Slovenian tanks join the fleet at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center

By Sarah TateOctober 7, 2015

Slovenian tanks arrive in Parsberg
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Slovenian tanks make their way to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center
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Slovenian tanks enroute to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center
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Slovenian tanks make their way to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Slovenian Armed Forces 2nd Lt. Jernej Staric shows off the M-84 Main Battle Tank to 1st Lt. Benjamin Kemp, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Oct. 7, 2015. (U.S. Army photo by Sara... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HOHENFELS, Germany -- Four M-84 Main Battle Tanks now call the Hohenfels Training Area home after relocating from Slovenia to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center.

In an agreement reached by the United States Army Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Slovenian Armed Forces, these four tanks will be stored in a designated Joint Multinational Readiness Center facility and used when Slovenian soldiers rotate to the Hohenfels Training Area to participate in exercises.

Slovenian Armed Forces Maj. Robert Slak, the deputy commander for the 157th Logistics Regiment says the agreement will allow Slovenian soldiers to train alongside the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment soldiers as opposing forces. "This is an opportunity for us to participate in force-on-force, which is not easy for us to do back home," Slak said.

The opposing force, known as the 'men in black', primarily use M113 Armored Personnel Carriers modified to replicate main battle tanks. "This gives us a much more realistic threat that we can portray on the battlefield for the rotational units," says Capt. Jacob Grob, a plans and operations officer for 1-4 Infantry.

"Having a dedicated multinational partner to train with is going to allow U.S. Soldiers and Slovenian soldiers to share tactics, techniques, and procedures on the battlefield and learn how we can operate in unknown conditions," said Grob. "It's an ongoing relationship between our two units and our two countries that will foster tremendous benefits," he said.

The Slovenian M-84 tanks arrived just in time to participate in exercise Combined Resolve V, as nearly 4,600 participants from 13 nations will move to the Hohenfels Training Area for maneuver training beginning on Oct. 25. For more on exercise Combined Resolve V, and to follow the Slovenian tankers as they integrate into opposing forces, visit http://www.eur.army.mil/JMTC/CombinedResolve.html.

Related Links:

United States Army Europe

Joint Multinational Readiness Center

Joint Multinational Readiness Command

Slovenian Armed Forces