ADAZI TRAINING AREA, Latvia (Oct. 1, 2014) -- Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade based in Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy, were on hand to assist infantrymen from the Latvian Land Force Infantry Brigade by providing range safeties and opposing force players during an exercise here, Sept. 24.
U.S. paratroopers are in Latvia as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve demonstrating U.S. commitment to NATO and increasing interoperability among allies.
The only distinguishable sounds among the bursts of firing weapons were the forceful commands of the Latvian 1st Company during the exercise. Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade had already completed this training scenario, and were assisting their hosts in the Latvian Land Force Infantry Brigade in doing the same.
The blank-fire exercise took place in a muddy urban training site that consisted of multiple wooden structures with many rooms and doors. The newly built facility, designed and constructed by U.S. Soldiers from the Germany-based 15th Engineer Battalion, excited some of the Latvian Soldiers.
"We usually train on our own buildings, but our boards are thinner and already shot through like Swiss cheese," said Latvian Pvt. Arturs Levikins, an infantryman in 1st Company. "When we build the villages ourselves, we know all the rooms and have them memorized already. But with this village, there could be some secret rooms or something that we don't know about."
This particular training was part of a three-day event that will end with a live-fire exercise in which all facets of the Latvian company will be tested. For this iteration, the Latvian company integrated support from U.S. Stryker armored vehicles from Apache Troop, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, and 12th Combat Aviation Brigade UH-60 Black Hawks, Katterbach Army Airfield, Germany, enabling them to plan, rehearse and execute their mission on the objective.
Sgt. Maj. Travis Crow, Headquarters, 173rd Airborne Brigade, from Austin, Texas, participated in the event as a range safety officer. Crow believes that the exchange of capabilities and techniques is a valuable aspect of combined training. "It's good practice and rehearsal for both of us, really," he said.
Utilizing an opposing force, referred to as the OPFOR, on an objective greatly enhanced the training value.
Staff Sgt. Michael Bellinger, with Bravo Company, Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade, a Glens Falls, New York, native, who played the role of a high-value target the Latvians needed to find, felt the combined training was useful.
"They get to visualize what actual targets would be doing, moving from building to building," he said. "These guys have been excellent hosts for us. They let us stay in their barracks, use their training facilities, and use the gym. I was glad that we got to help them out, give them some live OPFOR for their training, just to enhance it."
The Latvian infantrymen welcomed the added benefit of the U.S. Soldiers during the exercise. Paratroopers took on the role of a live enemy during the scenario. Both Latvian and U.S. personnel wore Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System gear, which gives off a distinct beep when a Soldier is successfully engaged by a laser synched to another Soldier's weapon.
"We executed a free-flow exercise with live enemy," said Levikins. "It's better to shoot at something moving rather than a stationary target. When it's a live human, they are thinking and they are changing position and that's always better."
In addition to the Latvians, the four maneuver companies from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Inf. Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, tested on this same urban terrain lane as they rotated through the combined arms live-fire scenario.
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