Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills

By Staff Sgt. Opal VaughnSeptember 13, 2016

Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills
1 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Minnesota Army National Guard returns fire during react to contact drills, Sept. 12, 2016, as part of exercise Immediate Response 16 held at the Croatian Armed Forces training area of Slunj... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills
2 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Pfc. Toni Boddie and Staff Sgt. Leonard Sims, infantrymen assigned to 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Minnesota Army National Guard, pull security as Montenegrin army soldiers from the 1st Infantry Unit, Montenegro Armed Forces, cross a bridg... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills
3 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Montenegrin army soldiers from the 1st Infantry Unit, Montenegro Armed Forces, pull a soldier to safety who has simulated wounds, during react to contact drills, Sept. 12, 2016, as part of exercise Immediate Response 16 held at the Croatian Armed For... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills
4 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Montenegrin army medic from the 1st Infantry Unit, Montenegro Armed Forces, helps a simulated wounded soldier during react to contact drills, Sept. 12, 2016, as part of exercise Immediate Response 16 held at the Croatian Armed Forces training area ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills
5 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Pfc. Toni Boddie and Staff Sgt. Leonard Sims, infantrymen assigned to 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Minnesota Army National Guard, pull security as Montenegrin army soldiers from the 1st Infantry Unit, Montenegro Armed Forces, cross a bridg... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills
6 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Minnesota Army National Guard on patrol during react to contact drills, Sept. 12, 2016, as part of exercise Immediate Response 16 held at the Croatian Armed Forces training area of Slunj, C... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills
7 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Minnesota Army National Guard prepare to return fire during react to contact drills, Sept. 12, 2016, as part of exercise Immediate Response 16 held at the Croatian Armed Forces training are... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Montenegro Armed Forces, U.S. Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills
8 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Minnesota Army National Guard, conduct react to contact drills, Sept. 12, 2016, as part of exercise Immediate Response 16 held at the Croatian Armed Forces training area of Slunj, Croatia. ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

SLUNJ, Croatia -- As part of exercise Immediate Response 16, Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Unit, Montenegro Armed Forces and 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Minnesota Army National Guard trained on battle drills, Sept. 12, 2016, here.

The Montenegrin and U.S. Soldiers tested their ability to perform the battle drills that included squad attacks, react to contact, break contact, and react to ambush, said Leesville, LA native Staff Sgt. Leonard Sims, a team leader assigned to 2-135 IN.

"Training like IR16 gets the younger Soldiers the experience in a little more than just what we do at home by going to a different country, seeing a different culture, meeting different people, establishing relationships that you would never get if you go overseas," said Austin, M.N. native Sgt. George Langstaff, a squad leader assigned to 2-135 IN.

The exercise and simulations are built upon a decisive action based scenario and are designed to enhance regional stability, strengthen allied and partner nation capacity, and improve interoperability among partner nations.

Soldiers executed the combined missions with the Montenegrin army soldiers reacting to enemy contact as well as follow-up actions. In doing so the drills enabled them to be able to execute key actions quickly across multinational platforms.�

"Different units will have different standard operating procedures and different styles. We've already learned a lot from the styles of the Montenegrin soldiers, as well as the Croatians," said 1st. Lt. John Lesch, Company D executive officer, 2-135 IN. "This is why we're here, to learn from each other."

The U.S. Army Europe led exercise is a multinational, brigade-level command post exercise utilizing computer-assisted simulations and field training exercises spanning two countries, Croatia and Slovenia.

The exercise occurs Sept. 9-23, 2016, and will end with a culmination exercise in which Soldiers of each nation will carry out large-scale operations against opposition forces.

Over the next two weeks more than 1,900 Soldiers and security forces from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and the United States will take part in IR16.

Working with allies during Immediate Response 16

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Working with allies during Immediate Response 16