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US and NATO troops execute combined exercise to expand battle group in Poland

By U.S. Army Europe and AfricaMay 19, 2023

Photo of a soldier throwing a smoke grenade.
A U.S. Soldier assigned to Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, NATO Multinational Division Northeast, throws a smoke grenade during a combined arms live-fire exercise while participating in exercise Griffin Shock 23 held at Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 16, 2023. As the framework nation in Poland, Exercise Griffin Shock demonstrates the U.S. Army's ability to assure the NATO alliance by rapidly reinforcing the NATO Battle Group Poland to a brigade-size unit. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Agustin Montanez, U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BEMOWO PISKIE, Poland — U.S. Army Europe and Africa's V Corps and NATO's Multinational Corps Northeast, along with allies and partners, will conduct exercise Griffin Shock May 8–26, 2023, at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, in Northeastern Poland.

Griffin Shock is an exercise designed to demonstrate how the United States as a framework nation can rapidly reinforce the NATO battle group in Poland and expand its size from a battalion to a brigade-sized element as required. Exercising this scenario supports NATO deterrence initiatives and the new NATO Force Model, which allies agreed to during the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Kronos Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, NATO Multinational Division Northeast, engage simulated targets during an exercise Griffin Shock 23 live-fire rehearsal training event in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 15, 2023. As the framework nation in Poland, Exercise Griffin Shock demonstrates the U.S. Army’s ability to assure the NATO alliance by rapidly reinforcing the NATO Battle Group Poland to a brigade size unit.
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Kronos Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, NATO Multinational Division Northeast, engage simulated targets during an exercise Griffin Shock 23 live-fire rehearsal training event in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 15, 2023. As the framework nation in Poland, Exercise Griffin Shock demonstrates the U.S. Army’s ability to assure the NATO alliance by rapidly reinforcing the NATO Battle Group Poland to a brigade size unit. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew A. Foster, U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

"Speed, scale, flexibility and preparing to defend NATO territory is what Exercise Griffin Shock is all about," said U.S. Army Gen. Darryl A. Williams, the commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and NATO's Allied Land Command. "The integration of NATO and national military planning to quickly scale the NATO battlegroup in Poland into a full combat brigade under the command and control of a NATO division headquarters is yet another example of the alliance's new era of collective defense.”

More than 3,000 service members from U.S. and NATO nations will participate in the exercise to enhance interoperability objectives.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, NATO Multinational Division Northeast, move out to their objectives during a combined arms live-fire exercise while participating in exercise Griffin Shock 23 held at Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 16, 2023. As the framework nation in Poland, Exercise Griffin Shock demonstrates the U.S. Army's ability to assure the NATO alliance by rapidly reinforcing the NATO Battle Group Poland to a brigade-size unit.
U.S. Soldiers assigned to Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, NATO Multinational Division Northeast, move out to their objectives during a combined arms live-fire exercise while participating in exercise Griffin Shock 23 held at Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 16, 2023. As the framework nation in Poland, Exercise Griffin Shock demonstrates the U.S. Army's ability to assure the NATO alliance by rapidly reinforcing the NATO Battle Group Poland to a brigade-size unit. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Agustin Montanez, U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

"Exercise Griffin Shock demonstrates our continued commitment to European security and the alliance. Specifically, it enables us to further expand and enhance NATO response in times of crisis in accordance with the declarations from the 2022 Madrid Summit," said V Corps Commanding General Lt. Gen. John S. Kolasheski. "Griffin Shock will validate our ability to quickly scale the NATO battlegroup in Poland into a full combat brigade under the command and control of NATO Multinational Division-Northeast. We are excited to partner with Polish Armed Forces General Command and Multinational Corps-Northeast to demonstrate this capability.”

U.S. participating units include 4th Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division Artillery, 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, 16th Sustainment Brigade, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, and 1-14th Field Artillery Battalion. Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom, will also participate.

A U.S. Soldier assigned to Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, NATO Multinational Division Northeast, engages enemy targets with a 249 light machine gun during a combined arms live-fire exercise while participating in exercise Griffin Shock 23 held at Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 16, 2023. As the framework nation in Poland, Exercise Griffin Shock demonstrates the U.S. Army's ability to assure the NATO alliance by rapidly reinforcing the NATO Battle Group Poland to a brigade-size unit.
A U.S. Soldier assigned to Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, NATO Multinational Division Northeast, engages enemy targets with a 249 light machine gun during a combined arms live-fire exercise while participating in exercise Griffin Shock 23 held at Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 16, 2023. As the framework nation in Poland, Exercise Griffin Shock demonstrates the U.S. Army's ability to assure the NATO alliance by rapidly reinforcing the NATO Battle Group Poland to a brigade-size unit. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Agustin Montanez, U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

“Exercise Griffin Shock involves full range of military capabilities. It provides opportunities to conduct effective, realistic, live training; test and validate current and future capabilities and refine tactics, techniques and procedures,” said Lt. Gen. Jürgen-Joachim Von Sandrart, commanding general, NATO Multinational Corps-Northeast. “Through such exercises, allies demonstrate that we are a highly capable, flexible and interoperable formation that can deter and, where necessary, confront and defend potential aggressors.”

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