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GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- Most Soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade feel that there’s no better way to get a good perspective on overcoming challenges and obstacles that may occur on the battlefield than working with other countries, and train side by side.
“This training will help us very much to learn what we need to do, and how we can do it better,” said Sgt. Maj. Ilir Rama, Medical Company sergeant major for the Kosovo Security Forces.
Saber Junction 19 (SJ19) is a 7th Army Training Command (7ATC) operated, U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) directed annual exercise designed to assess the readiness of the 173rd Airborne Brigade by executing unified land operations in a joint, combined environment, and to promote interoperability with participating allied and partner nations.
Other units who participated in the exercise include: 1st Infantry Division, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 346th Psychological Operations Company, 10th Special Forces Group, 21st Theater Support Command, 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, 139th Airlift Wing and Missouri Air National Guard.
The bulk of the exercise takes place at 7ATC’s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas located in southern Germany. U.S. military forces stationed across Europe routinely conduct exercises like this with allied and partnered nations to build a unified and stronger Europe.
“It’s a great experience to have NATO partners and allies come in and work with us,” said Army Spc. Alan Valdez, Charlie Company, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade.
For most young Soldiers like Valdez, it is their first time participating in an exercise with NATO allies and partners.
“It is very interesting to see the way that they train,” said Valdez. “We all learn skills and techniques from one another, and it makes us better Soldiers, a better Army. It’s [a] great way for us to learn about their culture.”
The exercise included more than 1,000 participants from 16 different nations to include: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey, and the Ukraine.
When asked about the significance of the several armed forces units coming into Germany,, “it is absolutely important for us to be able to work with our NATO allies and partners,” said Capt. Aileena Flynn, medical service officer, 173rd Airborne Brigade. “In a real life situation and in training we [have to] work together with our NATO allies and partners all the time.”
Flynn expressed how grateful she was for the opportunity to work with other countries in a training environment, as the opportunity to train outside the confines of a military base allowed U.S. and multinational troops to be exposed and adapt to real-life challenges they might encounter in a deployed environment.
The exercise provided the Soldiers the ability to interact with the local community, move through unfamiliar terrain and maintain a battle rhythm safely while adhering to host country laws.
Exercises like SJ19 provide much needed opportunities for “Total Force” interoperability training to take place between the U.S. active duty, reserve and National Guard, as well as their partnered and allied nations’ armed forces.
“It's the best thing for all of us to learn and train with [the U.S. Army],” said Rama.
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.20.2019 09:56 |
| Story ID: | 342448 |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, DE |
| Web Views: | 169 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Saber Junction 19 Strengthens Bonds, by SGT Ashunteia Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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