FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Spc. Robert Douglas
(269) 731-6431
robert.w.douglas58.mil@mail.mil
TRAINING
NYMINDEGAB, Denmark – Michigan Army National Guard soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment (B/1-125th IN) based in Saginaw, Michigan, traveled thousands of miles to northwestern Denmark to take part in joint training for Exercise Viking Star 2017 in coordination with allied partners.
“Viking Star is a joint force operation between the Danish Home Guard and the Michigan Army National Guard to prepare for a squad and platoon-sized live fire exercise”, said Staff Sgt. Patrick Schafer, squad leader of 3rd platoon, 3rd squad in B/1-125th IN.
During Exercise Viking Star, training includes hand-to-hand combatives, land navigation orienteering and joint live fire exercises together with different units from other nations.
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“Currently we’re doing combatives training, and I’m really looking forward to learning from the Danish Home Guard and what they do in hand-to-hand combat,” said Schafer, “It’s different from how we’re trained, and it’s interesting to learn a new way to fight.”
The 2017 exercise is scheduled to take place over the course of two weeks, September 10 - 23, and will include the combined participation of approximately 200 service members from the Michigan Army National Guard, Danish Home Guard and Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry.
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