Photo By Maj. Aaron Smith | Members of the 200th Military Police Command conduct a shift change briefing during...... read more read more
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GRAFENWÖHR, Germany, Last month, U.S. Army Reserve units from the 7th Mission Support Command (MSC), 200th Military Police Command (MPC), 416th Theater Engineer Command (TEC), 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion (MI BN), and U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) (USACAPOC) participated in Avenger Triad 25, a large-scale, computer-assisted exercise led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF). Conducted in conjunction with NATO’s Steadfast Duel from Oct. 22 to Nov. 2, the exercise validated concepts for large-scale combat operations at the corps level and above while strengthening Allied interoperability across the Euro-Atlantic theater.
Avenger Triad 25 involved USAREUR-AF commanding seven U.S. and NATO corps representing more than 100,000 Soldiers across Europe and focused on the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line concept. This concept is designed to blunt adversary aggression and enable decisive counterattack using traditional formations, unmanned systems, and AI-enabled command and control. Reserve Component forces were essential in testing and refining these approaches across multiple warfighting functions.
Last month, the 200th Military Police Command (MPC) deployed 65 Soldiers from multiple echelons, including command and brigade elements, to support Avenger Triad 25 from across the United States. The 200th MPC has supported five USAREUR-AF command post exercises in the past three years, including three Avenger Triad iterations and two Austere Challenge events.
During the exercise, the 200th MPC focused on detention operations, area security, and mission command, providing Military National Detention Facilities to U.S. and Allied forces. Leaders emphasized that detention operations are often overlooked in planning, reducing maneuver effectiveness, and that including military police early mitigates international risks and protects critical assets.
“Everything that we do is focused on exercising our critical capabilities in a realistic scenario, that helps develop our warriors, leaders, and strategic thinkers to be able to adapt our home station training to the actual fight that we are likely to face,” said Maj. Robert Burch, an exercise planner for the 200th MPC. The exercise also allowed the unit to exercise division-level planning, staff coordination, and integration with Active Duty and Reserve partners, including V Corps, the 416th TEC, the 68th Theater Medical Command, and the 21st Theater Sustainment Command.
“It has been an incredibly valuable experience,” said Maj. Burch. “The opportunity for collaboration, information sharing, and strategic planning has been invaluable to developing our capabilities and understanding how we fit into the large mission alongside our partners.”
As the Army’s theater subject matter expert for detainee operations, the 200th MPC ensures humane custody and care for enemy prisoners of war, while securing the theater rear area, maintaining freedom of movement, and enabling maneuver forces to concentrate combat power where needed.
The 416th Theater Engineer Command (TEC) mobilized 50 Soldiers, primarily from the Chicago, Illinois area, to support Avenger Triad 25 last month. This marked the third consecutive year the 416th TEC supported the exercise and the first time it operated its full contingency command post as a forward command and control element.
During the exercise, the 416th TEC demonstrated its role as the senior engineer headquarters, oversaw contingency engineering, and employed its contingency command post. Soldiers collaborated with active-duty forces, NATO partners, civilian agencies, and other Reserve units.
“The opportunity to train alongside NATO allies and exercise our contingency command post marks Avenger Triad as the pinnacle training event for our headquarters this year,” said Col. Jeffrey Jones, contingency command post chief.
The experience will inform future training and readiness, validating battle drills and staff processes, while strengthening the Army Reserve’s role in ensuring mission success during large-scale conflicts.
The 7th MSC’s 209th Theater Liaison Detachment (TLD) deployed to Bétera, Spain, to link NATO’s Rapid Deployable Corps-Spain and USAREUR-AF’s Multi-Corps Land Component Command during Avenger Triad 25. Using command and control information systems, the detachment provided a shared operational picture and integrated into NRDC-Spain’s staff, directly supporting the corps commander in shaping the warfighting environment.
“The 209th TLD’s performance during Avenger Triad 25 demonstrated the critical value of theater liaison detachments in modern warfare,” said Col. Michael Hiller, Commander of the 209th TLD. “Our Soldiers proved their ability to integrate seamlessly with a NATO corps, bridging the gap between U.S. and Allied forces and enhancing multinational interoperability. This exercise reinforces the importance of the art of human liaison, even as we leverage increasingly sophisticated technology.”
