US Army, NATO. Soldiers from 2CR during field and urban training in Germany

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2nd Dragoons) is an active Stryker Infantry and Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army,with its garrison at Rose Barracks,Vilseck,Germany.Its Stryker Armored Combat Vehicle family is manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada.*General Dynamics (GD)

US Army, NATO. American soldiers and armored vehicles during combat exercises in Slovakia

Brave Partner:Joint US/North Macedonia SNAP Drills Underway

Some 180 Soldiers from U.S. Army V Corps' 2nd Cavalry Regiment will host joint country Forces for Exercise Brave Partner in North Macedonia.The drills run from 1-10 December 2023 at the Krivolak Training Area,Republic of North Macedonia,a NATO Ally.Said 2nd Cav Regiment commander Col. Robert McChrystal:Short notice exercises like Brave Partner are a way to train in new environments and enhance interoperability.*About 30 Soldiers from the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia will support the drills,which are to feature a live-fire range with versatile Stryker Infantry Fighting Vehicles.The exercise enhances regional partnerships and increases combat readiness in a realistic,multi-national training environment,said U.S. Army Europe - Africa in a news release.*Short notice planning events like Brave Partner help ensure our Forces and NATO Allies are ready to respond to real-world contingincies with little or no advance notice.On 7 December,U.S. Ambassador to North Macedonia Angela Aggelar will attend Brave Partner with North Macedonia's Minister of Defence Slavjanka Petrovska.Ambassador Aggelar noted that:The training exercise between North Macedonia's 1st Brigade and the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Stryker Regiment demonstrates interoperability and the invaluable cooperation between our countries' militaries.Once again,we see the crucial importance of joint exercises with our valued NATO Ally,and the benefits they bring to regional stability.*On 1 December 2023,Army of the Republic of North Macedonia Brig. Gen. Sashko Lafchiski,1st Infantry Brigade commander,met with U.S. Soldiers from 2nd Squadron,2nd Cavalry Regiment at Skopje International Airport.The U.S. troops had just arrived for Brave Partner,the Short Notice Action Planning (SNAP) exercise.Brave Partner is designed to demonstrate USAEUR-AF's operational reach;validate U.S. investments in North Macedonia;and increase readiness.The 2nd Cav brought their Stryker eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles with them.They were derived from the Canadian Light Armoured Vehicle III by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada,and are manufactured for the U.S. Army by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and General Dynamics Land Systems Division,U.S.Strykers can drive up to 60 mph/96.5 kmh and have a range of 330 mi/531 km,and have a central tire inflation system.They are a family of 10 different variants with a common chassis.With robust armour protection,they carry a squad of nine Infantry Soldiers and two crew mmbers.*The basic Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) has a basic soft mount cradle which can mount with a .50 calibre M2 machine gun;MK 19 40 mm grenade launcher;or MK 240 7.6 mm machine gun.It is also armed with four M6 smoke grenade launchers.The Stryker is produced for Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT).*The turret for the Stryker's Mobile Gun System (MGS) is armed with an M68A1E4 105 mm cannon and an M2 O.5 calibre machine gun.The ICV's are equipped with periscopes for protected viewing and digital communications systems.* General Dynamics (GD)

Testing 2nd Cav:7th Army Training Command's Saber Junction 23

Saber Junction 23 is a 7th Army Training Command-conducted,U.S. Army Europe and Africa-directed annual drill designed to assess the readiness of US Army units to execute unified land operations in a joint,combined environment,and to provide interoperability with participating Allied and Partner nations.This year's iteration of SJ23 runs from 28 August to 23 September 2023.It aims to prepare a US Army Brigade Combat Team for NATO's collective deterrence and defence initiatives.2nd Cavalry Regiment out of Rose Barracks,Germany is leading SJ23.*Over 4,000 Soldiers from NATO Allies and Partners are participating,including:Albania,Armenia,Belgium,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,France,Georgia,Italy,Lithuania,North Macedonia,Poland,the UK and the US.*75 Polish troops from the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division out of Zagan,Poland are serving as the command element of 2CR.*More than 3,000 US troops from 2CR,3rd Combat Aviation Brigade and 18th Combat Sustainment and Support Battalion are the training audience of the approximately 900 Soldiers from other countries.250 French troops of the 96th Infantry Regiment out of Clermont-Ferrand,France will serve as part of 2CR.*The drills are being held at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels,Germany.2CR will have its capabilities and readiness to deter aggression and operate in a multidomain battlespace tested.Said Major John Ambelang,JMRC spokesperson:SJ23 is a great opportunity to get units sets and repetitions on situations they may be faced with in reality.We do everything we can to put them in that mindset from day one.*2CR arrived on 7 September to commence the force-on-force drills,solving complex problems with Allies and Partners.

