NATO's eFP Battlegroup Poland lays the foundation for combat readiness

By Staff Sgt. Matthew FosterOctober 24, 2022

Battlegroup Poland lays the foundation for Combat Readiness
NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, alongside soldiers from the U.S., Poland, Romania and UK take notes of the presentations while attending the NATO Team Leaders Academy in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 19, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew Foster) VIEW ORIGINAL

BEMOWO PISKIE, Poland — NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, alongside United Kingdom Army soldiers assigned to The Royal Lancers, Prince of Whales Troop; Romanian Sky Guardians and the Polish Armed Forces 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, participated in a NATO team leaders academy in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 18-20.

Non-commissioned Officers, or NCOs, assigned to Chaos Company of the 3-8 CAV provided instruction on U.S. Army military procedures, tactics and doctrine to their NATO Allies.

Battlegroup Poland lays the foundation for Combat Readiness
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland Soldiers assigned to the rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, alongside United Kingdom Army soldiers assigned to The Royal Lancers, Prince of Whales Troop, Romanian Sky Guardians, and the Polish Armed Forces 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade discuss key talking points while attending the NATO Team Leaders Academy in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 19, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew Foster) VIEW ORIGINAL
Battlegroup Poland lays the foundation for Combat Readiness
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, alongside soldiers from the U.S., Poland, Romania and UK take notes of the presentations while attending the NATO Team Leaders Academy in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 18, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew Foster) VIEW ORIGINAL

“The goal is to get all of our team leaders and NATO allies on the same level, so we’re going to do different battle drills, fire commands, tactical combat casualty care and casualty evacuation operations,” said U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Joshua M. Lurie, officer in charge of the NATO team leader academy assigned to Chaos Company, 3-8 CAV.”

Training together as an all-encompassing unit builds interoperability and unit cohesion between the U.S. Army and NATO Allies.

“Conducting a leaders academy and participating with our allied counterparts are important because it fosters the relationship that we want to build with our NATO Allies,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Rafael A. Herrera, noncommissioned officer in charge of the NATO team leader academy, assigned to Chaos Company, 3-8 CAV. “We share our military doctrine in the spirit of learning and begin to build our capabilities here and now.”

Battlegroup Poland lays the foundation for Combat Readiness
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard A. Hernandez, 2nd Platoon Sgt., Chaos Company 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, addresses key points to the attending NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland soldiers from the U.S., Poland, Romania and UK in attendance during the NATO Team Leaders Academy in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 18, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew Foster) VIEW ORIGINAL
Battlegroup Poland lays the foundation for Combat Readiness
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, alongside soldiers from the U.S., Poland, Romania and UK engage in the training while attending the NATO Team Leaders Academy in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 19, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew Foster) VIEW ORIGINAL

The classroom portion of the academy will graduate into practical field training scenarios and culminate into a live-fire exercise.

“The training academy gives us the opportunity to share tactics, techniques and procedures that we use, which may be different from what other units and our NATO Allies use,” Lurie said. “We can learn and discuss best practices, and in this setting we focus on doctrine so we can develop as a single unit, under a single standard.”

Training alongside a multinational NATO defense force takes coordination and intent to master basic combat tactics and procedures to ensure unit cohesion.

“We start this training here, in the classroom because it’s simpler with the basics and will make this training easier to use should we have to go into combat or any type of battles that may be,” Herrera added.

Battlegroup Poland lays the foundation for Combat Readiness
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland Soldiers assigned to the rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, alongside United Kingdom Army soldiers assigned to The Royal Lancers, Prince of Whales Troop, Romanian Sky Guardians, and the Polish Armed Forces 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade discuss key talking points while attending the NATO Team Leaders Academy in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 19, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew Foster) VIEW ORIGINAL
Battlegroup Poland lays the foundation for Combat Readiness
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, alongside soldiers from the U.S., Poland, Romania and UK take notes of the presentations while attending the NATO Team Leaders Academy in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 18, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew Foster) VIEW ORIGINAL

Soldiers and leaders recognize the value of conducting training on this level and the benefits it will cultivate should the eFP Battlegroup be called to defend against aggression in this region of the world.

“We are here in Europe to reassure our NATO Allies of our commitment to that alliance,” Lurie said. “Their participation in these classes and working alongside our NATO Allies allows us to build rapport and have an understanding of interoperable tactics.”

Lurie acknowledges the battlefield environment is changing around the world, presenting new challenges for the military, resulting in the evolution of new doctrine and tactics for effective Allied interoperability.

“Interoperability and unit cohesion on the battlefield is the goal, and it starts here with training like this," Lurie said.

Learn more about the multinational NATO eFP Battle Group Poland

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