WASHINGTON (Jan. 12, 2015) -- The training of allied and partner land forces under Operation Atlantic Resolve resumed this week as 75 Stryker combat vehicles from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment arrived in Eastern Europe, Pentagon Press spokesman Col. Steve Warren said.
The training will take place in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Warren added, and continues to demonstrate U.S. commitment to NATO allies.
Elements of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, deployed from Vilseck, Germany, will conduct training alongside troops from allied and partner nations, Warren said, adding that much of the training will focus on individual and team tasks. It will include multinational platoon-level exercises and live-fire training.
CONTINUOUS MULTINATIONAL TRAINING
"Since April 2014, the U.S. Army has conducted continuous, enhanced multinational training and security cooperation activities with allies and partners in the region due to increased regional tensions, following Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine," Warren said.
About 550 Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and U.S. Army Europe are replacing elements from the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade that were involved in Atlantic Resolve before the holiday break, Warrent said. Soldiers of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, just returned to Fort Hood, Texas, following four months of training in Eastern Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Following the 2nd Cavalry Regiment's rotation, the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division -- the Army's current regionally aligned force for Europe -- is expected to deploy to Eastern Europe, officials said.
2nd Cavalry elements will conduct training in the four countries of Eastern Europe until March 31, Warren said.
"There will be approximately one cavalry troop each in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia," Warren said, explaining that one cavalry troop has about 20 Stryker vehicles.
The Stryker combat vehicle is an eight-wheeled, light-armored vehicle built for the Army by General Dynamics Land Systems. It has a Caterpillar engine, a 310-mile operational range, a 60-mile-an-hour top speed, and armor. Its primary armament is a Protector M-151 remote weapon station with one of two machine guns or an automatic grenade launcher.
TRAINING REGIONAL ALLIES AND PARTNERS
While some elements of 2nd Cavalry Regiment participate in Atlantic Resolve, other elements of the unit will conduct a decisive-action, training-environment exercise called Saber Junction in the Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr training areas of Germany and in the Black Sea region.
U.S. Soldiers will work alongside those from more than a dozen other NATO and partner nations, officials said.
The Army's ongoing, enhanced training is supported by about $1 billion in funding from the European Reassurance Initiative, said Defense Department spokeswoman Air Force Lt. Col. Vanessa Hillman. This allocation is designed to enable the Department of Defense to continue efforts to reassure NATO allies, she added, and bolster the security and capacity of allies and partners in the region.
Related Links:
Operation Atlantic Resolve Land Forces Rotation update
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