HOHENFELS, Germany -- Every realistic training mission needs someone to play the bad guy. Members of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, reveled in the task here at the Hohenfels Training Center Nov. 3.
The Canadian soldiers provided NATO members and partner nations with an opposing force, or OPFOR, to train against during exercise Combined Resolve III, a multinational training event involving more than 4,000 participants from 18 nations taking place at Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas reinforcing the U.S. commitment to NATO and Europe.
During Combined Resolve III, different nations are paired for certain missions to become the blue force --the good guys -- representing a NATO coalition on the battlefield.
"Our goal as the OPFOR is to facilitate a realistic training experience," said Capt. Eric Morrow, commander of O Company, 3rd RCR, whose soldiers played the role as OPFOR against several nations here, including Moldova, Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.
During one particular exercise, Canadian soldiers attempted to lead the blue force into a trap by inhabiting a small village populated by civilian role players.
After planting barbed wire and training devices resembling explosives along the roads to the village, the Canadians dug fighting positions near the woods overlooking the roads as they kept watch.
There they used anti-tank weapons such as rocket-propelled grenades to attack oncoming armored vehicles.
"I think it's good training for the blue force because you have a whole bunch of different countries, different tactics, different views, but all with NATO allies," said Cpt. John Keess of the 3rd RCR.
Down the road, Keess ran the tactical operations center for the OPFOR in the nearby village.
Keess said that fighting NATO forces while using NATO tactics "provides a flexible and aggressive OPFOR for the blue force and that will make them think creatively and demonstrate some mental flexibility."
These Canadian soldiers participated in Combined Resolve III as part of Operation Reassurance, reinforcing Canada's commitment to NATO and its allies.
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