Photo By Sgt. Cameron Boyd | U.S. Army Soldiers with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade,...... read more read more
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Agile Spirit 25 officially concluded Aug. 6, 2025, following two weeks of multinational joint training across Georgia and Türkiye. The exercise brought together over 2,000 troops from nine nations in a full-spectrum display of interoperability, mobility, and tactical precision.
“This is the 12th iteration of this exercise, where we have joint multinational partners combined together both in Türkiye and Georgia,” said U.S. Army Col. Will Cox, Georgia Army National Guard, and co-exercise director for Agile Spirit 25. “We have a common goal of seeking stability and security in the Black Sea region.”
Co-led by the Georgian Defense Forces and U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the exercise featured brigade-level command post operations, multinational live-fire events, medical evacuation drills, port operations, and a joint forcible airborne entry. These efforts were designed to enhance regional readiness and demonstrate allied cooperation in the Black Sea region.
“Under the leadership of the West Command of the Georgian Defense Forces, the main activities of Agile Spirit 25 are conducted across various locations within the Training and Military Education Command,” said Georgian Col. Davit Gagua, commander of the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC). “The exercise includes two main components and involves observers from the 7th Army Training Command, whose mission is to assess the capabilities of both JTEC and the Combat Training Center.”
Leading the U.S. ground force was the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade. The squadron operated with the Georgian command, which was part of a live opposing force at the Norio Training Area.
“Under our command, we had Georgian responding elements as well as 1-91 Cavalry Squadron, a live component that carried out operations against the demonstration group,” said Lt. Col. Cesar Topuria, chief of staff of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, Georgian Defense Forces. “Our task was to conduct defensive and counterattack operations to expel enemy elements from the brigade’s area of responsibility.”
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Austin Commons, commander of 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, emphasized the unique value of participating in this year's iteration of Agile Spirit.
"Participation in Agile Spirit 25 has provided 1-91 CAV with an opportunity to exercise nearly all of our mission essential tasks. It has increased our squadron’s fighting readiness while also providing valuable experience to our paratroopers in deploying to multiple countries, quickly integrating and planning alongside our host nation forces, and executing challenging missions," Commons said.
Commons highlighted the importance of integrated training during one of the most complex phases of the exercise. "In Türkiye, we had the opportunity to conduct an airborne assault alongside Turkish paratroopers from the 1st Commando Brigade. Airborne assaults are one of the most difficult, dangerous, and complex operations we do, so it was critical to work closely with our Turkish allies in preparing for the operation. Planning, rehearsing, and conducting complex operations like this together with our allies are critical to ensuring that we’re ready to fight together when called upon."
Reflecting on what the unit will take back home, Commons noted, "Our training in Georgia provided valuable lessons about mission command. Deploying to Georgia, conducting a convoy across the country, training simultaneously at multiple sites, and coordinating with our host nation partners required a deliberate effort to put the right leaders in the right places and empower them to operate independently within commander’s intent. This was an incredibly valuable experience for our leaders at all levels, and we are a better unit for it."
The 22nd Multinational Battalion, operating under the Georgian Defense Forces, also played a key role in field operations and interoperability exercises.
“This is the second time the 22nd Battalion has participated in Agile Spirit. Each time, it presents a valuable opportunity to conduct a wide variety of tactical actions with partner countries and to become familiar with different weapon systems in action,” said Lt. Col. Giorgi Jalagonia, commander of the 22nd Multinational Battalion. “We mutually share our experiences regarding current global military challenges shaped by ongoing conflicts. Through that exchange, we make each other stronger.”
Medevac and air assault operations were led by the 3rd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The battalion also led hot and cold load training, building familiarity and safety across multinational elements. The Georgia Army National Guard provided essential support throughout the exercise. The 122nd Tactical Support Detachment and 560th Battlefield Coordination Detachment co-led the command post exercise in support of Col. William Cox, U.S. exercise co-director. The 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment supported communications and public affairs operations.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jason Westmoreland, Georgia Army National Guard, assigned to the 560th Battlefield Coordination Detachment and supporting the 122nd Tactical Support Detachment, served as the high command (HICON) chief for the command post exercise. His role functioned as the division commander in the exercise, providing oversight to the 2nd Multinational Brigade.
