US Army and nine other nations kick off Combined Resolve exercise in Bavaria

[Boats]

US Army and nine other nations kick off Combined Resolve exercise in Bavaria
By: Immanuel Johnson - Stars & Stripes News - 02-01-21
Re: https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/...varia-1.660616

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Some 4,700 troops from nine allied and partner nations were scheduled to arrive at the U.S. Army’s largest training area in Europe Monday for an exercise seeking to test the readiness of U.S. troops to fight potential Russian aggression.

Forces from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Slovenia will be in Germany for the Combined Resolve XV exercise.

They’ll train with soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas, which last year began a nine-month rotation in Germany, the 7th Army Training Center told Stars and Stripes by email.

The multinational troops were set to go into quarantine upon arriving in Bavaria, the email said.

With the exercise taking place for the second time in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, troops from all countries involved are subject to strict efforts to prevent illness, including restriction of movement and regular testing, the 7th ATC said in a separate statement.

The exercise, which runs until March 5, is part of Atlantic Resolve, an effort launched by the U.S. in 2014 after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and invaded eastern Ukraine.

It is designed to help the U.S. and its partners and allies to build “critical war fighting skills that will enable the team to fight and win,” said Col. Monte’ Rone, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, in a statement.

It will take place at Grafenwoehr and at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, home to the only Army combat training center outside the continental U.S., the 7th ATC said.

Live-fire exercises are expected to take place next week.

U.S. Army Europe and Africa leads Atlantic Resolve’s land efforts, which include rotating U.S.-based units.

Other U.S. units set to take part include the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, which is the current Atlantic Resolve aviation rotation, and units permanently stationed in Germany. They include U.S. Special Operations Command Europe forces and several units under the Kaiserslautern-based 21st Theater Sustainment Command, the 7th Army Training Center said in a statement.