Cpl. Sujan Baniya, an infantryman assigned to Apache Troop, 1st Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment rides in the upper hatch of a Stryker while his unit conducts vehicle crew movements from Rhine Ordinance Barracks to Ramstein Air Base in preparation for d...
Troopers assigned to Apache Troop, 1st Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, load their Strykers onto a C-17 Globemaster III with the help of the plane's aircrew during the unit's final preparations for their deployment in support of Exercise Steadfast Jave...
Troops assigned to Apache Troop, 1st Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment conducted vehicle crew movements from Rhine Ordinance Barracks to Ramstein Air Base in preparation for deployment during Operation Steadfast Javelin II at Ramstein Air Base, Germany o...
ROSE BARRACKS, Germany -- Troopers assigned to 1st Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, along with NATO allies, participated in Exercise Steadfast Javelin II, which started at Ramstein Air Base, Germany on September 3, 2014 and will continue across Lativia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia over the next six months.
The 1st Sqdn. started off at RAB by training for the 2 CR's first ever air insertion of its Strykers to support the 173rd Airborne Brigade in the seizure of an airfield at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia on September 5-6, 2014.
The exercise is focused on increasing interoperability and synchronizing complex operations between allied air and ground forces through air infantry brigades and air assault missions.
During the pre-mission loading of the Strykers onto the C-17 Globemaster III, Staff Sgt. Brian Wray, an infantryman assigned to 2nd platoon, Apache Troop, explained what his role would be in the upcoming exercise.
"I am the platoon sergeant and my job is to take care of my Soldiers and getting them what they need," said Wray. "One of the biggest pieces of my job is casualty evacuation where I would need to take the casualty, get them treated and get them off of the battlefield."
Wray went on to talk about what his platoon's mission would be during the exercise once they landed in Latvia.
"Our mission will be to set up blocking positions for the 173rd Abn. Bde.," said Wray. "Paratroopers are built to drop in and seize an airfield where as Strykers are meant to come in, increase your fire power and take more ground."
Once the Strykers, Troops and their equipment had been loaded, the C-17's then flew to Latvia for the airfield seizure mission that would kick off the entire exercise and with every Stryker having its role to play during the mission, Staff Sgt. Andrew S. Glebus, an indirect fire infantryman, who has been with 1st platoon, Apache Troop for the last two years, talked about what his assignment would be during the exercise.
"On this specific mission, my job is to provide 120[mm] and 60[mm] indirect support for all of the units here," said Glebus.
Glebus explained how the weapons on the Strykers are effective in the missions they will be involved with throughout the exercise.
"Besides the 105 mm's, the 120's[mm] and 60's[mm] are the biggest weapons the unit has," said Glebus. "The 120mm is more of a battalion asset where as the 60mm provides instant suppression on any kind of enemy contact in the immediate area."
With missions and locations set, an additional aspect of the exercise was 2 CR working with other units and collaborating with the Air Force and other NATO allies.
"We are definitely learning to be really flexible and work with joint forces," said Wray. "We have to learn how the Air Force and multi-nationals do things and then adjust our game plan off of that."
By the end of the exercise, over 2,000 Troops from 10 different nations will have trained together throughout the entire exercise.
"This is part of what we do and it takes a lot of funding and coordination," said Wray. "But this is something, that in my one decade of being in the Army, I've never done and should be done more often."
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