US Army, NATO. Tanks at combined arms exercises with live firing in Poland.

U.S. Army, NATO. Soldier Expert At Forward Operating Site In Poland. - Expert Infantry/Expert Soldier Badge

Qualifying for these badges sharpens skills and increases readiness.

U.S. Army. NATO. Multinational Division "Northeast" on Exercises in Poland.

Message to Russia:US,UK Bulking Up NATO'S Eastern Flank

In a matter of days,US and British forces will be reinforcing key NATO Allies in the Baltic and Black Sea Regions.On 2 February 2022,the Pentagon announced that,as ordered by US President Joseph R. Biden,3,000 US troops would be heading mostly to Poland and Romania;while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicated earlier that the UK would be bolstering its troop presence in Estonia by about 900,on top of the 900 Soldiers already there leading a NATO enhancedForward Presence Battle Group.As well,the UK intends to send warships and fighter jets to the Eastern Flank. The US Air Force has already augmented NATO's Air Policing Mission in Estonia with six F-15 Eagle fighters from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,North Carolina's 336th Fighter Squadron,and the Harry S.Truman Carrier Strike Group has been leading Exercise Neptune Strike 22 in the Mediterranean Sea. The new US deployment will be separate from the 8500 troops in the US recently placed on high alert for call-up by the NATO Response Force.Two thousand of the newly designated troops will be sent from the US to Poland and Romania,US Army paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division and 18th Airborne Corps.A small headquarters unit will reportedly be sent to Germany.In addition,a 1,000 member US Army 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker Brigade Combat Team already in Germany will be deployed to Romania.These deployments have been under discussion with the NATO Allies concerned for some time. A Stryker BCT is a mechanised infantry brigade centered around the Stryker eight-wheeled variant of the General Dynamics LAV III,which is a light armoured vehicle.* Spain has detailed a minesweeper and frigate to augment NATO'S Standing Maritime Group 2;while France is sending Soldiers to Romania as well.* The rationale of the US and British deployments were articulated by UK officials in recent days.On 1 February 2022,British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke at a news conference in Kyiv,Ukraine alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: we will always stand up for freedom and democracy and Ukrainian sovereignty in the face of aggression.Somebody said we are exaggerating the threat-were the UK and the US trying to big this up? I've just got to say that is not the intelligence we're seeing.This is a clear and present danger and we see large numbers of troops massing;we see preparations for all kinds of operations that are consistent with an imminent military campaign...it is about the whole European security architecture,because be in no doubt about what I think President Putin is trying to achieve here.I think he is trying,by holding a gun,as it were,to the head of Ukraine,to get us to change the way we look at somerthing that was absolutely fantastic.And it wouldn't just be Ukraine that was drawn back into the Russian sphere of influence;you've got to think about Georgia;you've got to think about Moldova,other countries.I've just got to repeat what I said:our view is that time is urgent and this is something that needs to be addressed now.* The UK Chief of Defence Staff,Royal Navy Admiral Sir Tony Radakin,told a Cabinet meeting on 1 February that: a significant proportion of Russia's land combat power was now gathered on the Western border,coupled with deterrence operations such as military exercises on a scale never seen before.* Prime Minister Johnson informed the Cabinet that this: fitted into a pattern of coercion and intimidation that sought to undermine the values and principles of the West.*

Bull Run 12:NATO Land Forces Drill on Eastern Flank

NATO'S enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Poland went on alert to deal with a simulated crisis in Exercise Bull Run 12 from 19-23 June 2020. Soldiers from the five Battle Group Poland nations participated:
Croatia, Poland, Romania, the UK and the US.The warfighting drills took place on the Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland.The aim was to test the readiness and interoperability of the Battle Group and the Polish 15th Mechanised Infantry Brigade.*
Representing the US was the 3rd Squadron,2nd Cavalry Regiment.Iron Troop was the ready troop and had 12 hours to move through the Alert Marshall Deploy Sequence and occupy their battle positions in the Sowaki Gap.*
The main parts of the exercise were a wet gap crossing and a combined arms drill.The water obstacle was defeated on BL6-67 bridges under cover of F-16 fighter aircraft and W-3 Sokol helicopters.The CAD was rehearsed with a terrain model on the ground.
The US troops deployed their Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles.*
Croatia won the military competition held before the exercise.*

