USANATO
June 15, 2015
USANATO, 1GNC Soldiers conduct Exercise Noble Jump in Poland
By USANATO Public Affairs
ZAGAN, Poland: USANATO and allied Soldiers assigned to NATO’s 1st German Netherlands Corps began Exercise Noble Jump here June 12. The exercise is a first-of-its-kind NATO exercise designed to test and refine the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force concept. The VJTF has been established to enhance NATO’s ability to respond quickly to security challenges, particularly in response to threats along its southern and eastern borders.
The exercise will test the 1GNC headquarters’ ability to rapidly deploy and provide command and control to NATO forces deployed in response to a security threat, a key component of the VJTF and NATO Response Force concepts.
During the exercise, 1GNC Soldiers will establish a joint operations center and command an attached brigade during a simulated security crisis.
“We’ve deployed elements of our entire headquarters from Muenster to Poland to train our staff to lead attached NATO brigades when required,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeff Thurnher, a 1GNC staff legal advisor.
Alongside 1GNC personnel, the United States Army NATO brigade has deployed a Deployment Support Team tasked with providing direct support to USANATO Soldiers deployed with 1GNC staff. For USANATO Brigade, the deployment marks the first exercise of its Deployment Support Team concept since the Brigade’s restructuring in 2012. The Deployment Support Team will fill a critical need to U.S. Soldiers who deploy with NATO headquarters.
“The different NATO headquarters may have to deploy to areas without established support networks,” said Sgt. 1st Class Eric Quintanar, a USANATO Brigade Deployment Support Team non-commissioned officer. “Our job is to provide USANATO Soldiers with national logistic and administrative support while they conduct their NATO missions.”
United States Army Europe is also supporting the NATO exercise with a UH60 Black Hawk helicopter task force. Task Force Brawler from the 3rd Infantry Division is currently deployed to Europe with rotational regionally-aligned forces from the U.S. for Operation Atlantic Resolve. The helicopters will be used by NATO Soldiers for air assault training during the exercise.
Exercise Noble Jump will train participants from nine member-nations and conclude June 19.
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