Soldiers from 15 nations kicked off exercise Allied Spirit 22 on January 21, as they transitioned into the force-on-force phase at the 7th Army Training Command’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center at Hohenfels, Germany.
Approximately 5,200 soldiers from 15 nations are participating in the long-planned exercise from January 21 to February 5.
Allied Spirit 22 is a US Army Europe and Africa directed, 7th Army Training Command conducted, Joint Multinational Readiness Center hosted training exercise, designed to enable integration between allies and partners in a competitive combat training environment.
Unlike the Saber Junction and Combined Resolve series at JMRC, which feature US brigade combat teams in a lead role augmented by allies and partners, Allied Spirit places an allied unit as the main training audience.
Allied Spirit 22 is led by the German Army’s 1st Armoured Division, whose staff is providing command and control over a multinational brigade and other constructive elements. Based in Oldenburg, the division is part of NATO’s 1st German Netherlands Corps.
“Allied Spirit 22 is a very important exercise for 1st Armoured Division,” said Brig. Gen. Heico Huebner, the division’s commander. “It provides excellent training opportunities in an outstanding training environment for parts of the German 41st Mechanized Infantry Brigade, as well as the command post of the Dutch 43rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, both formations being part of 1st Armoured Division.”
JMRC is the US Army’s only combat training center outside the United States, providing a mobile training capability to Europe that trains leaders, staffs and units up to brigade combat teams alongside allies and partners, to dominate in the conduct of unified land operations anywhere in the world.
“Each rotation incorporates the most up-to-date techniques, tactics, and procedures to ensure the units have the best training environment available,” said US Army Maj. David Allen, operations chief for JMRC.
JMRC is a component of 7th Army Training Command, the US Army’s only overseas training command, setting the training environment and resourcing live, virtual and constructive training for all US Army forces stationed and deployed in Europe and Africa, as well as select US European Command allied and partner units.
“Allied Spirit provides US units with the opportunity to train with allies and partners in a simulated combat environment,” Allen said. “This strengthens the alliance and facilitates the exchange of ideas, techniques, and procedures between militaries.”
