United States European Command
May 9, 2014
SOCEUR kicks off expanded training with Baltics, regional partners
AMARI AIR BASE, Estonia: U.S. Special Operations forces, in support of Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR), participated in an opening ceremony for Exercise Spring Storm Monday. This opening ceremony kicked off the special operations portion of the Estonian Defense Forces’ annual exercise.
The start of this exercise marks the beginning of a series of annual, multinational and bilateral special operations exercises. From May 18-30, Lithuania will host Flaming Sword 14, a multinational special operations exercise, with SOCEUR units and six European partners participating. SOCEUR will join Latvian special operations forces in Latvia’s annual national-level defense exercise, Namejs 14 from May 19-25.
“Through these types of annual exercises, SOCEUR elements have developed lasting relationships and extensive interoperability with our special operations partners in the majority of countries bordering Ukraine over the last seven years. These relationships continue to pay dividends as we conduct combat operations in Afghanistan together as part of Combined Special Operations Task Force 10,” said SOCEUR Commander Air Force Maj Gen Marshall B. Webb.
SOCEUR has also added a number of Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) events in five countries across the Baltics and Eastern Europe to be conducted over the next two months. These JCET events are the first in a series of expanded U.S. special operations training activities in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region; they are the first in a developing persistent rotational SOF presence in the region. These training engagements will provide U.S. Special Operations forces with valuable opportunities…
“The numerous small unit engagements conducted with our partners each year inevitably lead to stronger relationships and more robust operational capabilities. An important byproduct of these relationships is that we reassure our partners and allies of U.S. support to deter aggression and promote regional stability,” said Webb.
SOCEUR is a subordinate unified command of U.S. Special Operations Command, under the operational control of U.S. European Command, exercising command and control of theater Army, Navy, and Air Force Special Operations Forces. As the SOCEUR Commander, Webb is responsible for special operations readiness, targeting, exercises, plans, joint and combined training, and execution of counterterrorism, peacetime and contingency operations.
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