“I worked as the HICON chief. My position in this exercise, as the division commander, and I provide oversight to the 2nd Multinational Brigade as they conduct their command post exercise,” said Westmoreland. “So it’s [a] command post exercise for the 2nd Multinational Brigade, mainly hosted by the Georgian Army. They are augmented with U.S. and NATO country soldiers to fill out their staff and to work together to conduct operations in a digital exercise that is facilitated by the HICON that I command, to provide them with higher-level direction and support, and also work with the simulation cell and provide them information that works with the lowercon environment to provide them information from subordinate battalions.”
“This portion is to exercise command and control. It gives the brigade the opportunity to pull in support from other nations, to bring in fire support, intel, operations, and work through issues coming from outside, communications, interpreters, to work these issues and to refine operations and improve processes.”
Westmoreland noted that differences in communication styles and military culture presented early challenges that improved as the exercise progressed.
“Language and culture are the biggest issues. Interpreters help, but there is also how we look at problems and deal with them,” he said. “American Soldiers tend to be a little more open and speak freely [and] question what is going on. Some of the other units are more formal in their processes and more reluctant. Getting them to be comfortable around each other and start to freely communicate takes a little bit of time. When you are here for two weeks, about the time everyone gets comfortable and feels that they can speak freely is usually at the point you are about to wrap things up. [There is a] huge improvement usually on day eight or nine.”
On the value of enduring partnerships, Westmoreland added: “Mainly, you are working with others and their processes and how they work together. You are making relationships. You know who to talk to and who to communicate to. A lot of the same faces, some of them are even in the same positions. That helps a lot, not having to start from the beginning. They tend to speak more freely. The more you work together, the better you get at [it].”
U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Caldwell, a medevac platoon leader and HH-60 pilot assigned to 3rd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, provided insight into the real-world medevac operations running alongside exercise objectives.
“When you're operating in a multinational environment, the key is building trust early and often,” Caldwell said. “It’s not about enforcing one way of doing things - it's about educating on capabilities, validating systems, and making sure everyone shares an understanding before the first call comes in.”
Caldwell emphasized the value of early engagement with host nation forces and the importance of shared medical protocols. “Air medevac is a specialized capability. Educating our partners on how to request it and when it’s appropriate ensures we’re all on the same page during real-world events.”
Operating across several countries and missions, Caldwell’s unit drew critical lessons from their time in Georgia. “Every country has different medical frameworks. That means our crews must be dynamic, capable, and constantly validating how we operate,” he said. “Agile Spirit gave our crews the chance to operate outstationed, rely on interpreters, and reinforce how our systems function across different environments. It made us better.”
Training sites included Vaziani, Norio, Krtsanisi and Senaki. Additional airborne operations launched from Incirlik Air Base into Kayseri, Türkiye. The exercise also integrated special operations forces, joint logistics, and multinational medical readiness.
Agile Spirit began in 2011 and became a U.S. Army Europe and Africa-led exercise in 2018. It continues to serve as a key platform for improving the combat effectiveness of NATO and allied land forces.
“I’d like to say thank you to all the partner nations that came together for Agile Spirit 25,” Cox said in closing. “I’d especially like to thank the host countries, Türkiye and Georgia. They have been great hosts to us, provided great training areas, and I know we’ll be back to do more training.”
As flags lowered and formations stood in final review, the conclusion of Agile Spirit 25 marked a milestone in partnership and readiness. The mission continues. The relationships endure. And if called upon, these forces will be ready to fight together.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2025 06:57 |
| Story ID: | 544971 |
| Location: | VAZIANI, GE |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Agile Spirit 25 Concludes with Unified Display of Allied Strength and Readiness, by SFC Brittany Conley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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