Multinational Training Readies Paratroopers on the Eve of Airborne Operation

Photo By Spc. Ryan Lucas | Paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment; the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion; the 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment; and the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion conduct sustained airborne training and combat preparation alongside their multinational partners and allies, a group from Italy and Turkey, in Ramstein Air Base, Germany, during Saber Junction 19 (SJ19) on Sept. 17, 2019. SJ19 is an exercise involving nearly 5,400 participants from 16 ally and partner nations at the U.S. Army’s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas, Sept. 3 to Sept. 30, 2019. SJ19 is designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade to execute land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with participating allies and partner nations. “We’re jumping with 2-503 tomorrow,” said Spc. Sean Sindelar of the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, “time on target is 2000.” The engineers, who will design and control the battlefield, will jump with Chosen Company of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment. “We’re going to be moving the enemy to where we want them, and [Chosen Company will] conduct ambushes,” said Sgt. Rogelio De La Garza. The four battalions of American paratroopers will be taking off from Ramstein Air Base in 11 chalks over the span of six minutes, beginning at 1910. Hours earlier, the multinational partners will conduct their own airborne operations. At 1400, American jumpmasters will exit Italian paratroopers from an Italian operated C-130 Hercules aircraft. Combined with a Turkish jump, the afternoon operations will present a show of force before the American entrance into the notional battleground of Hohenfels Training Area. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ryan Lucas).  

GERMANY

09.17.2019

Story by Spc. Ryan Lucas 

173rd Airborne Brigade

Ramstein, GERMANY — On Sept. 17, 2019, the night before Saber Junction’s joint, multinational airborne operation into Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, the paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment; the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion; the 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment; and the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion conducted sustained airborne training (SAT) and combat preparation alongside their multinational partners and allies, a group from Italy and Turkey.

Saber Junction 2019 (SJ19) is an exercise involving nearly 5,400 participants from 16 ally and partner nations at the U.S. Army’s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas, Sept. 3 to Sept. 30, 2019. SJ19 is designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade to execute land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with participating allies and partner nations.

“We’re jumping with 2-503 tomorrow,” said Spc. Sean Sindelar of the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, “time on target is 2000.”

The engineers, who will design and control the battlefield, will jump with Chosen Company of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment. “We’re going to be moving the enemy to where we want them, and [Chosen Company will] conduct ambushes,” said Sgt. Rogelio De La Garza.

The four battalions of American paratroopers will be taking off from Ramstein Air Base in 11 chalks over the span of six minutes, beginning at 1910.

Hours earlier, the multinational partners will conduct their own airborne operations. At 1400, American jumpmasters will exit Italian paratroopers from an Italian operated C-130 Hercules aircraft. Combined with a Turkish jump, the afternoon operations will present a show of force before the American entrance into the notional battleground of Hohenfels Training Area.

• Date Taken: 09.17.2019
• Date Posted: 09.20.2019 17:09
• Story ID: 342266
• Location: DE