The Training Range "Eugen Kvaternik" hosted a U.S.-Croatian military exercise““Shock 17“, aimed at upgrading the…
CAF take part in US EUCOM’s “Saber Strike 17“
The Exercise titled “Saber Strike 2017“, conducted at the Training Range Pabradė in Lithuania (and in the territories of Latvia, Estonia and Poland) from 10 – 24 June 2017 has been one of the largest USEUCOM’s exercises in 20’17 engaging members of the Croatian Armed Forces too. Comprising five smaller field exercises it engaged a total of 11,000 forces from 20 NATO nations. Commanded by Colonel Ivica Raguž, Head of Planning Department of the Support Command, the 59-member Croatian Armed Forces contingent (among whom seven women) members was assigned as Lead Nation in the Command of the Multinational Support Battalion (MN SPT BN). The contingent travelled to Lithuania by rail and road.
The Multinational Support Battalion comprised components of the OSRH and of the armed forces of the United States and Norway. The Croatian contingent comprised mostly the members of the Support Command and of other units of the Croatian Armed Forces, exercised the tasks within the Command of the Multinational Support Battalion, the RSOM Water, CIS Platoon and Role 1, and six members were assigned to the Command 2-136 CAB BN Minnesota National Guard. The Multinational Support Battalion in the Exercise had the capabilities of C2 systems set-up, transport, cargo handling, fuel supply, ROLE 1 medical support, and the setup and sustainment of the battalion-level CIS. The assets used in the Exercise were two container transport semi-trailers, a gantry crane, three forklifts ,a van and an ambulance vehicle and containers with the equipment.
The exercising, two tugs were used with semitrailers for container transport, container cranes, three forklifts, fuel tanks, van and ambulance vehicles and equipment containers.
To achieve interoperability with the U.S. forces the participants had undertaken a series of joint training sessions prior to the Exercise, including the hands-on training in operating the assets, the particular the cargo handling equipment, the military decision-making process, first aid, the use of CIS systems and radio procedures, fuel handling procedures, topography and UTM reading.
The successful outcome of the joint training and of the Exercise “Saber Strike 17“ has demonstrated the trainedness, interoperability, joint staff operation and the achieved level of readiness and co-operation between members of the U.S. Army and the Croatian Armed Forces.