WIESBADEN, Germany -- U.S. and German Signal Soldiers took advantage of an opportunity to familiarize themselves with each other's weapons systems, form friendships and strengthen a partnership that is shared between their units by participating in a pair of joint ranges this month.
Soldiers from Charlie Company, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion fired German MG3 machine guns at a range Feb. 10 in Erfurt, and German Soldiers from the 383rd Communication and Information Systems Battalion fired M16 rifles at a range Feb. 19 at the Grafenwoehr Training Area.
"This was a great opportunity for us to build some community relations with our German allies and a chance for them to familiarize themselves with our weapon systems," said Sgt. Stephen M. Kulick, command post node team chief, Charlie Company, 44th ESB.
Kulick, the company armorer, performed preliminary marksmanship instructions for five different weapons, including the M16 rifle, M4 carbine with optics, M249 light machine gun, Mk 19 grenade launcher and the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun.
"I believe our German allies enjoyed our presentation on the Mk 19 the best," Kulick said with a smile.
The ranges, however, were about more than just familiarizing the U.S. and German Soldiers with each other's weapons systems. Cpt. Jacob Roecker, Charlie Company commander, said the goal of the ranges was to open dialogue at different levels.
"I want lieutenants talking to lieutenants, sergeants talking to sergeants, specialists talking to specialists, and we want to encourage interactive opportunities so that dialogue can form," he said.
Roecker said working with the German signal unit since December has showed his unit some of the challenges involved in talking with partners and allies. He pointed to the ranges and similar training events as the first steps toward building their partnership together.
"Opportunities like this… are where initiative, creative thinking, creative training opportunities are really going to be what allows this [partnership] to work," said Roecker.
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5th Signal Command's mission is to build, operate and defend network capabilities to enable mission command and create tactical, operational and strategic flexibility for Army, Joint and Multi-national forces in the EUCOM and AFRICOM areas of responsibility.
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