Swift Response 15 brings unique training operating environment to Allied participants

By Sgt. 1st Class Caleb BarrieauSeptember 1, 2015

Providing Security
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A German soldier stands guard during a simulated non-combatant evacuation operation on the Hohenfels Training Area (Germany) during exercise Swift Response 15, Aug. 30, 2015. Swift Response 15 is the U.S. Army's largest combined airborne training eve... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
This Way
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A German soldier stands guard during a simulated non-combatant evacuation operation on the Hohenfels Training Area (Germany) during exercise Swift Response 15, Aug. 30, 2015. Swift Response 15 is the U.S. Army's largest combined airborne training eve... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Interagency Coordination
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A German and U.S. Army soldier coordinate plans with a Department of State advisor as part of a simulated non-combatant evacuation operation on the Hohenfels Training Area (Germany) during exercise Swift Response 15, Aug. 30, 2015. Swift Response 15 ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Keeping Accountability
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Two U.S. Army soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division take down information from a civilian role-player as part of a simulated non-combatant evacuation operation on the Hohenfels Training Area (Germany) during exercise Swift Response 15, Aug. 30, 20... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Over there
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A German soldier directs a fellow German soldier where to drive during a simulated non-combatant evacuation operation on the Hohenfels Training Area (Germany) during exercise Swift Response 15, Aug. 30, 2015. Swift Response 15 is the U.S. Army's larg... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Funneling Evacuees
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A German and U.S. Army soldier give instruction to civilian role-players as part of a simulated non-combatant evacuation operation on the Hohenfels Training Area (Germany) during exercise Swift Response 15, Aug. 30, 2015. Swift Response 15 is the U.S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HOHENFELS, Germany- The Operational Environment (OE) has taken a new form at the U.S. Army's Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) here for exercise Swift Response 15. Army Europe is leading a training exercise built around a multinational airborne joint forcible entry operation spanning four European nations and ending with a unique training event known as a Noncombatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) that was led by the German Bundeswehr and U.S. Army Soldiers.

JMRC constantly updates and changes the OE depending on the needs of the rotational training units (RTU). During this exercise the planners at JMRC tweaked the OE of a traditional Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE) exercise and forced the RTU to conduct crisis response training as well as the traditional offense and defensive operations. As a critical piece of the new OE, Swift Response 15 featured a NEO, which is a deliberate and highly coordinated operation which is aimed to build a stronger, faster Alliance that can deal more effectively with humanitarian and security issues.

The mission for the final day of training required a battalion from the German Bundeswehr, partnered with the 127th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, to conduct a NEO during an emergency situation in the scenario town-set of Kibirly. Over one hundred civilian role-players were given acting roles to replicate a controlled extraction of civilians who were in harm's way. This is a scenario that has rarely been exercised in a multinational fashion, and demonstrates a skill-set that is very important to all the NATO Allies, as explained on the official NATO website where they promote democratic values and encourages consultation and cooperation on defense and security issues to build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.

Dr. James Derleth, the Interagency Advisor at JMRC said "The number one mission in a NEO is to get the civilians out." This might sound like a simple task, but in a multinational and interagency operation, things get pretty complicated quickly." Derleth re-emphasizes how the military creates an OE like this, "We are directly working with our interagency partners from the State Department to execute a realistic operating training environment."

Derleth further stated, "This is absolutely crucial for real world training." referring to the ability to work with interagency partners like two members from the Frankfurt U.S. consulate that were participating in the NEO planning and in the actual evacuation. "That's what we are providing here, a realistic operational environment with real interagency people. "

Creating this NEO scenario forced some of the traditional roles for JMRC personnel to change. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment --the permanent opposing forces (OPFOR) for training rotations here --have taken a new role for Swift Response 15. "We are taking a stand-back approach that is not necessarily combative in nature unless the training units are hostile to [us] first," explained Capt. Sean Navin, the Battle Captain for the OPFOR. "Normally at the end of a regular exercise things culminate into a final battle, but in the NEO operation we plan on being civilians on the battlefield that not necessarily add hostile actions to the scenario but actually a lot of white noise to see how the training unit is able to handle a large crowd and be able to know who to seek out and evacuate and who shouldn't [be evacuated]."

Planning new and diverse training operational environments like this is essential to strengthening relations between the military and the full spectrum of interagency organizations, as well as building trust and greater skills with multinational Allies and partners.

Swift Response 15 is the U.S. Army's largest combined airborne training event in Europe since the end of the Cold War. More than 4,800 service members from 11 NATO nations -- including Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States -- will take part in the exercise on training areas in Bulgaria, Germany, Italy and Romania, Aug. 17-Sept. 13, 2015. Swift Response 15 is designed to integrate multiple Allied nations' crisis response forces into a cohesive team and demonstrate the combined ability to rapidly deploy and operate in support of maintaining a strong and secure Europe.

Related Links:

U.S. Army Europe

Swift Response 15 website