Photo By Staff Sgt. Sean Ferry | Sgt. Raoul Conde, a logistics and operations sergeant assigned to the Support...... read more read more
Amberg, Germany – It’s a Saturday night in early September, and while pedestrian traffic has mostly retired into their rural abodes, a different kind of movement carries on through the countryside. Humvees and military cargo trucks roll steadily down country roads, their drivers, American soldiers, conducting business as usual.
As trees turn orange and the sky fades to pink, the sun casts its final rays over Bavaria, illuminating a unique military rhythm quietly playing out behind the scenes.
During exercise Saber Junction 25, combat units from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR) maneuvered across the Joint Multinational Readiness Center’s (JMRC) Hohenfels Training Area. But while these front-line elements engaged in the simulated fight, another critical mission unfolded almost an hour’s drive away: sustainment.
At a tactical position near Amberg, soldiers from the Regiment’s Support Squadron (RSS) worked tirelessly through the night of Sept. 6, 2025, ensuring their comrades remained equipped, supplied, and ready for combat.
“Sustainment is crucial in a military deployment to maintain operational effectiveness,” said Capt. Zacharey Bilskie, an observer coach trainer with Team Adler, 7th Army Training Command (ATC), JMRC. “Without continuous support, a force’s combat power would diminish, making mission accomplishment impossible, especially for prolonged operation.”
This behind-the-scenes effort encompassed far more than food and fuel. Inside a tactical container, disguised in appearance as a simple shipping box, sat a compact but vital nerve center. Behind a heavy door, under dim lighting and the constant hum of radio chatter, human resources personnel sat at laptop stations in full tactical gear, managing one of the Army’s most valuable assets: its people.
“We're really refitting them in the most important way, getting them more people,” said Staff Sgt. Desaray Kalnai, a regimental enlisted strength manager with the Higher Headquarters Troop, RSS, 2CR. “If you don't have people to fight your fight, there's no fight to fight.”
The team had only 24 hours to process each casualty report — a daunting task, as the number of personnel flowing in and out of the fight could reach into the hundreds at any given time.
This personnel-focused sustainment was just one element of a larger, dispersed logistics system that spanned both inside and outside the Hohenfels Training Area. These positions, referred to as “nodes” or “clusters,” allowed 2CR to adapt its support structure while minimizing visibility and exposure.
“We see the clusters being used to reduce their footprint and their signature, so they can try not to be detected,” said Schnitz. “This is a great opportunity for them to enhance their sustainment operations.”
At one such cluster in the Amberg Training Area, RSS soldiers were strategically dispersed under camouflage nets and among the trees. Spread across a few acres of woods and fields, troops managed various specialties, from vehicle maintenance and supply to human resources and communications.
“This is the first time that we’ve moved the clusters out further away from the battle,” said Sgt. Maj. Kerry Schnitz, senior enlisted advisor and observer coach trainer with Team Adler, 7ATC. “This is really stressing 2CR’s ability to sustain their soldiers on the battlefield.”
The challenge was immense. Soldiers counted and loaded columns of meals-ready-to-eat, repaired damaged vehicles, and sent critical parts to maintenance teams closer to the front line. Every delivery required a journey through small towns and narrow roads, often under the cover of darkness, sometimes aided only by night vision devices mounted on helmets.
“I feel like this will validate us to go out and assist with any type of situation,” said Warrant Officer Lucas Latney, a human resource technician in the section. “It helps us to learn how to adapt to be effective whenever we're faced with adversity.”
| Date Taken: | 09.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2025 17:02 |
| Story ID: | 547496 |
| Location: | AMBERG, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 2CR’s Support Squadron Sustains Fight, Saber Junction 25, by SSG Sean Ferry, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