The detachment’s intelligence, fire support, operations, and logistics teams enabled the corps to maintain situational awareness, coordinate fires, sustain operations, and ensure timely decision-making during simulated large-scale combat operations.
The 209th Theater Liaison Detachment, part of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 7th MSC, specializes in providing critical liaison capability between U.S. and NATO forces. The unit integrates directly into allied headquarters, leveraging advanced command and control systems to maintain a shared operational picture, advise on capabilities, and synchronize warfighting functions. By serving as a connective thread across intelligence, fires, maneuver, and sustainment, the 209th TLD ensures seamless multinational coordination and enhances interoperability in support of large-scale combat operations.
Last month, the 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion, 336th Expeditionary MI Brigade, Military Intelligence Readiness Command, supported USAREUR-AF’s theater-level intelligence operations in Wiesbaden. The battalion worked alongside U.S. and NATO partners to synchronize intelligence above the corps level, with a multinational officer leading the Analysis Control Element (ACE).
“Having a truly multinational ACE and integration with all the corps was invaluable,” said Spc. Kendal Ferguson, an intelligence analyst with the 323rd MI Battalion.
The battalion’s participation highlights the Reserve Component’s essential role in supporting theater-level intelligence operations and improving NATO’s ability to operate as a cohesive, data-informed force.
The 323rd MIB is a U.S. Army Reserve unit that specializes in theater-level intelligence support. As part of MIRC, the battalion provides all‑source analysis, intelligence synchronization, and mission command system expertise to support U.S. Army and Allied formations across the globe.
USACAPOC Shapes the Information Environment and Builds Civil-Military Understanding USACAPOC support to Avenger Triad 25 included personnel embedded in the exercise control cell from the 2nd Psychological Operations Group (2nd POG), 308th Civil Affairs Brigade (308 CA BDE), and 353rd Civil Affairs Command (353 CACOM).
“We developed and executed simulated influence activities to support the exercise,” said Lt. Col. Seth Lydem, a PSYOP officer assigned to the 2nd POG. “That includes building realistic narratives, shaping the information environment, and assessing how the training audience communicates during complex operations.”
Civil affairs Soldiers analyzed population and resource control, civil considerations, and infrastructure resilience. The support provided to the exercise control cell enabled civil affairs, psychological operations and other information activities to achieve their training goals for AVenger Triad, and inform future theater-level command post exercises.
USACAPOC is a two‑star Army Reserve headquarters that provides the majority of DoD civil affairs and psychological operations (PSYOP) capability. Its Soldiers combine regional and trans‑regional expertise, political‑military awareness, and cross‑cultural communication skills to conduct and support civil-military operations at strategic, operational, and tactical levels.
Avenger Triad 25 highlights how the Army Reserve strengthens the total Army and NATO by delivering specialized capabilities that enhance interoperability, readiness, and deterrence. Lessons learned from last month’s exercise are already shaping future training, modernization efforts, and integration with Active Component and Allied partners.
The continued contributions of the 200th MPC, 416th TEC, 323rd MI BN, 7th MSC, and USACAPOC demonstrate the Reserve Component’s critical role in maintaining a credible deterrent and ensuring combat readiness for U.S. Army and NATO Allied forces. About the 7th MSC:
The 7th MSC provides operational, logistical, and liaison support to USAREUR-AF and NATO partners. Headquartered in Germany, the 7th MSC integrates Reserve forces into multinational exercises, operations, and theater-level planning, ensuring readiness and enhancing interoperability across the Euro-Atlantic region. The command’s subordinate units, include specialized capabilities to strengthen U.S. and Allied warfighting effectiveness.
Read more about 416 TEC’s support to Avenger Triad 25 here: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/550626/416th-theater-engineer-command-enhances-readiness-avenger-triad-25
Read more about 209th TLD’s support to Avenger Triad 25 here: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/550623/209th-tld-serves-critical-link-during-avenger-triad-25-forging-stronger-nato-interoperability
| Date Taken: | 11.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.23.2025 08:49 |
| Story ID: | 552133 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, U.S. Army Reserve Integrates Critical Capabilities During Avenger Triad 25, Strengthening Allied Interoperability, by MAJ Aaron Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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