VICENZA, Italy -
In our ever-growing world of information, technology and intelligence gathering, even the most innocuous actions cast a wide shadow. A clicked seat belt means a present passenger, an internal compass determines which direction a car is driven, and an updated odometer reveals the exact distance traveled.
The 307th Military Intelligence Battalion and the 522nd Military Intelligence Battalion, conducted parallel exercises, Sept. 2025, in Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy, as a military intelligence training strategy exercise.
307th's exercise, Titan Odyssey and 522nd's Gallant Crew, operated in the same building, at the same time, independently of each other. The shared workspace reminds everyone involved that sibling battalions are kin, not guests.
Titan Odyssey tested the 307th's Human Intelligence and Counterintelligence Soldiers. In this exercise, a realistic scenario, based off the Battalion’s mission, is played out. A realistic conflict adjusted to meet training objectives takes place within the Southern European Task Force, Africa, area of responsibility, and the Soldiers of the 307th put their varied skills to use to successfully accomplish their mission. Role players portrayed detainees for Soldiers to hone their information collection skills to support mission information requirements. They process every ounce of information. They take physical notes, making certain that they capture every minute detail. From simple things such as date of birth, names, spelling of names, country of origin, etc. They go through the roleplayer’s full life, asking questions about family, employment, decisions they’ve made and so much more.
“Queres saber o que tomei ao pequeno-almoço esta manhã?” the roleplayer asks.
“He said, ‘Do you want to know what I ate for breakfast this morning?” The linguist responds.
In this exercise professional military linguists role play as foreigners taken in for questioning. The Soldiers participation consists of interviewing the role player. Adding an extra layer of complexity to this exercise is the differences in language. This puzzle is not as simple as typing into translation software. Depending on the language, subtleties, mistranslations, letters, punctuation and even the history of a language’s culture are all variables of the information gathered. Currently, a number of languages are spoken in and out of Titan Odyssey.
“We are responding to a mock crisis in that region. Our team specifically working out of a cooperative security location, within the AOR,” Counterintelligence Soldier with the 337th Military Intelligence Battalion, said, “We are there to support whatever stability operations we can and also protect US interests, especially where they align within the AOR.”
The 337th, as well as partners from the Italian Army, also participated in Titan Odyssey. This puts the final touch of integration, as the 337th, a reserve unit out of Chicago, Illinois, and our Italian partners are also folded into the exercise.
“At its core, it's an opportunity for qualified but usually junior agents to get reps and sets with meetings and then write the reports produced from those meetings.” the Counter Intelligence Soldier Said.
Down the hall, past closed office doors concealing classified information, and through a protected gate stands the 522nd, working on their own military intelligence training strategy exercise, Gallant Crew. Large screens and even a central map fill up the room. Soldiers, armed with pens and notepads are tasked to an entirely different scenario.
An exercise map, both digital and print, set the exercise on a fictional country in Africa. The Soldiers of the 522nd are tasked with preparing plans that span from civilian evacuations, surveillance, crisis response and integrated military operations.
In this scenario, the Soldiers of 522nd work hour to hour and minute to minute providing updates from the battlefield to their leadership. Troop movements, both allied and opposition, their supplies, their equipment, and even social media are all integrated into the scenario and plotted onto a digital and analog map. The Soldiers then decide which of many courses of action should take place.
U.S Army Sgt. Wilson, part of Bravo Company, 522nd, discussed the emerging capabilities possible with their new technology.
“Working in intelligence, one thing that I like about it is that we drive the operations. Before you even order a meal, you’re going to look up the restaurant. How do people judge you? Is their food good? What's recommended?” Wilson said.
This scenario is filled with real life equipment such as vehicles which come with more than just a model number. How many models do they have of this type? How easy is it to repair? What is the maximum distance on that vehicle? How many personnel can it carry? What type of weapons does that equipment carry? What is the maximum effective range with that weapon type? This equation is beyond simply referencing text books – its a practical riddle that requires a wide variety of knowledge, foresight and precaution that only the most professional and skilled of all Soldiers obtain. It’s more than just filling in blanks, its creating the blanks.
“Essentially we're an element that goes down to continent whenever an event happens that requires some military response,” U.S. Army Cpl. Anderson, an all source analyst from Bravo Company, 522nd said, “Our purpose is to track whatever situation is going on and help in any way we can.”
In much the same way, intelligence is about gathering fragments of information, refining them, and transforming them into actionable knowledge. What begins as a collection of scattered reports, observations, and digital traces becomes the framework for commanders to anticipate the next move. For the Soldiers of Gallant Crew, this process is not abstract, it’s a daily rhythm, a constant cycle of analysis and decision-making.
“Our Soldiers take all that intelligence, put it all together, make their assessment for suggestion to the commander of what can potentially happen in the next 24 to 48 hours.” Wilson describes their newest abilities as a way to provide background knowledge before Soldiers hit the ground running.
Together, Titan Odyssey and Gallant Crew demonstrated that while the 307th and 522nd approached their missions from different angles, both exercises shared the same goal: sharpening the skills of intelligence professionals to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Parallel in design but united in purpose, the battalions showed that siblings in service may train apart, yet their strength comes from moving forward together.
The parallel training underscored that intelligence is not built in isolation but through collaboration, repetition and shared purpose. Whether processing a detainee interview or plotting battlefield movements on a map, each Soldier’s work feeds into the larger mission. Just as siblings rely on one another to navigate life’s challenges, the 307th and 522nd rely on their shared discipline and trust to prepare for the unknown.
As the Army looks ahead to future operations across complex and contested environments, these exercises sharpen not only individual skills but the collective edge of the force. For the Soldiers in Vicenza, Titan Odyssey and Gallant Crew were more than certifications—they were reminders that intelligence professionals, like brothers, sisters and other siblings, remain strongest when they stand and train together.
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| Date Taken: | 10.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2025 18:24 |
| Story ID: | 551830 |
| Location: | VICENZA, IT |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Gallant Crew and Titan Oydssey - parellel exercises with brothers, sisters and other siblings, by SSG Joaquin Vasquez-Duran, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
