Photo By Spc. Andre Gremillion Jr | U.S. Army Spc. Demetrisus Woodson, assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment,...... read more read more
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PABRADE TRAINING AREA, Lithuania — U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment provided German Army Master Sgt. Steven Solis hands-on familiarization with the 70-ton M1A2 Abrams main battle tank at Camp Herkus, Lithuania, April 2, 2026.
Solis spent two weeks working alongside the U.S. Soldiers during German-led marksmanship and military skills events, validating their attempts to earn both the Schützenschnur and the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. The training included weapons qualification, physical fitness testing, marching and medical tasks tied to the two foreign awards, both of which are authorized for wear on the U.S. Army dress uniform.
During that time, Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment invited Solis to the motor pool for an Abrams familiarization. The training gave him the opportunity to climb inside the tank, learn basic driver controls and operate the vehicle under the close supervision of U.S. tank crew members.
“The Abrams is a beast,” Solis said. “It was a very special honor for me to work here with my American comrades.”
For U.S. Army Sgt. John Singleton, a gunner assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, the event was also an opportunity to share knowledge with an allied soldier.
“Today we showed some of our German partners around and got them driving the tanks,” said Singleton. “We got him inside the tank, showed him how to operate it a little bit, how to start it, how to change gears and how to drive it. It was great to get them out here.”
Singleton said the experience was also meaningful for U.S. Soldiers, who rarely have the opportunity to provide hands-on instruction to partner forces on the Abrams platform.
The exchange paired German-led qualification training with U.S. armored familiarization, giving both forces an opportunity to learn from one another while strengthening interoperability in Lithuania.
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.05.2026 09:00 |
| Story ID: | 561983 |
| Location: | LT |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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