HOHENFELS, Germany -- Though essentially in its infancy at only two years old, the Lithuanian Army's "Griffin" Brigade took on quite the daunting task of controlling the brigade fight in the Hohenfels Training Area for Allied Spirit VII at the U.S. Army's Joint Multinational Readiness Center, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 22, 2017.
Allied Spirit is a U.S. Army Europe-directed, 7th Army Training Command-conducted multinational exercise series designed to develop and enhance NATO and key partner's interoperability and readiness. Approximately 4,050 service members from 13 nations participated in Allied Spirit VII.
The Griffin Brigade's chief of staff, Lt. Col. Viktoras Bagdonas, was extremely pleased with how this young brigade, comprised of three battalions, performed during Allied Spirit VII. Approximately 350 soldiers made the trip from Lithuania to Germany this iteration and they left their proverbial mark at the Hohenfels Training Area.
"From the very beginning, we rapidly deployed into the training area and then, tactically occupied the assembly area," said Bagdonas. "We then conducted forward passage of lines and set up a defense. Later on, we transitioned from defense to offense, and that went very well."
Bagdonas made sure to point out that even though there were a few challenges, with proper planning everything worked out very well.
"Different nations supply their units differently, and it's great to see and learn other methods," added Bagdonas. "Most importantly for our brigade was to utilize assets that are not that available back home in Lithuania, like the U.S. Army's aviation close air support. Bringing all of these assets together into one large unit was very beneficial."
It wasn't just the senior Lithuanian officers who were pleased with the training, but the lower enlisted soldiers also praised the exercise, like Lithuanian Army Cpl. Neringa Palepsyte, an information distribution specialist.
"I see now how a brigade works," said Palepsyte. "I saw how our brigade planned everything and how it works in reality, not just on a computer screen. I learned a lot as we were able to communicate with foreign soldiers and we learned from them as well."
Bagdonas couldn't say enough regarding how well "his guys" performed at Allied Spirit VII, emphasizing how well they overcame communication differences. They were able to see all the forces on the ground, connect with the U.S.' blue force tracker, and establish solid digital situational awareness.
"We are just in our second year as an active brigade and this training helps us evaluate real-life situations, and we know where to progress from here," said Bagdonas. "If we are ever required to fight side by side with our NATO partners, we now know we'll be able to function very efficiently. Coming here has been a great value to Lithuania."
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