U.S. Army Reserve civil affairs and German agencies build relationship through disaster relief training

Sgt. John Rene (middle), soldier with Charlie Company, 457th Civil Affairs Battalion, coordinates a search and rescue operation with a Bundeswehr soldier from the Sanitätsstaffel Einsatz unit in Cologne, Germany and Bundesanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk, a civilian protection organization, during training exercise Cobra Strike 17, Wackernheim, Germany, Sept. 16, 2017. This local multi-partnered exercise tests civil affairs solders’ assessment skills in a fictitious post-earthquake disaster scenario and coordination with local emergency services (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Capt. Jeku Arce, 221st Public Affairs Detachment).