US Army Europe:NATO Forward​ Battle Group Trained and Tested

Despite wrangling with the COVID-19 threat, troops of NATO'S enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group-Poland were trained and tested for the US Army Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB),and the first ever awarding of the US Army Europe Expert Soldier Badge (ESB),from 23 March to 3  April 2020 at Bemowo Piskie, Poland.A full range of COVID-19 protocols were implemented to protect the Soldiers, including routine medical screening; closing off high traffic areas; emplacement of hand-washing stations;and social distancing.Consequently, the mission was completed with all in good health.*
The event taught and refined the basic skills Infantrymen and Soldiers learn at the lowest level.Said SGT Josue Arceo,infantry team leader with Iron Troop,3rd Squadron,2nd Cavalry Regiment:
Some Soldiers may take the skills we teach for granted, but when it comes time to use it, being an expert at the fundamentals will benefit these Soldiers and their teammates.*
Besides the 2nd Cav, Soldiers from the 5th Croatian Contingent; British Army Royal Scots Dragoon Guards; and Romanian Army 2nd Mountain Troop Brigade participated in the programme.Skills tested included a 12-mile ruck march; filling out a tactical combat casualty card; treating a simulated casualty;land navigation; operating an M4 carbine; and operating an M320 grenade launcher.*
Officers are expected to qualify for the EIB in order to be an effective leader of their military men and women.The programme builds expertise;improves cohesion across the multinational Battle Group; and instills confidence that the Alliance is prepared to work together to accomplish any mission,NATO said.It motivated BG-P to continue to enhance their readiness while simultaneously protecting their health through COVID-19 mitigation measures.*
What was it like? PVT Sara Grubic,a satellite communicator of the 5th Croatian Contingent, taking pride in her qualifying for the USAEUR ESB, noted that:
We received a lot of information in a very short period of time, and we spent entire days in all weather conditions.*
The eFP initiative deploys 4 battalion-sized Battle Groups to Estonia,Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.They demonstrate the Alliance's determination and ability to act as one in response to any aggression against the members,NATO explains.*
In total,29 Soldiers earned the EIB and 14 the ESB.Two Croatians and one British Soldier were among those awarded the ESB.*

Noble Partner 17:Bringing Georgia up to NATO-level Warfighting

NATO Exercise Noble Partner 2017 began on 30 July at Vaziani Military Base,Georgia.The main purpose of the exercise is to prepare the Georgian second light infantry company for certification as a member of the NATO Response Force.Not only NATO members,but NATO partners such as Georgia are also eligible to contribute to this multinational force kept at a high state of readiness.The NRF has land,air,maritime and Special Operations Forces components.*
According to US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly:
The United States supports the sovereignty and integrity of its partners.Those gathered here seeking to build readiness and interoperability in the face of aggression are critical to that end.*
Participating in NP17,which runs from 30 July to 12 August,are a total of 2800 personnel from Armenia;Georgia;Germany;Great Britain;Slovenia;Turkey;Ukraine;and the US.The US has sent a contingent of more than 2,000 troops,about a quarter of them from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment out of Vilseck,Germany,US Army Europe said.The Regiment has recently traveled some 2,000 kilometers in support of exercises throughout Eastern Europe.*
The tactical focus of NP17 is defensive operations.One of the participating forces will occupy semi-prepared positions and defend them against an attacking force with live-fire ammunition.The scenarios provide an opportunity to engage multiple systems and arrange multiple assets to achieve an objective.The mixed forces will operate as a single unit to reach their goal.Participating forces will take part in combined situational field training,as well as both combat and cargo air drop missions.Leaders at all levels will exercise staffs in mission planning;command and control;movement and manoeuvre;and the execution of complex joint and combined operations,USAEUR explained.*
Among the key elements of NP 17 are a tactical road march by US and Slovenian forces;two airborne operations by the US Army's 173rd Brigade Combat Team;and a joint live-fire exercise with the 1st Battalion,66th Armor Regiment,3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team,4th Infantry Division and Georgia's 4th Mechanized Brigade.

