Thomas Mort
12th CAB Soldiers get dunked
BREMERHAVEN, Germany — Roughly 30 Soldiers from the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade participate in dunker training (helicopter over-water survival training) from October 18-19, Bremerhaven, Germany.
The training was conducted at the RelyOn Nutec training center and is designed to teach anyone traveling on or over water, how to react before, during, and after a helicopter becomes submerged in water.
12th CAB folds Black Hawks for transport to Norway
CLAY KASERNE, Germany — About 16 Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1-214th General Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, load up two HH-60 MedEvac Black Hawk helicopters onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport aircraft for movement to Norway in support of exercise Swift Response 2022, at Clay Kaserne, Germany on April 28.
Swift Response demonstrates the strategic employment of the Global Response Force and validates the U.S. European Command’s ability to send high readiness forces into a designated area while advancing airborne interoperability among NATO allies.
12th CAB sends Apaches and Black Hawks to Noble Partner 22
VAZIANI, Georgia — Four AH-64D Apache Longbow and two HH-60 Black Hawk medevac helicopters, pilots, and crews from the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade participated in exercise Noble Partner 22, Vaziani and Camp Norio training areas in the country of Georgia, Aug. 29 - Sept. 9, 2022.
“12th CAB is here in Georgia training with our partners, the Georgian military, as well as other NATO allies and partners,” said Col. Patrick Schuck, commander, 12 CAB.”Ultimately, we're building readiness while also getting after interoperability, which is critical to the theater and our military.”
US Army MedEvac team supports Swift Response 22 in Norway
BARDUFOSS, Norway — Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1-214th General Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, will provide MedEvac support to Joint Forcible Entry Norway, during Swift Response 2022, taking place in Norway from from April 29 - May 18.
Joint Forcible Entry Norway is one of the airborne operations being executed during Swift Response 2022. Swift Response demonstrates the strategic employment of the Global Response Force and validates the U.S. European Command’s ability to send high readiness forces into a designated area while advancing airborne interoperability among NATO allies.
Soldiers put down their Arms to raise others up
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — About 140 Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Field Artillery Brigade arrived at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 2, 2021, to help with Operation Allies Refuge.
Through Operation Allies Refuge, the Army is providing temporary housing, medical, and logistical support to the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security for Afghan special immigrants and their families.
Cybersecurity pros converge for 2021 summit
WIESBADEN, Germany — Almost 200 cybersecurity professionals, foreign military leaders, and industry partners from the European theater converged for the 2021 U.S. Army Europe and Africa cybersecurity summit held in Wiesbaden, Germany from August 10-12, 2021. Topics and discussions ranged from covering innovations and challenges to securing cyber terrain objectives.
“Cybersecurity experts from multiple U.S. Army and commercial organizations along with partner nations have all come together for three days of discussion on how to get a better understanding of what's going on and how to get at the different problem sets that cybersecurity presents,” said Holvin Galindo, Cybersecurity Division Chief, U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
773rd administers mobile COVID testing during Defender-Europe 21
KUCOVE, Albania — A five-member laboratory covid testing team assigned to 773rd Civil Support Team, 7th Mission Support Command, administer COVID 19 testing for unit movement throughout Albania, from April 1 through June 5, 2021.
“We were the first ones to arrive and have been out here testing all of the units coming to Albania,” said Maj. Brooke Spridgen, Lab Officer, assigned to 773rd Civil Support Team, 7th Mission Support Command. “We also tested a large unit, the 7th TBX (a transportation brigade out of Fort Eustis, Virginia) of approximately 600,” added Spridgen.
POTFF team brings quality care before, during, and after COVID-19
The name of the game for SOCEURs Preservation of Force and Family (POTFF) program is accessibility and continuity of care. The program aims to build and implement a holistic approach to address the strain of the high pace environment and mission on the special operations force.
The availability and capability to take care of our forces are critical and a top priority. For the SOCEUR POTFF team, this is seen in the timeliness, quality, and specialty of care. One of the advantages of having an internal team so close to help service members is the immediacy to meet with patients.
Stuttgart Nurse takes COVID-19 in stride
STUTTGART, Germany — International Nurses Day, May 12, has been a recognized event since 1954, with the week typically coinciding with Florence Nightingale’s birthday on May 12, 1820. Here at U.S. Special Operations Command Europe, our medical staff has one nurse, Alicia Murphy, who has stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Murphy, who was born and raised in Texas, said she has always wanted to be a nurse.
“My mom, grandma, aunts, and cousins are all nurses - it runs in the family,” Murphy reveals.
Murphy attended the University of Miami and has been a nurse for almost 10 years. Prior to becoming a nurse, she was a stay at home mom and a U.S. Marine Corps spouse for over 20 years. Her family has lived in Okinawa, Hawaii, Florida, North Carolina, and now Germany.
