253rd SAPPERs participate in Exercise Saber Junction 14
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1660″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500494482139{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]By Unit Public Affairs Representative[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500493704643{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”]The Maryland National Guard’s 253rd Engineer Company (SAPPER) participated in Exercise Saber Junction 14 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany from Aug. 24 – Sept. 14, 2014. Saber Junction 14 is a U.S. Army Europe led, U.S. European Command directed, multinational, multiservice exercise that involves more than 5,800 personnel from 17 countries in several locations in Europe.
Each year the exercise provides joint and combined multinational training on a large scale, with thousands of U.S. and partner nation forces and hundreds of aircraft spread across Europe synchronized in a single security cooperation effort.
Engineers from the 253rd trained with and supported elements of the Romanian 2nd Infantry Battalion “Calugareni” and the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment with a focus on mobility and counter-mobility support in urban and open environments.
“It was great to see how other countries operated in a tactical environment,” said Staff Sgt. Brandon Kennedy, the 253rd training noncommissioned officer. “The opportunity to train with active duty Soldiers from the 1-4 Infantry was highly beneficial, especially at the NCO level.”
Because of the partnerships with countries across the globe, National Guard members have opportunities to participate in overseas deployments for training. Soldiers demonstrated their capability and operate in a multinational environment with active duty and other National Guard Soldiers and soldier from partner nations.
It’s not all work and no fun. The 253rd experienced German culture of during their cultural immersion day. They unit visited Regensburg to learn about the culture and experience local traditions.
“The operation as a whole was a valuable training event. It allowed our Soldiers to interact with foreign soldiers while becoming proficient in their individual and squad level tactics,” said Capt. Gregg Zavadsky, the 253rd commander.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]