Indiana Guard sharpens urban warfare skills during Slovak Shield 2019

IN National Guard Soldiers train with Slovak allies — 1 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Spc. Jerrad Nicholson, a Campbellsburg, Ind., Soldier assigned to the 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry Regiment, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 38th Infantry Division, Indiana Army National Guard, leads Soldiers in a drill at Lest military t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

usa image — 2 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Silver spurs adorn the combat boots of U.S. Army Sgt. Tyler Lekse, an Indianapolis soldier assigned to the 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry Regiment, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 38th Infantry Division, Indiana Army National Guard, at Le�... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

LEST, Slovakia -- Communicate. Move. Shoot. Communicate again.

Inside the confines of a former Soviet-era barracks, U.S. forces methodically worked their way through the building. Step by step. Room by room. Floor by floor. The goal: reinforcing old and learning new war-fighting skills alongside Slovak allies to be a more lethal and effective unit.

With that in mind, Soldiers assigned to the 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry Regiment, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 38th Infantry Division, Indiana Army National Guard, trained with Slovak Armed Forces allies during Slovak Shield 2019 at Lest military training center, Slovakia, Nov. 10.

The training focused on urban warfare -- an area of operations in which the 1-152nd CAV typically does not engage.

"It's called Military Operations in Urban Terrain, or MOUT," said U.S. Army Sgt. Tyler Lekse, an Indianapolis Soldier assigned to the 1-152nd CAV. "So, clearing a building and building operations training."

Working alongside Slovak allies provided an opportunity for the Soldiers to practice with a different type of war-fighting skill set.

"MOUT is a whole other world," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matthew McKinney, an Indianapolis Soldier with the 1-152nd CAV. "You have to know each other's language. You have to learn how to communicate with each other so you can play basketball together."

Soldiers engaged in the training appreciated the opportunity to learn something new with their Slovak counterparts.

"It's not something we get to do a lot," said U.S. Army Spc. Austin Kredit, a Shelbyville, Ind., Soldier assigned to the 1-152nd CAV. "So, this is a great opportunity."

Indeed, the Soldiers took advantage of the opportunity to train alongside NATO allies. From tactical reloads to searching immobilized enemy personnel, 1-152nd CAV Soldiers honed their war-fighting capabilities. Step by step. Task by task. Always improving. Always communicating. Always ready.