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The Devil Brigade proves fit to fight, right now
ZAGAN, Poland — At 3 a.m. on Monday morning, Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, took part in an Initial Ready Task Force (IRTF) exercise, at Johanna Range, Poland, May 20, 2019.
“This morning we received an alert to prepare us for deployment operations,” said 1st Sgt. Andrew Macvey, Delta Troop, 1st Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt., 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div. “We quickly gained accountability of our personnel, which was relatively simple because we happen to be in a field exercise. We immediately transitioned from miles equipment and field training status to be prepared to deploy.”
Combined Resolve XII: Friend or Foe
HOHENFELS, Germany — Ever since our nation’s earliest military endeavors, the outcome of some of history’s most important battles have been determined by our ability to effectively communicate and determine friend or foe on the battlefield. For the past week some 5,000 service members from 21 nations have been tasked with this challenge during Combined Resolve XII, a semiannual multinational exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany from Aug. 15-27, 2019.
Assets from armored vehicles to light infantrymen are represented from NATO allies and partner nations as well as the opposing forces (OPFOR) during CBR XII. Making things more interesting, is the fact that soldiers and armored vehicles from nations such as Ukraine, are represented on both sides respectively.
Chaos Soldiers shake the ground with howitzers
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — "Quadrant four six seven point nine, breech load," chanted howitzer cannon crew members from Chaos Battery, 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade. "Fire! Breech open. Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, hurry up fellas. Last round, last round, last round!"
"Fast" and "Precise" are the best ways to describe Chaos Soldiers as they worked as a team to let loose massive ground pounding M777 howitzer rounds from four cannons, during a live-fire exercise as part of Saber Junction 19 (SJ19), at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany on Sept. 11, 2019.
Big Red One Soldiers seize air assault objective
BORDUSANI, Romania — A platoon of three squads from the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, conducted an air assault mission as part of the wet gap crossing during Saber Guardian 2019, on June 20, 2019.
“While the wet gap crossing is being conducted with the Romanians and our tanks and bradley’s, we are conducting an air assault in conjunction with artillery fire, so that we can seize a support by fire position and allow the rest of the battalion to conduct a breach and continue the attack,” said Lt. Andrew Papathanasiou, a platoon leader with 1st Bn., 16th Inf. Reg.
Mechanics keep Diehard engineers moving forward
CAMP KARLIKI, Poland — Soldiers from Echo Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, perform crucial maintenance on a unit humvee, May 9, 2019 in Camp Karliki, Poland.
“Today we’re finishing up an engine swap that we did on a humvee,” said Spc. Mitchell Whiteside, a wheeled vehicle mechanic from Echo Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. “We’re reconnecting everything and getting setup so we can get ready to start it. Usually it’s about a two day job, we disconnect the old one, use the crane to lift it out and then put the new one in.”
L1-4 CAV Bradleys prepare for multinational exercise
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Soldiers with the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, participate in a live-fire exercise as part of exercise Combined Resolve XII, at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, August 8, 2019.
“Today we participated in a platoon live-fire exercise as part of a troop squadron and brigade [level] live-fire exercise in preparation for Combined Resolve in Hohenfels, Germany.” said Lt. Mark Lister, white platoon leader with 1-4 Cav., 1st ABCT, 1st ID. “We demonstrated our ability to conduct live-fire operations before we go into the box and conduct force on force operations.”
Liberty Soldiers hone their skills during MASCAL Exercise
ZAGAN, Poland, — Four Soldiers from 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, scurry toward a medical triage area carrying a litter, indicating the start of an internal battalion level Mass Casualty exercise (MASCAL) at Skwierzyna, Poland, May 15, 2019.
Soldiers throughout the battalion participated in the MASCAL training exercise in order to hone their skills and ensure they are prepared for future missions and exercises.
Diehard Engineers have a blast building confidence with explosives
ZAGAN, Poland — Combat Engineers from, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, conduct live-fire explosives training at Joanna range, here, Mar. 6, 2019.
"Today we're conducting confidence blasts as well as familiziaration with C-4," Staff Sgt. Jaime Ratledge, Operations Sergeant for Bravo Company, 1st Eng. Bn., 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div. "We want to make sure that our Soldiers are confident with demolition."
Devil brigade strives for perfection
When your team is No. 1, it’s a constant challenge to stay at the top. As a member of one of the top career counseling and retention teams in the Army, connecting with 40 soldiers every week is the ultimate goal. In order to be effective at retaining top quality personnel, it’s important to talk to as many soldiers as possible.
“I want to set a goal for my team that we’re always striving to hit,” said Master Sgt. Shantel Moneke Johnson, senior career counselor for 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. “This means you have to lay hands on a lot more people because you can’t touch five and be guaranteed to get five (reenlistments), so you might need to touch 25!”