Troops of US Army's 2nd Cav Face Culture Shock:no fast food;this is almost war

Facing an increasingly belligerent Russia and separated from their families in Vilseck,Germany,the Soldiers of US Army Europe's 2nd Cavalry Regiment will face another form of privation when they deploy to Poland shortly:no Burger King or Pizza Hut for the six months of their mission.They are not to expect such fast food amenities as many Soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq had at their Forward Operating Bases.Instead,warned Lieutenant General Ben Hodges,commander,USAREUR,expect potatoes three times a day for the next six months:
We are not going to have an American ghetto inside a Polish garrison,LTGEN Hodges said.That defeats the whole purpose of being with our Allies.*
Besides fraying Alliance unity and unit cohesion between frontline combatant and rear echelon US support troops,it is just not conducive to warfighting to provide US Soldiers such luxuries,USAEUR feels.They will have access to WiFi in order to facilitate communication with their families and continuing Army education.Yet there is a security concern surrounding that very amenity,as Russian hackers are expected to eavesdrop on even low level NATO cyber traffic.USAREUR feels we are in a contested environment along NATO's Eastern Flank,so everyone must maintain their best vigilance.*
The 2nd Cav Soldiers will deploy in early April along with British,Romanian,Croatian and Polish forces to augment NATO's deterrent and defensive posture in Poland and the Baltic States.They will march across the Czech Republic and Western Poland to reach their new Eastern Flank post.

2nd Cavalry Regiment Seeks Cannon Upgrade as Europe Heats Up

A US Army Europe unit,the 2nd Cavalry Regiment,which was deployed to the Baltic States when Russia invaded Crimea,has requested new,more powerful cannons for 81 of its Stryker infantry fighting vehicles.The Regiment wants 30 mm cannons to replace their current 12.7 mm armament-more than doubling their combat power.The US Army approved the request last Wednesday and the House Armed Services Committee is setting money aside for the upgrade as well,the Breaking Defense website learned from a memo.
The Regiment is concerned about countering the Russian BMP-3 amphibious infantry combat vehicle,which also has a 30 mm autocannon 2A72;a 100 mm gun/launcher that can fire anti-tank guided missiles;plus 3 7.62 mm PKT machine guns.*
Last Thursday,NATO accused Russia of mounting a buildup on the border with Ukraine that could facilitate a Blitzkrieg attack by Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine.More than 1,000 pieces of Russian military equipment,including tanks,artillery and air defence units have been massed on the border over the past month,NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg complained.What is more,Russia is stepping up the shipment of supplies to the separatist forces and providing advanced training and drones to them.The US State Department added that Russia has deployed air defence systems in Eastern Ukraine and that joint Russian-separatist forces are maintaining artillery and rocket launchers in violation of the current ceasefire arrangements.*
Russia is angered by US paratroopers from the 173d Airborne Brigade being on a six-month deployment to Western Ukraine for a training mission with six Ukrainian National Guard units,charging that they are in fact in Eastern Ukraine.*
The US currently has no permanently based tank forces in Europe,so the forward-deployed Stryker would have an even more critical role in the event of a crisis.General Dynamics manufactures the Stryker line of IFVs.*
General Dynamics (GD)

Sea Breeze,Steadfast Javelin II Exercises Prove NATO's Commitment

NATO is currently conducting the Sea Breeze 2014 naval exercise in the Northwest region of the Black Sea.It runs from 8-10 September.Three warships from the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two are participating,namely,the frigates HMCS Toronto from Canada;Spain's ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon;and Romania's ROS Regale Ferdinand.SNMG2 is one of four SNMGs.
On Monday,two Russian Su-24 Fencer fighter jets and a surveillance plane buzzed HMCS Toronto.The move was unnecessarily provocative,Canadian Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said.Russia dismissed the complaint,saying their aircraft were strictly in line with international law.*
The guided-missile destroyer USS Ross(DDG-71) hosted the opening ceremony on Monday.The Ross will actively participate in the entire spectrum of surface,air and sub-surface evolutions during this exercise,said Ross commanding officer Commander Tadd Gorman.These events will challenge the crew of Ross in their capabilities and level of knowledge.Anytime you exercise with other countries,and deal with language barriers,you're going to be challenged.That's the point of this exercise,overcoming these challenges and working together to become a team,CDR Gorman pointed out.
The Ross is forward deployed to Rota,Spain.*
Even as Sea Breeze was starting,Steadfast Javelin II was winding up.These seven-day exercises were underway across Latvia,Estonia,Lithuania,Germany and Poland,conducted by nine countries.About 2,000 troops participated,including the US Army's 173d Airborne Brigade and 2nd Cavalry Regiment with their Stryker armoured personnel carriers.They disembarked from C-17 and C-130 aircraft at Lielvarde Air Base,Latvia.
Steadfast Javelin II showed NATO's commitment to Baltic member states in the face of an assertive Russia.It simulated the deployment of NATO troops and equipment to another country during a crisis.*
At the NATO Wales Summit held last week,the alliance established a spearhead force of 4-5,000 troops capable of deploying across the alliance within 48 hours.The force builds upon intelligence,agility and precision-as opposed to weight of military force.It is an agile,precise,intelligence-led rapidly deployable force,NATO said.It reflects the alliance shifting its emphasis from the Afghan War to defending member nations in a direct way.