Home > Media Library > Articles > October, 2012 > Saber Junction tests U.S., partners’ interoperability

Saber Junction tests U.S., partners’ interoperability

1 2

Members of the German and International media visit 2 CR HQ Troop, Reg. RHHT, Monday, 15 October, 2012, to video, photograph and interview U.S. and multinational Soldiers during USAREUR's Saber Junction 2012 exercise. The 2 CR Soldiers were in the process of moving their headquarters south towards Hohenfels and were setting up communications outside the Bavarian town of Kleinoberpfalz. HQ Troop, 2 CR, based in Vilseck, Germany, is commanded by Col. Keith Barclay. Saber Junction 2012, USAREUR's premier training event, is a large-scale, joint, multinational exercise involving thousands of personnel from 19 different nations and hundreds of military aircraft and vehicles.It is the largest exercise of its kind that U.S. Army Europe has conducted in more than 20 years.

U.S. Army Europe Soldiers, assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment, study a map and prepare to convoy though the Maneuver Rights Area near Amberg, Germany, enroute to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center’s Hohenfels Training Area, Oct. 16. The U.S. Army Europe's exercise Saber Junction 2012 trains U.S. personnel and 1800 multinational partners from 18 nations ensuring interoperability and an agile, ready coalition force.

October 16, 2012
Denver Beaulieu-Hains, JMTC Public Affairs

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany—Approximately 1,800 forces from 18 European nations train for the post-Afghanistan fight using the U.S. Army’s most-current doctrine for unified land operations. At the Grafenwoehr Training Area, also called GTA, and Hohenfels Training Area, or HTA, and more than 1,300 square miles in-between installation facilities 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, also known as 2CR, engages a complex enemy. 

The exercise, dubbed Saber Junction, showcases Europe’s unique Decisive Action Training Environment rotation, also known as DATE, U.S. Army Europe’s Joint Multinational Training Command facilitates this realistic training environment for the 2CR using host-nation agreements, enacting the larger maneuver space to facilitate tactics, techniques and procedures for counter-insurgency, wide-area security and combined-arms maneuvers from mid-to- high intensity conflict.

Off-installation maneuvers are conducted often in neighboring towns between JMTC’s two training areas. Saber Junction is the largest exercise using these areas in conjunction with the GTA and HTA, since 1989. The scope of the operations, number of participants, and the variety of European and NATO participants make the training experience unique.

“When you train at other combat training areas stateside, host-nation security forces are often replicated; however, when you train at JMTC’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center, or the Grafenwoehr Training Area, units are training with multinational forces, which allows soldiers to experience the challenges associated with language and culture, in addition to varying terrain features, which are easily available locally,” said Col. Curtis J. Carson, JMTC’s chief of staff. “Training in Europe allows U.S. and partnered nations to build interoperability of networks and systems, in addition to developing cultural understanding and camaraderie and respect.”

The unique training environment exposes 2CR to real-life challenges of civilian traffic, civilian authorities  and civilians on the battlefield, in addition to the real-world experience of working as a coalition.

“Each participant brings military knowledge and tactical skills, which serves to enhance the capabilities of the others,” said Matthew W. Todd, JMRC exercise planner. “Every exercise builds upon lessons-learned from the previous exercises, allowing training to be modified to enhance the capabilities of the units.”

Learn more about the U.S. Army’s overseas training command, JMTC, at http://www.eur.army.mil/jmtc/. See http://www.eur.army.mil/SaberJunction/default.htm for facts and photos about Saber Junction 2012.

Find more articles tagged with:

Comments: 0

Your comment:

Related Topics

USAREUR trains, equips, deploys and provides command and control of forward-deployed land forces, able to support and conduct the full spectrum of joint and combined multi-national operations and engagement activities.
Learn More >

U.S. Army, Europe

Germany continues to emphasize close ties with the United States. U.S.-German relations have been a focal point of American involvement in Europe since the end of World War II. Germany stands at the center of European affairs and is a key partner in U.S. relations with Europeans in NATO and the European Union.
Learn More >

Germany

EUCOM’s value as we move forward in today’s ever-changing world lies in its ability to maintain strong partners while proactively seeking to uncover new partnering opportunities with other countries, U.S. government entities, academics and NGOs to promote a peaceful, stable region.
Learn More >

International Cooperation

U.S. European Command’s mission is to maintain Ready Forces to conduct a full range of operations.
Learn More >

Ready Forces

The Military-to-Military Engagement Program (mil-to-mil or M2M) is spearheaded at EUCOM by the J5 though multiple directorates, staff sections, National Guard units, and the component commands have a role carrying out the mission.
Learn More >

Military-to-Military Engagement Program

Related Articles