GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- Soldiers with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment recently conducted an exercise aimed at integrating different-sized units on short notice into a maneuver commander's operation.
The 2nd Cavalry's Comanche Troop from the 1st Squadron and Bravo Battery of the Field Artillery Squadron executed what's known as a "walk and shoot" fire support exercise April 24 at the Grafenwoehr Training Area.
"2nd Cavalry Regiment received a 24-hour notice to detach a unit to come and conduct a live-fire exercise," said Capt. Christos Walden, an artillery operations officer with the Joint Multinational Training Command's range operations branch.
Comanche Troop received the order to provide fire support to a NATO Allied force. The walk and shoot exercise provides leaders the ability to synchronize fire support assets with current operations.
"The basic premise is that any unit in Europe will be able to detach a troop or battalion -- whatever size echelon they like -- to rapidly move and support a NATO Ally or partner nation," Walden said.
Additionally, the exercise affords maneuver commanders the ability to quickly combine separate training events into multi-asset management exercises.
The walk and shoot exercise branched off the larger multinational exercise Saber Junction 15, which draws about 4,700 service members from 17 countries to JMTC's training areas during the month of April 2015.
"Today we had an outstanding opportunity to integrate fires into our maneuver plan," said Capt. Michael Sims, Comanche Troop Company Commander. "We got the chance to use artillery and close air support along with our internal assets, our 120mm and 60mm mortars."
Comanche Troop, with direct support from the M777 Howitzers of the regiment's Field Artillery Squadron, executed the fires exercise, allowing the ground force commander and fire support personnel to integrate, control and synchronize company and battalion mortars and field artillery while maneuvering platoons through numerous objectives.
Leaders at the company and platoon level were provided the opportunity to immediately assess the effects of different weapon systems as they maneuvered onto each objective.
"These alliances are built on trust," said Sims. "The way we build that trust is through working together, training hard, and increasing our capacity and capability to perform."
Once Comanche troop has completed its fire support mission to the NATO Allied force, it will re-join the rest of the regiment.
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