U.S. and NATO forces h... VIEW ORIGINAL
ZHEGOC, Kosovo- U.S. Army Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, took center stage alongside soldiers of the Portuguese and Hungarian Armies during Operation Iron Eagle IV in Zhegoc, Kosovo, Sept. 12, 2016.
Operating under the command of Multinational Battle Group-East, the allied forces came together in an abandoned village to demonstrate their full range of operational and tactical capabilities as an infantry asset to the Kosovo Force mission.
"As a light infantry battalion, one of our key mission essential tasks is to conduct offensive operations," said Lt. Col. Thomas Erhart, commander of the 1-41st Inf. Regt. "One of the most difficult types of offensive operations is to conduct an air insertion to seize an urban area against a near peer competitor."
Erhart said the complexity of the operation increases when you add partnered operations with other NATO members, citing different levels of training, equipment and experience.
"[The training] really tested our planning process, staff integration, interoperability and communication," he added.
Despite being tested, Erhart's team stationed out of Fort Carson, Colorado, was able to bridge the operational and communication gap between the three armies leading up to the start of the operation and were able to build on those successes as the dynamic exercise unfolded.
The exercise began with the infantrymen's insertion by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters into an open field seasonally used for farming. From there the Soldiers moved into the tree line where they appeared to vanish.
Concealed by the dense Kosovo wood line, the Soldiers cautiously made their way toward their objective pausing only to discuss the best plan of attack.
About a mile into the trek, Soldiers quickly went silent and became motionless as the objective came into focus.
Not far from the multinational formation, opposing forces paced back and forth in the windowsills carrying assault rifles and training grenades, as if to welcome confrontation.
With eyes on their target, the infantrymen rushed from the hillside engaging the enemy as they climbed through the remnants of a second story window. The individual squads swiftly moved through each building clearing every space and crevice, taking out opposing forces along the way.
As the U.S. Soldiers secured the first three buildings, the Portuguese and Hungarian Soldiers from the KFOR Tactical Maneuver Battalion stormed the remaining enemy outposts, securing a high value target and conquering the final objectives.
In total, the joint forces cleared six buildings, three vehicles and eliminated dozens of simulated enemy.
As the Soldiers celebrated mission success, Portuguese Capt. Nuno Morgado, a paratrooper from the 2nd Paratrooper Battalion, Rapid Reaction Brigade, reflected on his unit's performance.
"I thought the operation went quite well and I was surprised," said Morgado. "When you have three different countries working on an operation it's difficult because of the language, because of the radio systems, but we proved we can find a way."
Because KFOR is dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the people of Kosovo infantry operations are not a top priority and finding a way to accomplish the mission wasn't easy.
For months, the infantrymen from the U.S., Hungarian and Portuguese armies adjusted their focus from infantry tasks to training that supported the Kosovo Force mission, which is centered on crowd riot control (CRC) techniques and non-lethal operations. Despite this shift, Erhart and Morgado, said the training is still valuable to maintain operational readiness of their Soldiers.
"The infantry tasks are our core business of my paratrooper battalion in Portugal," said Morgado. "We really didn't do anything like this as a tactical objective for almost seven months because of the special training that we have to have for the Kosovo mission. But it's always important to maintain some readiness, to maintain high spirit on the guys, because that's what we like to do, that's what we are trained for."
Aside from infantry-related benefits, Erhart said the training benefited the battle group as a whole.
"The type of operation is just one component of this training," Erhart said. "The various levels of staff conducting the military decision making process, which is used in all types of operations to determine how best to accomplish the mission. The need for mission command during all phases of the operation stressed our communications systems and abilities, just as they would for a CRC response."
"This operation ensured that all key leaders were familiar with each other, our systems could integrate so we can talk to each other, and we are familiar with the tactical employment of each other's formation," Erhart added.
Recognizing the implication of Operation Iron Eagle, Morgado said the training had far reaching effects outside of the participating units.
"This training is not only good for our Soldiers but its good for the people of Kosovo," said Morgado. "To know and to understand that we have forces in Kosovo that can do kinetic operations because we are here to maintain a safe and secure environment and to help ensure the people of Kosovo remain safe."
"Obviously we need to always be prepared for what is next," Morgado added. "If we are ready to do any kind of infantry operation, we are ready for any kind of CRC operation."
With the safety and security of the Kosovar people firmly rooted in everything they do, Erhart and Morgado said they will continue to build on their interoperability and capabilities as they continue CRC operations.
As for working together in the future, Erhart said he wouldn't hesitate.
"The Portuguese are absolute professionals," he said. "I would not hesitate to conduct this operation for real, if I was asked tomorrow."
As the three units near the end of their deployment to Kosovo, they will look to hand over their lessons learned to the next KFOR rotation in an effort to enhance the trust and commitment of the NATO forces.
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