5-7th ADA Patriot Shock to Romania Begins

By 2nd Lt. Brandt Ange & Spc. Jasmin Flores, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense CommandOctober 28, 2016

Delta Battery's ROC Drill
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – 1st Lt. Nicholas Ontiveros briefs the Soldiers from Delta Battery on the upcoming events for Patriot Shock during a Rehearsal of Concept Drill. Patriot Shock is a Deployment Readiness Exercise in conjunction with a multinational air defense exercise ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Ground Guiding Rail Road Operations
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Joseph Harris, an Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operator with Delta Battery, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment ground guides a Patriot launcher onto a railcar October 27 on Rhine Ordnance Barracks in preparation for P... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Securing a Patriot Launcher on a Railcar
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from Delta Battery, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment secure a Patriot launcher onto a railcar October 27 on Rhine Ordnance Barracks in preparation for Patriot Shock. Patriot Shock is a Deployment Readiness Exercise in conjun... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Slow and Safe
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from Delta Battery, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment secure a Patriot launcher onto a railcar October 27 on Rhine Ordnance Barracks in preparation for Patriot Shock. Patriot Shock is a Deployment Readiness Exercise in conjun... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Discussing the Finer Points of Rail Load Contracts
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel McMillen, a Mobility Warrant Officer discuss the finer points of rail load with contractors from Deutsche Bahn October 27 on Rhine Ordnance Barracks in preparation for Patriot Shock. Patriot Shock is a Deployment Readin... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- Delta Battery, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment conducted a Rehearsal of Concept Drill and Initial Staging Area Operations Oct. 26, in order to finish synchronizing operations and finish preparations for their deployment to Romania for Patriot Shock.

As the Soldiers from Delta Battery, 5-7th ADA gathered around the sand table in preparation for their Rehearsal of Concept Drill there was a noticeable buzz of excitement in the air. Less than 72 hours ago, these Soldiers received word that they were going to execute a level three deployment readiness exercise or Patriot Shock to Romania.

"I am excited that our battery was chosen to conduct this mission," stated 1st Lt. Nicholas Ontiveros, the Delta Battery, 5-7th ADA executive officer, "We have been given a very unique opportunity to showcase both our speed of assembly and, when we get to Romania, our speed of achieving interoperability."

As Delta Battery coasts into the final tasks for their initial N-Hour Sequence assured that they will easily meet their 72 hour deadline, they also begin to realize something profound. Not only are they about to deploy to Romania, they are also about to become a part of U.S. Air Defense history by being the first U.S. Patriot Battery to conduct operations in Romania.

As Patriot Shock continues to develop, the Soldiers of Delta Battery can look forward to conducting interoperability testing with their Romanian allies while performing multinational air defense exercises as they strengthen ties and contribute to a Strong Europe.

Patriot Shock is a Deployment Readiness Exercise in conjunction with a multinational air defense exercise being held near Capu Midia, Romania, from November 5th to the 10th. Patriot Shock is being held to validate the unit readiness of 5-7th ADA and to demonstrate U.S. Army Europe's rapid deployment capabilities.

This operation will showcase the unit's leaders' and Soldiers' resilience and build their confidence in the capabilities of their mobility platforms and mission command systems while demonstrating the U.S.'s commitment to its allies and partners in the Black Sea region.