CAMP KONOTOP, Poland (April 27, 2015) -- The saying "train as we fight" is a common theme taught to U.S. Soldiers from the beginning of their Army experience, but what happens when Soldiers fight alongside their NATO allies and must use foreign equipment to carry the day?
For some U.S. troops, the hands-on training provided by the Polish army's 2nd Mechanized Brigade enables them to answer that question.
Soldiers assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, trained with their Polish counterparts April 23, 2015, at Camp Konotop, Poland.
The training included Polish-led medical evaluations and weapons familiarization, as well as an American-led M320 single-shot 40mm grenade launcher range hosted by Company D.
During the medical evaluation training, Polish combat medics demonstrated how they would evaluate a casualty, and walked the Soldiers of Company D through stabilizing and moving the casualty to a medical evacuation vehicle.
Jeffersonville, Indiana-native Pfc. Tyler Basham, a medic assigned to Company D, said this type of cross-training is a valuable tool for him.
"Having the ability to interact with these other medics gives us a chance to see how our allies handle medical situations, and also lets us know what to look for on the battlefield concerning their medical evacuation vehicles," said Basham.
The Soldiers were broken into groups and guided from the medical evaluation portion of the training to the hands-on portion of weapons familiarization with the Polish army's rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
Following the Polish army's training, the Americans provided a M320 single shot grenade launcher range. For safety reasons both the U.S. Soldiers as well as the Polish Soldiers shot chalk rounds at targets of varying distances from the standing and kneeling firing positions.
Podporucznik (U.S. Army equivalent of second lieutenant) Piotr Powatka, a mechanized platoon commander of the Polish army's 2nd Mechanized Brigade, said he and his soldiers were happy to be training with U.S. Soldiers, and were looking forward to firing the M320.
"We're all very thankful to be training with our allies," said Powatka. "Our soldiers have enjoyed being able to share our knowledge and equipment, and are looking forward to participating in this range."
Powatka said for his soldiers, it was also a good chance for them to practice their limited English, and just hang out with their allies and get to know them.
"Most of the English they know comes from American movies and music," said Powatka. "This type of training allows them practice the Americans' language and bond with them."
Philadelphia-native Sgt. Shaun Reed, a combat engineer assigned to Company D, said it was a good experience for him.
"It gave them a chance to cross-train with our weapons, and we got a chance to familiarize ourselves with theirs," said Reed.
Reed went on to say the interaction between the trainers and those being trained was very informative.
"It's great knowing that our a Polish allies are as enthusiastic working with us as we are with them," said Reed. "Being able to learn about the rocket-propelled grenade from them, and their sincerity while teaching us made for a great experience overall."
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