FORT SILL, Okla. (April 25, 2015) -- The role of air defense artillery Soldiers in the Army is one that is ever-demanding and also evolving.

These Soldiers guard the skies to ensure they are free of air breathing threats, so aligning air defense forces across the globe is instrumental in keeping everyone safe.

B Battery, 4th Battalion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery recently deployed a group of Soldiers to the Republic of South Korea to test the ability of the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade to receive, emplace and sustain a contingent of air defense Soldiers.

Twenty-six Soldiers successfully completed the mission due in large part to the cooperation between the two brigades.

When conducting an exercise that spans two theaters of operations and thousands of miles, cross-talk and coordination is everything. In January Soldiers from 35th ADA Brigade came to Fort Sill to initiate the relationship as they gave mission briefs and went over course of action for future endeavors.

"This was the first time this has ever been done, so working out the reception and staging process was a big hurdle," said Capt. Michael Maricle, B Battery, 4-3rd ADA commander. "What we ultimately want to accomplish with future exercises is to deploy a battery complete with Soldiers and equipment, have them received, emplaced and validated all within the pre-determined timeline."

The two air defense brigades continue to foster their working relationship and are planning for future joint-exercises that will test and validate the combined efforts of these units.