HOHENFELS, Germany (Nov. 02, 2015) -- For American Soldiers stationed in Europe, a highlight of their assignments are often the opportunities to train alongside NATO Allies. For 2nd Platoon, Blackfoot Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, this opportunity recently came in spades.
On Oct. 19, the platoon traveled to the German Army Combat Training Center (GACTC) in Letzlingen, Germany, as part of an exchange of forces between the U.S. Army and the German Bundeswehr. At the same time, a platoon of German Leopard II tanks from the GACTC took its place, here, to participate in exercise Combined Resolve V.
Just like their regular jobs as opposing forces at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, where 2nd Platoon is permanently stationed, Soldiers joined the opposing forces (OPFOR) team in Letzlingen.
Immediately upon arrival, the platoon was introduced to its new company and chain of command for the next two weeks.
"The overall mission was to build the relationship between their unit and our unit," said 2nd Lt. Robert Hurd, platoon leader. "They've done a phenomenal job of providing us with resources and skilled trainers. We started with the individual and trained all the way up to the platoon level."
The platoon gained familiarization with German small arms, tactics and orders production.
"Their training is very good because they bring it down to the fundamental level constantly," said Staff Sgt. James Murphy, acting platoon sergeant. "The training we conducted is very simple and straightforward.
"When they conducted training with their night vision devices, we played a game of soccer (in the dark) and that's night-vision training…because you can have fun as well as train at the same time," Murphy continued. "This has been some of the most effective training I have ever conducted."
Initial training of the platoon allowed Soldiers to learn German tactics and procedures prior to taking part in a force-on-force exercise in the training area. The platoon was fully integrated into the operations of the German company, providing a multinational maneuver element for the company commander to employ.
"We did four different missions with their OPFOR," said Staff Sgt. Ethan Rodgers, a squad leader in the platoon. "We did a platoon-level defense … and a platoon-level engagement area operation against six platoons of mounted infantry. By the end of the training, [my Soldiers] understood the German tactics and took away a lot of tactical proficiency."
For the platoon, this has been an opportunity to learn and share knowledge with the Bundeswehr.
"They are our host nation, and a NATO ally," said Staff Sgt. James Waddell, a squad leader in the platoon. "Training like this is very beneficial to our guys. It helps them see what it means to be a rotational training unit. You have a little better perspective to go home with."
This type of exchange "allows us to plug-and-play for multinational training," said Col. Alexander Becker, Regimental Commander of the German Army Training Command in Letzlingen. "Being interoperable is something you have to be able to [do] to work together and fight together in the end. To do that you have to be able to train in exercises together."
The benefits of this exchange apply to both the German and U.S. units. "For us to be detailed is a big benefit for our guys," Becker continued. "They have to do business in a different language. This is really good. They learn how to deal with a different structure of the exercises and learning TTPs from other countries which widens their horizon. It's purely a great situation for them."
The platoon adopted a favorite saying of its hosts as the de facto motto: "Same stuff, different country."
"Much of what we did, we found to be very similar," Hurd elaborated. "The difference between our units and [the Bundeswehr] is stylistic rather than substantive. The opportunity to train with another nation in a totally focused and deliberate way has been very valuable."
This will not be the last time Soldiers from the two bases have this exchange; more are being planned for next year.
"We are at the start of a long road [of cooperation]. The important thing is that we have started this way. And now the march is on," said Becker.
Exercise Combined Resolve V is designed to exercise the U.S. Army's regionally allocated force to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility with multinational training at all echelons. Approximately 4,600 participants from 13 NATO and European partner nations are participating. The exercise involves around 2,000 U.S. troops and 2,600 NATO and Partner for Peace nations. Combined Resolve V is a preplanned exercise that does not fall under Operation Atlantic Resolve. This exercise will train participants to function together in a joint, multinational and integrated environment and train U.S. rotational forces to be more flexible, agile and to better operate alongside our NATO Allies.
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