Georgia Army National Guardsmen with the Monroe-based 178th Military Police Company deployed to the country of Georgia in support of Agile Spirit 2019 on July 23, 2019 from Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia.
Agile Spirit is a cooperatively led, joint multinational exercise, hosted by Georgia Defense Forces and U.S. Army Europe consisting of 14 allied and partnered nations and approximately 3,300 participating personnel.
The 178th MP Co. is scheduled to participate in joint multinational, battalion-level combined arms live-fire exercises. AgS19 enhances U.S., Georgian and other allied and regional partner forces' readiness and interoperability in a realistic training environment.
"The exercise gets many of our young Soldiers out of their comfort zone and into the mindset of a deployment," said Capt. Charles Follin, company commander, 178th Military Police Company. "This assists in the plan out procedures, maneuvers and accomplishing the mission essential task list."
This is the first-time many Soldiers from the unit have traveled overseas for training. Guardsmen benefit from overseas training exercises because it provides opportunities to work with foreign nations.
"Agile Spirit 2019 will prepare our Soldiers with the knowledge and training to perform future missions at home and abroad," said Staff Sgt. Stacy Amoling, platoon sergeant, 178th Military Police Company. "It has given first-time deployed Soldiers experience in deployment procedures and cultural awareness."
The unit will conduct combined and unit-level training consisting of mounted gunnery, individual and crew-served weapons training, airfield security and detainee operations.
"The realistic training helps build the unit cohesion and comradery among the Soldiers," said Follin. "They will deploy with each other and the mounted gunnery training builds the team's efficiency."