Dust in the training range, another day wearing out with the heat of July, a bulletproof jacket weighing down your shoulders with its 20 kg, your helmet suddenly heavier and rivers of sweat running down your face and body ... That is what the second week of joint training in Klaipėda is like for soldiers of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion and the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade's 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment.
The first week of training featured a joint airborne landing operation with one of the world's leading type of helicopters, Black Hawks, while this week were drilling grenade, live fire and urban warfare tactics. The exercise was conducted in dummy buildings imitating urban area where particularly good mutual understanding and close coordination are vital for the success of tactical actions.
The soldiers taking part in the exercise assert they are happy about a great opportunity to share experience and to put NATO weaponry to the touch. He training is led in exchange by Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers, while today the Fire and Rescue Service was also involved in supporting role. Fire fighters-rescuers were sharing their experience of getting into building in extreme conditions while soldiers were training skills of urban warfare in poor visibility conditions: in the dark and smoke-filled quarters.
"U.S. military are more experienced in urban warfare, while we are teaching them some "raw" tactics. This is an exceptional and interesting exercise with our U.S. colleagues," dragoon Private Dovydas Stonys shared his impressions.
The training soldiers say that the constantly changing weather conditions has made the two-week training more varied and also will and endurance-building.
***
The U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade's 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment joined the training in Klaipėda in the end of June. The three-week exercise encompasses tasks of various types.
Information by the Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion
Photo credits: PVC Rasa Tautavičiūtė and Ssg. Scott Griffin
