FORT SILL, Okla. – Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment returned from Europe Wednesday, May 29 to Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport after completing their mission to support Exercise Immediate Response.
Exercise Immediate Response was part of NATO’s joint Defender Europe 24 series of exercises, which brought together more than 17,000 U.S. and 23,000 multinational service members from over 20 NATO allied and partner nations to conduct a series of joint training operations.
“1-14 FAR’s participation in the Defender Europe 24 series of exercises provided an excellent opportunity for the battalion to increase organizational readiness, display our ability to project combat power, as well as strengthen relationships between Active Duty, National Guard, and Polish forces,” said Lt. Col. Anthony Allen, the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment commander. “We look forward to participation in Defender Europe 25 with increased focus on interoperability for combined operations with a Polish airborne brigade.”
The 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment was attached to the 29th Infantry Division during the exercise to provide long-range precision field artillery support as U.S., U.K. and Polish forces conducted a joint wet-gap crossing, said Capt. Dylan Karnedy, commander of Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment.
A wet-gap crossing is the deliberate crossing of a river by a unit and is typically one of the most difficult missions to execute, requiring significant collaboration and cooperation with several military units.
“While these training events always uncover some points of friction, this event taught the 29th Infantry Division how to employ High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, built interoperability through joint Military Decision Making Processes with Polish forces, built procedural interoperability through the integration of Polish Joint Fires Observers into the live fire, and boosted Bravo Battery’s deployment and training readiness,” said Karnedy. “We are so grateful to our U.S. and Polish hosts for the opportunity to deploy and train alongside partners.”
The returning Soldiers were transported from Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport to the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment barracks, where their Families eagerly awaited their return.
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