PAIDE, Estonia -- U.S. and Estonian troops participating in Operation Atlantic Resolve, along with local police and fire departments, helped the town of Paide celebrate Father's Day by erecting a static display of military equipment and vehicles for the locals to explore, Nov. 9, 2014.
The display allowed onlookers the chance to climb into the vehicles, take pictures, and ask both countries' soldiers and emergency response personnel questions about their professions and equipment.
Father's Day is an important holiday in Estonia because for many families this is one of the few times out of the year that the whole family can come together and spend quality time with one another. One such example of this is that of Riskko Joegts and his family. The Joegts live in the town of Põltsamaa, southeast of here, and Riskko currently works in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia and approximately a one-and-a-half hour commute northwest from their home, as a construction worker.
Father's Day is important because we get to spend a day with our children, take time off, and be together with our family because in Estonia it's not uncommon for the father to work somewhere else than the family, like I do, said Joegts.
He also said, Father's Day is important because we only see each other on the weekends and it's important because it makes us closer.
While spending time with his family was his greatest concern, having time to wander around the military displays also had a special, and personal, meaning for him. Joegts is also a veteran of the Estonian military and even spent a yearlong deployment overseas in Afghanistan for a NATO mission that involved both the Estonian and U.S. militaries.
Members of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, they were not exactly sure how the locals would react to their presence during the exhibit, but were overwhelming pleased with the turnout and their hospitality.
"They seem very happy that we're here, very welcoming," said Staff Sgt. Andre Allen, "They don't hesitate to come up to us and say 'hi' and they are very hospitable."
That welcoming sensation was most evident by the line of men, women, and children who eagerly asked to have their picture taken with some of the U.S. soldiers dressed in their full combat uniform, including the Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) and Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH), or with one of the assorted weapon systems the soldiers brought for the display.
The U.S. Army Europe-led Atlantic Resolve, a multinational combined arms exercise involving the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and host nations, takes place across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to enhance multinational interoperability, to strengthen relationships among allied militaries, to contribute to regional stability, and to demonstrate U.S. commitment to NATO.
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