ZAGAN, Poland - The sound of a powerful diesel engine filled the calm, cool air as Pfc. Michael Hamil, a Kingston, Tennessee native, aligned a Bradley Fighting Vehicle to a bridge assembled by Polish engineering troops. Once aligned, a Polish soldier wielding orange flash-light cones began to guide him over the bridge.
Hamil's head stuck out of the twenty-plus-ton vehicle with tank-like tracked wheels to about shoulder level as his eyes were locked on his Polish ground-guide. The U.S. Bradley moved smoothly over the bridge as the driver and guide worked together to achieve a common goal - to safely cross the river.
On Nov. 16, Hamil and other Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, were invited by the Polish army to complete a wet-gap crossing.
"Today we got tasked to come out and train with our Polish allies," said 1st Lt. James Dicesare, a platoon leader with the 5-4 CAV. "They established a bridge crossing for us and then my drivers got the chance to drive their Bradleys across the bridge."
This training improves interoperability, strengthens relationships and trust among allied armies, contributes to regional stability and demonstrates U.S. commitment to NATO.
Exercises like this help promote "common collective integration training," said Polish Col. Dariusz Parylak, commander of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade. This bridge crossing allowed Polish and U.S. forces to take the next step to integrated operations.
The multinational gap crossing allowed Polish engineering soldiers from the 10th ACB to work as a team with U.S. Soldiers from 5-4 CAV to reach a unified goal.
"I have been enjoying working with them (Polish soldiers), and especially learning from them and how they do their job, because it informs us on how we can do our job better," said Dicesare.
The gap crossing not only helps develop a stronger operational relationship between the Polish and U.S., but helps establish confidence in the young Soldiers who get to partake in the training.
"This is the first time crossing water," said Hamil of his unit. "Yesterday we did a practice run crossing a ditch."
This kind of training gives junior Soldiers the ability to develop the skills of their jobs. It also builds trust between these less experienced Polish and U.S. Soldiers, because they have to work as a team.
"It feels good to get out here and do what normal nineteen-year olds would not get to do," said Hamil. "You get to learn a lot and experience how they (the Polish soldiers) do things and how that works with how we do things."
The team effort needed by both sides to accomplish the mission helps the success of the overarching mission of Atlantic Resolve at the base level: soldier-to-soldier interaction.
"It's pretty cool to get out here and experience new things and work with our Polish allies," said Hamil.
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