Photo By Sgt. Devin Klecan | U.S. Army V Corps senior leaders and staff members stand with leaders from U.S....... read more read more
POZNAN, Poland – Nineteen Soldiers from the Maryland Army National Guard’s 58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade (EMIB) worked alongside V Corps during Warfighter Exercise 26-3, a joint exercise that stretched across Germany and Poland to keep U.S. forces sharp and deepen cooperation with NATO allies on Europe’s eastern flank, March 9-23, 2026.
The corps-level command post exercise, shaped by priorities from U.S. European Command, pulled together American troops and multinational partners to practice large-scale combat operations across multiple domains. Maryland Guard Soldiers led from the front in Poland and ran a response cell from Germany that kept the exercise grounded in reality.
“I am honored to serve with all our Soldiers who did a phenomenal job during this exercise,” said Maryland Army National Guard Lt. Col. Ryan Gerner, deputy commander of the 58th EMIB. “Our team went above and beyond to deliver rapid, multi-domain intelligence support to the V Corps commander. By conducting this exercise with V Corps, we not only strengthened our partnership, but we were able to utilize new military intelligence capabilities that is part of transformation.”
Five of 58th EMIB Soldiers headed to Camp Kościuszko in Poland, where they served as the brigade’s leadership element embedded directly with V Corps’ forward headquarters providing intelligence guidance.
In Grafenwoehr, Germany, the other 14 Maryland National Guard Soldiers made up a response cell acting as an Intelligence and Electronics Warfare (IEW) battalion using computer simulations, implementing battle staff procedures, and creating intelligence reports to send back to the main training audience that genuinely tested how well intelligence processes and command post operations held up under pressure.
"The EMIB was key to supporting targeting efforts in the rear area, ensuring adversary special purpose forces were detected and eliminated before they could target the Corps support area," said U.S. Army Maj. Edward Putzier, V Corps collection manager.
Working with both Polish and German forces gave Maryland Soldiers a chance to develop interoperability with the kind of hands-on alignment that makes a real difference when a combined operation has to come together quickly.
“It was genuinely interesting talking to our NATO counterparts and seeing some of our similarities and differences in how we operate,” said Maryland Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Seth Laufer, 58th EMIB. “Our partners expressed the same sentiment emphasizing that this exercise prepared them to lead their soldiers in a complicated environment. They were impressed that this exercise showed how effortlessly NATO forces work together.”
V Corps is the only U.S. Army corps headquarters stationed in Europe, and its mission is to deter aggression and be ready to defend NATO territory if deterrence fails. Warfighter 26-3 demonstrated the commitment to the alliance’s eastern flank and collective defense of Article 5.
The Maryland Guard’s role in Warfighter 26-3 showcases how the reserve component is a core part of how the Army operates around the world. The corps-level exercise displayed that Soldiers of the 58th EMIB could handle the intelligence leadership and support demands that come with large-scale combat operations.
"These exercises are important to ensure we are prepared for our adversaries' modernization efforts,” said Putzier. “We look forward to having 58th EMIB as a close partner in augmenting the Corps intelligence enterprise during subsequent exercises."
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2026 16:51 |
| Story ID: | 563001 |
| Location: | TOWSON, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: | TOWSON, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Maryland’s intelligence Soldiers support V Corps exercise in Poland and Germany, by MAJ Mary Lyons, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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