of moving pieces in tight spaces," Devora said.
Moving across the training area to range 11, Bradley and Abrams crews take advantage of a large, broad tank gunnery range in a valley amount the hills surrounding the base. They fired at targets hundreds of meters away to check their aim before live fire exercises scheduled on Aug. 12 and 14.
It is not all training, as the unit was invited to the opening ceremony on Aug. 1, 2018. Soldiers representing each of the 13 nations participating compared equipment they brought for display. Among the participants, language was not a barrier as many shared handshakes and selfies.
Once the ceremony began Georgian national leaders welcomed all of the nations, praising their support over the many years the exercise has been held in Georgia.
"Your participation in these exercises is a guarantee of stability and peace," said Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili.
U.S. Soldiers’ experience with the Georgian President was not reserved to formalities as he toured the displays and welcomed them personally shaking their hand and having a conversation.
"I've never talked to a president, it's the greatest thing I've ever done," said U.S. Army Pvt. Nicholas Cardone, a Soldier with Charlie Company, 2-5 Cav, 1st ABCT, 1st CD.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2018 10:11 |
| Story ID: | 287788 |
| Location: | VAZIANI, GE |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. Soldiers Join International Peers At Noble Partner 18 Hosted by Georgia, by SFC Robert Jordan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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