1 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –A CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew assigned to Company B, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, moves into position over artillerymen with Battery B, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, to sling load an M777 howitzer during training at an airfield near Grafenwoehr, Germany Mar. 6, 2018. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Bayless (right), a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crewmember with Company B, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, relays movement information to his pilots as Staff Sgt. Diego Garcia (left), a cannon crewmember with Battery B, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, works to secure his sling to the helicopter's cargo hook at an airfield near Grafenwoehr, Germany Mar. 6, 2018. Soldiers of both units came together to train and strengthen relationships while conducting sling load operations at Dynamic Front 18, an annual U.S. Army Europe exercise focused on enhancing interoperability of U.S. Army, joint service and allied nation artillery and fire support in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory T. Summers 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew with Company C, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, fuels up at an airfield just outside of Grafenwoehr, Germany during training Mar. 7, 2018. Troopers of the brigade are providing aviation support during Dynamic Front 18, an annual U.S. Army Europe exercise focused on enhancing interoperability of U.S. Army, joint service and allied nation artillery and fire support in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL4 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –Petroleum supply specialists and AH-64 Apache helicopter maintainers with 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, refuel and re-arm pilots during gunnery training just outside of Grafenwoehr, Germany, Mar. 7, 2018. Troopers of the battalion are conducting gunnery tables and providing aerial fire support during the duration of Dynamic Front 18, an annual U.S. Army Europe exercise focused on strengthening interoperability of U.S. Army, joint service and allied nation artillery and fire support in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL5 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –Armament and avionics maintainers with Company D, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, load and prepare an AH-64 Apache helicopter crew's M230 30mm chain gun for gunnery training at an airfield near Grafenwoehr, Germany, Mar. 6, 2018. Troopers of the battalion are conducting gunnery tables and providing aerial fire support during the duration of Dynamic Front 18, an annual U.S. Army Europe exercise focused on strengthening interoperability of U.S. Army, joint service and allied nation artillery and fire support in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL6 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –A CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew assigned to Company B, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, prepares to move into position over artillerymen with Battery B, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, to sling load an M777 howitzer during rehearsals at an airfield near Grafenwoehr, Germany Mar. 6, 2018. Soldiers of both units came together to train and strengthen relationships during Dynamic Front 18, an annual U.S. Army Europe exercise focused on enhancing interoperability of U.S. Army, joint service and allied nation artillery and fire support in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL7 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Bayless (middle), a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crewmember with Company B, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, relays movement information to his pilots as Sgt. Indio Valenzuela (front) and Staff Sgt. Diego Garcia (back), cannon crewmembers with Battery B, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, work to secure their slings to the helicopter's cargo hooks during sling load training at an airfield near Grafenwoehr, Germany Mar. 6, 2018. Soldiers of both units came together to train and strengthen relationships during Dynamic Front 18, an annual U.S. Army Europe exercise focused on enhancing interoperability of U.S. Army, joint service and allied nation artillery and fire support in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL8 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew with Company C, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, fuels up at an airfield just outside of Grafenwoehr, Germany during training Mar. 7, 2018. Troopers of the brigade are providing aviation support during Dynamic Front 18, an annual U.S. Army Europe exercise focused on enhancing interoperability of U.S. Army, joint service and allied nation artillery and fire support in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL9 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –Spc. Craig Gallegos, an armament and avionics maintainer with Company D, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, prepares to load an AH-64 Apache helicopter's M230 30mm chain gun for gunnery training at an airfield near Grafenwoehr, Germany, Mar. 6, 2018. The battalion is providing aerial recon and fire support while also conducting gunnery as part of Dynamic Front 18, an annual exercise with approximately 3,700 participants from 26 nations to strengthen interoperability and alliances in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL10 / 10Show Caption +Hide Caption –An AH-64 Apache helicopter crew with 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, awaits fuel and ammo at a forward area refueling point (FARP) at an airfield just outside of Grafenwoehr, Germany, Mar. 7, 2018. Troopers of the battalion are conducting gunnery training and providing aerial fire support during the duration of Dynamic Front 18, an annual U.S. Army Europe exercise focused on strengthening interoperability of U.S. Army, joint service and allied nation artillery and fire support in a multinational environment. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Thomas Summers (22nd MPAD))VIEW ORIGINAL
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- Exercise Dynamic Front 18 may initially conjure up visions of field artillery shaking the ground, but the air space above Grafenwoehr Training Area is also fully active as U.S. Air Force and Army components work together to expand the operational reach of ground troops.
"Coming over here to Europe has been an awesome opportunity for us to really understand how to fight against an enemy air defense artillery, enemy field artillery and enemy maneuver forces that are on the same level as us," said Lt. Col. Nate Surrey, commander, 3rd Battalion, 227th Assault Helicopter Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
These combined arms training operations are layered laterally, by altitude and by time throughout 7th Army Training Command's area of operations during Dynamic Front. Both mortars and artillery shoot while troops are maneuvering on the ground; the Air Force enables German joint terminal attack controllers who are directing American close air support; and a rotational unit flies gun raids, air assault and route reconnaissance missions through the skies.
"Whether it be mortars or artillery, attack aviation with helicopters or close air support with fixed wing: we can do all of that in a small space and we've been very successful in making sure we bring all that combat effectiveness at the right place, at the right time," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Anderson, chief of Grafenwoehr Training Area range operations.
JOINT OPERATIONS
Those participating in Dynamic Front are working together to support maneuver at 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area. Airmen on Joint Multinational Readiness Center's Bullseye observer, coach/trainer team manage aircraft taking part in 7th Army Training Command's hosted exercises and serve as liaisons for sister-service integration. This includes overseeing the multinational Joint Area Attack Controllers who translate the air component to the maneuver and fire support elements on the ground.
"Our specific mission is to ensure joint integration between Army fire support, ground- and surface-to-surface fires, and close air support -- both rotary and for fixed wing," said Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Tonkinson, superintendent of the Bullseye observer, coach/trainer team. "We're able to bring any multinational fixed wing in to any multinational fight and put all the pieces together in order to suppress, attack and destroy an enemy in order to allow for freedom of maneuver."
ROTATIONAL TRAINING
The common theme of integrating into and enabling the maneuver fight includes Army aircraft as well. It's the basic definition of combining assets into one operation with field artillery fires suppressing enemy threats along air routes. In turn, these air routes are being used in route reconnaissance, security patrols and air assaults to support the infantry in its quest to seize an objective, explained Surrey.
"It's the meshing of all the different combined arms," said Capt. Eric Murphy, assistant operations officer for 3rd Battalion, 227th Assault Helicopter Regiment. "The ground infantry wouldn't be able to have the operational reach that they do without our helicopters putting them out there and putting the guns out there to support them, and without the attack helicopters providing the cover and security -- so really enabling the ground force commander to execute his objectives, which is our main objective."
The integrated training environment at 7th Army Training Command during Dynamic Front enhances units' abilities and skills while improving their tactics, techniques and procedures.
"The continuous repetitions that we've had over here are exactly what any unit needs to really speed up our training time and efficiency," said Lt. Col. Jason Cook, commander, 1st Battalion, 227th Attack Reconnaissance Regiment. "The reaction time from call-for-fire to rounds hitting the target is reduced almost every day and every iteration that we do this. Every time we get a chance to work together, we learn each other's systems, we learn each other's processes and techniques, and it makes us fight better as one."
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