Ustka, Poland -- Soldiers from the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command and the 174th Ohio National Guard Air Defense Brigade, along with partners from the British 19th Tank Transporter Squadron and the Polish 3rd Surface to Air Missile Brigade conducted a ceremony June 6 to signal the official beginning of exercise Anakonda 16.
Soldiers representing three countries, the United States, Britain, and Poland, stood side by side today on the Polish airfield in Ustka, Poland. Everyone in attendance anxiously awaited the initial command that began the scheduled pass and review for all both the Polish and American commanders. This ceremony signals the beginning of the multinational exercise Anakonda 16 as well as the start of 24 hour operations here in Ustka.
Everyone involved has been preparing for this exercise for months, and over the last 2 weeks with Soldiers from all three nations on the ground together final planning arrangements have been made. All that is left is to execute the mission.
"We've been training up for this mission for weeks," said Spc. Thomas Patterson, a 14H Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operator, "I'm excited to work with the Polish and finally integrate our systems."
Exercise Anakonda 16 is one of United States Army Europe's premier multinational training events. It is a Polish national exercise that seeks to train, exercise and integrate Polish national command and force structure into an allied, joint, multinational environment.
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