Sarmis 15 concludes with a bang, yet bonds strengthened will endure

CINCU TRAINING AREA, Romania- As new friends forge a lasting partnership through shared experiences and common goals, the alliance formed during joint training exercises amongst counterparts endures despite the culmination of the event.

Soldiers of 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, joined NATO allies from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Romania to conduct a Troop Combined Arms Live Fire at Cincu Training Area, Romania, June 3, as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. The purpose of the last exercise of Sarmis 15, was to challenge leaders to synchronize joined allies through combined assets, both on land and air.

As soldiers dismounted Strykers and bullets flew through the air, soldiers leaned on knowledge gained from their European counterparts to help them remain calm and competent in their soldiering skills despite the chaos around them.

"Working with our Romanian allies was easier than I anticipated because at the end of the day, military graphics and doctrine mean the same thing amongst all of the NATO countries," said Cpt. Michael Farinelli, Fox Troop Commander, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and a native of Scott Depot, West Virginia.

"Understanding the shared basics of doctrine despite what country we're from made communication and understanding the commander's intent that much easier during planning, which lead to competent execution," said Farinelli.

As mortars exploded and A-10 fixed wing aircraft flew overhead, soldiers confidently rushed up hills, sprawling on their stomachs to fire at targets while Strykers fired nearby. The exercise allowed all counterparts involved to lend their expertise in the shared effort of developing tomorrow's leaders.

"It's an outstanding opportunity for us to improve our readiness and develop leaders while strengthening the alliance," said Col. John V. Meyer III, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Commander. "Everything that we've done, from Operation Cavalry March at the beginning of Sarmis 15, to operations throughout the country, and closing with this live fire exercise have all improved the capability of the United States Army and her allies."

After the termination of the exercise, the soldiers from the four nations gathered together as one united front to celebrate in a closing ceremony. The soldiers saluted flags representing the United States, Canada, Romania, and the United Kingdom as the national anthems of each ally was sounded.

While military officials from countries thousands of miles away shook hands and presented tokens of appreciation to one another for contributions made to the exercise, language barriers and cultural differences were set aside as each counterpart recognized the combined efforts contributed from all involved to make the exercise a success.

"There's no where in the world that we're not going to go without our allies," said Farinelli. "These are some very competent and professional armies from around the world that we will continue to work with, and that's a wonderful feeling to know that we have these capabilities," said Farinelli.