Photo By Staff Sgt. Michaela Granger | Service members from the U.S. Army, center, the U.S. Marine Corps, right, and the Army...... read more read more
Soldiers from the Vermont National Guard joined U.S. and allied forces this summer for Immediate Response 25, a multinational training exercise focused on strengthening NATO interoperability, building partnerships, and enhancing collective readiness.
Immediate Response is part of Defender Europe, an annual U.S. Army Europe and Africa-led series of exercises designed to demonstrate the ability of U.S. and NATO forces to rapidly deploy, integrate, and operate together across the continent. Immediate Response 25 brought together eight partner nations, including seven NATO allies, alongside multiple active duty, reserve, and National Guard units.
Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, called the exercise a significant validation of U.S. and allied training efforts.
“It’s a significant collective training event,” Knight said. “Logistics, personnel management, battle tracking, interoperability, communications—it touches everything.”
The Vermont National Guard deployed units to North Macedonia and Greece in support of battalion-level live-fire exercises and multinational training missions. The Krivolak Training Area, North Macedonia, a 54,000-acre site, provided the setting for battalion level live fire exercises.
“This is a battalion-level live fire exercise,” said Col. Nathan Fry, commander of the 3-172nd Infantry Regiment. “That’s a big deal. To be able to do that for two weeks here at Krivolak is an enormous achievement.”
The exercise tested not only combat capabilities but also the ability to coordinate across logistics chains, communication networks, and operational planning systems. According to Fry, these conditions provided Vermont soldiers with experience that could not be replicated at home stations.
“Our soldiers gained experience you can’t replicate in Vermont,” Fry said. “The partnerships, the scale of operations, and the ability to work through real-world challenges alongside allies—that’s what makes this so powerful.”
The exercise also highlighted the long-standing partnership between Vermont and North Macedonia under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program. Since 1993, the Vermont National Guard and the Army of North Macedonia have trained, conducted exchanges, and developed capabilities together.
Knight noted the progress he has witnessed over the decades.
“We’ve been partners here with North Macedonia for 33 years,” he said. “The professionalism, the development, the interoperability focus—becoming a NATO ally four years ago—just gives you an idea of the trend line and their progression as an army.”
North Macedonia formally joined NATO in 2020, an achievement Knight pointed to as a testament to the partnership’s success.
“This event highlights the direction we’ve gone as partners, having been alongside them for so long,” he said.
While the most visible aspect of Immediate Response 25 was the battalion-level live fire exercise, Vermont units also participated in a wide range of supporting activities.
“It exercises so many things,” Knight said. “Logistics, personnel management, battle tracking, interoperability, communications. For me, it’s incredibly validating to watch this level of exercise happen the way it did.”
The scale of training required coordination across multiple NATO command structures, extensive logistical planning, and careful synchronization of communication systems. Vermont soldiers were able to train directly alongside NATO partners, gaining insight into the operational challenges of joint operations.
“It drives readiness, it drives lethality, and it builds stability,” Knight said.
Knight emphasized that the most enduring outcomes of exercises like Immediate Response come not from equipment or tactics, but from the relationships built between soldiers.
“At the leadership level, we do key leader engagements and that’s important,” he said. “But where we really win is at the soldier level. They’re here making friends, building lifelong partnerships, and learning from each other. It’s mutually beneficial.”
For Vermont soldiers, training in North Macedonia and Greece provided not only professional development but also cultural exchange. Shared training environments, meals, and daily interactions built camaraderie with NATO counterparts.
“Honestly, I can’t replicate some of the experiences our soldiers have here anywhere in the United States,” Knight said.
An essential component of Immediate Response is the process of capturing lessons learned and distributing them across commands. Knight outlined how feedback is collected and shared.
“After every exercise, we do a detailed after-action review,” Knight said. “We get feedback from our battalions, our companies, our supporting allies and partners. I roll that up and send it to the international affairs director at National Guard Bureau, to senior commanders in U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Those lessons—both successes and areas to improve—are how we make sure we don’t make the same mistakes twice.”
This process ensures that knowledge gained in North Macedonia strengthens not only the Vermont Guard, but the wider NATO force.
Knight, who has visited Krivolak for more than two decades, also highlighted the importance of the training area itself.
“There are things you can do here that you probably can’t execute anywhere else,” he said. “It’s just an incredibly liberating place to train and learn.”
The range’s size and infrastructure enable large-scale exercises that incorporate combined arms maneuver, live-fire operations, and multinational coordination. Knight credited the efforts of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, NATO partners, and the Vermont Guard in developing Krivolak into a premier training location.
Both Knight and Fry noted that the exercise’s significance extends beyond training objectives.
“It’s no secret we live in a pretty contentious world right now,” Knight said. “Exercises like this emphasize the importance of being able to work together, focusing on interoperability, and being ready for that challenge when and if it comes.”
Fry echoed the point, emphasizing the importance of trust and familiarity in joint operations.
“The ability to train at this level alongside NATO partners ensures that, if called upon, we already know how to operate together,” Fry said. “That confidence is critical.”
Knight also connected the exercise to the Guard’s mission at home.
“I’ll sell dirt to a farmer,” Knight said. “If anybody wants to join the Vermont National Guard and participate in an event like this—come see us. You can interstate transfer, you can come off active duty, you can join the Vermont National Guard and be a part of the best.”
By highlighting the scope and impact of Immediate Response, Knight underscored the opportunities available to current and future service members.
As Immediate Response 25 concluded, Knight offered a simple message to NATO allies and partners.
“The bottom line for me and for our NATO allies is a very simple message: it’s open,” he said. “Come down here and exercise like we saw here today. It’s just incredible.”
Immediate Response 25 reinforced the Vermont National Guard’s role in international training and partnership missions, validating readiness, strengthening alliances, and ensuring the Guard remains prepared to meet global challenges alongside its allies.
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2025 11:21 |
| Story ID: | 547512 |
| Location: | KRIVOLAK, MK |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Vermont National Guard Strengthens NATO Partnerships During Immediate Response 25, by SGT Denis Nunez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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