Photo By Alexandra Shea | Lithuanian soldiers assigned to the 21st Dragoon Battalion fall back to their main...... read more read more
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PABRADE, Lithuania – U.S. Troopers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment and NATO allied partners 21st Dragoon Battalion, Lithuanian Land and Volunteer Forces, tested their might against one another in a culminating exercise Feb. 23, 2021, at the Kairai training area just off the Baltic Sea.
“I was impressed,” said Cpl. Keaton Williamson, a tanker assigned to Bravo “Eager Arms” Company. “These guys defend their land with their hearts.”
2-8 Cav. Reg. transported an Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle Platoon to the training area for a three-week combined training exercise. Lithuanian and U.S. forces spent two-weeks sharing their battlefield tactics, techniques and unconventional warfare maneuvers.
At the conclusion of the training, a culminating exercise was presented to the NATO allies. Lithuanian forces established and defended Objective Washington; a small set of wooden buildings reinforced with thousands of sandbags. The area was ringed with deep ditches designed to trap wheeled and track vehicles should they happen to drive into one.
The U.S. Trooper’s mission was to play the role of enemy forces and take Objective Washington using tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Scout section, dismounted infantry, and all the heavy weaponry they commonly employ on the battlefield.
“We are defending against tanks [by using] anti-tank canvases and entrenching our positions to be able to withstand tank shells,” said Lt. Dovydas Galgzdys, 21st Battalion, 1st Company, 1st Platoon commander. “It was a great experience.”
2-8 Cav. Reg. lead the attack with their Scout section who relayed Lithuanian positions. Tanks and Bradleys’ flanked the entrenched Lithuanian soldiers and began a barrage of fire using their main and secondary gun systems.
After receiving the fire, Lithuanian soldiers evacuated the trenches to reinforce Objective Washington where they employed grenade launchers against the heavy vehicles and crew served weapons such as the .50 caliber machine gun and 7.62 caliber crew serve weapons against the U.S. Troopers.
Simulated casualties were taken by both forces.
“We received fire before we reached Objective Washington,” said Pfc. Aaron Huff, a dismount infantryman assigned to Charlie “Cobra” Company. “When we finally got to Objective Washington … we died.”
The culminating exercise was the first time Lithuanian forces had the opportunity to defend an objective using their tactics and techniques against a professional military with heavy weaponry in addition to combined training with these forces.
“I have learned they are great at ambushing,” Huff said. “They gave us a lot of tips on ambushing, staying hidden and bounding back to ambush again to eliminate the enemy.”
Though they played enemies on the battlefield, during the three-weeks both forces cultivated professional relationships and shared in each other’s cultural similarities and differences.
“It was a strange thing fighting against each other,” Galgzdys said. “I really do enjoy working with Americans. Not everyone is able to work with the Americans. We are glad for all our allies, together we are stronger.”
“Even though we did some things they were not expecting, I think they ended up winning the fight,” said Capt. Evan Ringel, Bravo Company commander. “There are some lessons we will take away from this. They (Lithuanian forces) don’t hold anything back, they train hard. We are very proud and excited to be partnered with Lithuanian forces.”
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.25.2021 09:33 |
| Story ID: | 389807 |
| Location: | KAIRAI, LT |
| Hometown: | FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 466 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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