An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Soldiers Undergo Tough Training at Saber Junction 17 Exercise

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

As a relentless opposing force counters each maneuver, and exercise observers critique every decision, troopers assigned to the Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment undergo tough training at the Saber Junction 17 exercise held at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center here.

Soldiers assigned to Iron Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct operations during the Saber Junction 17 exercise at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, May 6, 2017. Saber Junction is the U.S. Army Europe's combat training center certification exercise for the regiment, taking place at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels from April 25 through May 19. The exercise is designed to assess the readiness of the regiment to conduct unified land operations, with an emphasis on rehearsing the transition from garrison to combat operations, and exercising operational and tactical decision-making skills. Saber Junction 17 includes nearly 4,500 participants from 13 NATO and European partner nations. Army photo by Sgt. Devon Bistarkey
Soldiers assigned to Iron Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct operations during the Saber Junction 17 exercise at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, May 6, 2017. Saber Junction is the Army Europe's combat training center certification exercise for the regiment, taking place at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels from April 25 through May 19. The exercise is designed to assess the readiness of the regiment to conduct unified land operations, with an emphasis on rehearsing the transition from garrison to combat operations, and exercising operational and tactical decision-making skills. Saber Junction 17 includes nearly 4,500 participants from 13 NATO and European partner nations. Army photo by Sgt. Devon Bistarkey
Soldiers assigned to Iron Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct operations during the Saber Junction 17 exercise at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, May 6, 2017. Saber Junction is the U.S. Army Europe's combat training center certification exercise for the regiment, taking place at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels from April 25 through May 19. The exercise is designed to assess the readiness of the regiment to conduct unified land operations, with an emphasis on rehearsing the transition from garrison to combat operations, and exercising operational and tactical decision-making skills. Saber Junction 17 includes nearly 4,500 participants from 13 NATO and European partner nations. Army photo by Sgt. Devon Bistarkey
Conduct Operations
Soldiers assigned to Iron Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct operations during the Saber Junction 17 exercise at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, May 6, 2017. Saber Junction is the Army Europe's combat training center certification exercise for the regiment, taking place at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels from April 25 through May 19. The exercise is designed to assess the readiness of the regiment to conduct unified land operations, with an emphasis on rehearsing the transition from garrison to combat operations, and exercising operational and tactical decision-making skills. Saber Junction 17 includes nearly 4,500 participants from 13 NATO and European partner nations. Army photo by Sgt. Devon Bistarkey
Photo By: Sgt. Devon Bistarkey
VIRIN: 170506-A-GG979-162

As the combat training certification for the regiment, this year’s Saber Junction exercise, held April 25 to May 19, tests troop operational and tactical decision making skills to assess unit readiness to conduct unified land operations.

Soldiers are tested on every level, from flexibility in their positions to maintaining equipment and morale while operating in the often-unpredictable weather and challenging terrain found in the deeply wooded training area here.

Halfway through the rigorous exercise energy management is key, along with building camaraderie.

For Army Spc. Brandon Casey, a machine gunner assigned to Iron Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, new military buddies are everywhere.

“Jak sie masz,” Casey says to a Polish soldier operating a radio near his firing position, a phrase that translates in English to, “How’s it going?”

Growing up in Chicago, Casey learned Polish at home. He often offers the casual greeting to Polish soldiers he encounters. Each exchange follows the same look of surprise by the receiving Polish soldier, after hearing a U.S. soldier speak Polish, followed by a smile and a momentary reprieve from training.

‘You Can’t Get Better Training Than This’

“The tactical scenario started the moment we crossed the Autobahn, delivering a constant near-peer, rough and extremely realistic aggressor,” said Army Capt. Alex Rubliar, platoon leader, Kronos Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment. “You can’t get better training than this.”

Wrapping up the first phase of the exercise, the regiment shifts from a defensive posture to an offensive one. This transition enhances troop and leader ability to conduct land operations within different postures helping to meet an overarching challenge for soldiers with deployment experience in a counterinsurgency, or COIN, environment.

“For the soldiers that have deployed previously, the near-peer fight here is a distinct shift in focus and priorities from COIN operations. The scenario here sets the fight in a sovereign state with a viable government able to handle humanitarian needs -- that is no longer our focus,” Rubliar said. “It’s a mentality shift and a paradigm shift in training, but the fundamentals stay the same.”

Over a week into the exercise, troopers have encountered a skillful aggressor with armor, air and electronic warfare capabilities. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s commander, Army Col. Patrick Ellis, requested one of the toughest scenarios yet, and that, he said, is exactly what the training area here has delivered.

The regiment’s soldiers are using the training here to focus on improving interoperability with allied nations’ forces.

“We’re working alongside British tankers, Polish and Italian soldiers, along with German locals staged in notional towns, coming together to share intelligence and pass along high-value targets with extreme reliability,” Rubliar said. 

Related Stories