BEMOWO PISKIE, Poland — U.S. Soldiers trained alongside service members from the United Kingdom, Croatia, Romania and Poland during Operation Blue Dawn, a multinational urban operations training event held Feb. 17-19, 2026, in Ełk.
The training focused on offensive and defensive tasks in a complex urban environment and culminated with teams seizing a building complex against an opposing force element.
Participants began with iterations using blank ammunition and progressed to force-on-force engagements using marking cartridges. Marking cartridges are reduced-energy training rounds that leave a visible, water-soluble color mark on impact, providing immediate feedback during engagements.
“We were clearing block by block with NATO partners. We moved building to building, crossed streets under pressure and fought into basements,” said U.S. Army Spc. Alex Kirby, assigned to 3rd Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment. “The buildings were run down and unpredictable, so we had to stay sharp and adapt fast.”
Units rehearsed movement techniques, entry procedures and room clearing fundamentals while integrating partner nation tactics. The event emphasized interoperability by giving small units repeated opportunities to coordinate actions, communicate clearly and operate side by side as a combined force.
“The fundamentals are universal. Clear your sectors, control the doorway and communicate. Every nation does it a little differently,” Kirby said. “Watching how they work the threshold, then adjusting our pace and spacing, made us better immediately.”
As the operation advanced, squads were assigned objectives across the training area and required to plan and execute with limited information, reflecting the uncertainty common in urban terrain. Opposing forces role players provided a thinking adversary, forcing units to adjust tactics and maintain tempo as they moved.
“We did not get a perfect picture walking in,” Kirby said. “We were assigned a target building and had to solve the problem in real time. Improvise, communicate and take the objective.”
In the post-exercise brief, participants emphasized that multinational training improves communication across language differences and helps units integrate equipment, systems and procedures during collective tasks.
“Training with multiple NATO nations shows we’re united and ready to respond to any threat,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Kyle St. John, the operation’s executive officer. “Being able to communicate clearly, share equipment and systems, and operate side by side ensures we can work together effectively if we’re ever called to fight as one force.”
St. John said Soldiers used rehearsals and disciplined communication to work effectively with partner forces and accomplish the mission.
“Our soldiers performed exceptionally well and demonstrated professionalism throughout the operation,” St. John said. “They overcame language barriers through rehearsals and disciplined communication and worked effectively with partner forces by leveraging each nation’s unique capabilities and assets to accomplish the mission.”
Operation Blue Dawn reinforced combined readiness by training small units to communicate, maneuver and apply common tactics together in a realistic urban environment.