U.S. Army Europe
October 27, 2014
NATO-led exercise to bring multinational forces together
U.S. Army Europe
RIGA, Latvia:- More than 150 Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division are training with their Baltic allies at a base located outside Latvia’s capital of Riga.
These soldiers bring with them confidence in their skill sets and abilities, as well as armed and mechanized equipment to help train their NATO allies. The cooperative training between the allied partners helps foster development for all the forces involved, as well as instilling confidence, and breaking down cultural barriers.
“1st Cav was tasked with the mission of providing a training opportunity in Latvia with our soldiers and the Latvian’s in order to share experience, as well as to improve relations with a country we don’t normally get the opportunity to work with,” said Company A, first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Thomas Thornhill.
Called “the Stallions,” 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment is a Combined Arms Team, so they have both M1A2 Abrams tanks and M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles. These tanks also traveled to Latvia, giving soldiers the ability to bring combat firepower forward to any battlefield, and to train their multinational partners with this equipment, said Thornhill.
Pfc. Harry Newcomer, a Bradley mechanic from Hartford County, Md., traveled to Latvia with other soldiers from Company J. For the young soldier, this is his first time traveling to Europe, and he is enjoying the opportunity.
“We are here to support our NATO allies, and to support our Bradley’s and all the armored vehicles we have here,” said Newcomer. “They have never had any of our armored vehicles here, especially the tanks. They are all new to the area and none of the Latvians have had an opportunity to train on them. We are going to be working with them and training them to be able to use this sort of equipment.”
The 1st Cavalry recently replaced the 173rd Airborne Brigade for a large scale exercise taking place throughout the Baltic countries and Poland, known as Operation Atlantic Resolve. NATO soldiers were invited to take part in the exercise that was coordinated through U.S. Command, Europe and the current host nations.
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“…This exercise is testing the capabilities of our combat team, and theirs.”
The soldiers from 1st Cavalry are living with and working with the Latvian soldiers, as well as Norwegians who are currently here for the exercise as well. Newcomer said that it is a great experience, and everyone he had met was really nice and helpful in getting the Americans settled in.
“Working so closely together, I know now that if we were in a situation that wasn’t an exercise, we would be equipped to work with our NATO allies, and be able to communicate better than before,” said Newcomer. “Being able to cross train with the allies, and see how they do things compared to how we do things, has opened my eyes to new ideas.”
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