HOHENFELS, Germany – Soldiers train alongside NATO allies and partners by creating blocking and ditching diversions at Saber Junction in Hohenfels, Germany from Sept. 1-15, 2024.
West Virginia National Guardsmen conducted oppositional force operations to challenge United States forces, NATO allies and partners by creating obstacles to thwart advancement and to strengthen reactions as a ready force.
“We are here at Saber Junction in the role of the opposing force,” said Sgt. 1st Class Seth Light, a platoon sergeant with the 821st Engineer Construction Company, 111th Engineer Brigade, West Virginia Army National Guard. “We are doing destruction of the area to divert air assaults.”
The engineers, most known for constructing buildings and bridges are also trained in improving mobility around the battlefield and creating obstacles to halt enemy advancement. Their role in the exercise included blocking diversions, ditching diversions and digging trenches.
“Most people think of us as the engineers that build things,” said Light. “While most of the time we are also a big force in slowing forces advances.”
The Guardsmen repurposed many of the tools that they use, such as repurposing their bulldozers from leveling the ground for construction, to destruction.
“We use our equipment to tear up the ground, to create a rough terrain so that the enemy doesn’t have the possibility of landing or jumping in,” said Light.
Saber Junction presented the Guardsmen with the opportunity to train on equipment in an unconventional terrain environment not available back home.
“We were able to familiarize them [our Guardsmen] with nighttime operations and driving,” said 2nd Lt. Zachary Chaffin, a platoon leader with the 821st Engineer Construction Company, 111th Engineer Brigade, West Virginia Army National Guard. “This exercise has helped our Guardsmen with being familiar with how to properly utilize their equipment when needed.”
Guardsmen were able to build confidence in the skills for their job while boosting unit morale.
“I think it was a really great learning environment,” said Chaffin. “It's not often that we get to exercise equipment in a tactical manner. This is really eye opening for how to operate in a large scale military environment in the field.”
Saber Junction 24 is a multinational airborne exercise led by the U.S. Army in Europe, showcasing the abilities of 173rd Airborne Brigade to swiftly deploy across Europe alongside our allies and partners, underscoring the commitment to readiness, interoperability and collective defense to maintain regional stability and security.
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