ZAGAN, Poland -- U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment and 1st Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment, both 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, arrived in Wroclaw, Poland, on Sunday to begin its rotation as the first heel-to-toe unit supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve.
The brigade is on schedule to move its personnel and more than 2,000 pieces of equipment from Fort Carson, Colorado, to aggregation sites in Poland to demonstrate NATO's ability to facilitate the quick assembly of forces to deter enemy aggression.
"Each battalion was allocated two days at the railhead," said Capt. Brian Lee, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 68th Ar. Regt. "It actually went pretty quick ... the entire brigade was loaded onto a train in two weeks."
He said the equipment was shipped to the sea port and is currently in the European Theater.
The heel-to-toe rotation is scheduled to consist of three armored brigade combat teams, which are slated to complete 9-month rotations in Europe to demonstrate the continuous commitment of the U.S. to its NATO allies and to strengthen the Alliance's credible deterrent capabilities that are available to respond to potential crises.
"The 3rd Bde. Cmbt. Tm. brings all of the capabilities of an armored brigade with attachments," said 1st Sgt. William Staun, senior enlisted advisor, Company B, 1st Bn., 68th Ar. Regt.
Capt. Dennis Rowe, assistant operations officer and battalion planner, HHC, 1st Bn., 66th Ar. Regt., added the unit brings a heavy combined arms battalion with tanks, Bradleys Fighting Vehicles, scouts, sustainers and engineer attachments.
The brigade is scheduled to conduct bilateral training across central and Eastern Europe and participate in multinational exercises with its partner nation counterparts.
Staun said the training "creates plug and play units" that are familiar with how various partner nations operate.
"You can take an American unit and incorporate it into a Lithuanian battalion," he said, "or a Lithuanian company and integrate it into an American battalion and have a base understanding of how you are going to operate, what your expectations are, and what their capabilities are."
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