Minnesota Guard, Croatia strengthen partnership

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Sixty-six Minnesota National Guard Soldiers and Airmen trained in five locations simultaneously in Croatia as part of Exercise Combat Power 26, a multinational exercise that strengthened interoperability through planning and executing high-intensity joint operations in land, sea and air domains throughout Croatia.

More than 3,500 service members from 10 countries, including Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Italy, Kosovo, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and the United States, partnered for Exercise Combat Power 26, June 22-July 1. Minnesota and Croatia have been paired in the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, or SPP, since July 1996.

"This is a true joint force," said U.S. Army Maj. Carla Christenson, the Minnesota National Guard's State Partnership Program coordinator to Croatia. "The Air and Army are operating side by side. It's the first time that we have mobilized both branches for the same exercise in Croatia."

During the exercise, 28 Soldiers assigned to the Minnesota National Guard's 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry Regiment, integrated with the Croatian Armed Forces' 1st Armored-Mechanized Battalion, [Croatian] Guards Armored-Mechanized Brigade for mounted and dismounted joint maneuver training.

"This is a rare opportunity for our Soldiers to come to a foreign country and train," said U.S. Army Capt. Daniel Erickson, the officer in charge of the American platoon. "We are honored to participate and eager to train, coach and learn from our partners."

Training in Croatia's mountains and dense vegetation challenged Soldiers to adapt to terrain different from the flat fields of Minnesota, all while sharing tactics, techniques and procedures with their Croatian counterparts. For many of the Minnesotans, Combat Power 26 marked their first opportunity to test their operating procedures and maneuver overseas. Soldiers also traded unit patches, shared meals and learned about other nations' military traditions, building friendships outside of training. After a night vision familiarization event, U.S. and Croatian troops spent hours forming strong bonds.

"We are basically the same," said U.S. Army Spc. Hashton Metcalf, an infantryman with the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry Regiment. "We all tell the same jokes."

"It was amazing to see just four days in," Erickson said. "The Soldiers wanted to stay, reminisce, talk and share stories … increasing camaraderie."

During a close-quarters battle drill, or CQB, Minnesota National Guard Soldiers trained with Croatian and Kosovan armed forces, moving in teams to eliminate threats and secure a building. Croatians observed and advised the Minnesotan infantrymen, who have an average age of just 23 years.

"I learned some new things from the soldier perspective, for example crossing dangerous areas, choke points and also CQB," said Croatian Armed Forces 1st Lt. Andrej Penezić, a liaison between the Croatian military and Minnesota National Guard. "Because this is a different country than America, we have different weapons and systems. We helped the guys adapt to that."

The exercise also allowed multinational medical teams to rehearse casualty treatment and evacuation procedures in realistic field conditions.

Additionally, seven Minnesota National Guard field artillery Soldiers from units across the state integrated with Croatian, Slovenian and Italian forces at multiple echelons, from the division level down to the battery. They supported the division targeting process while participating in tactical planning and live-fire training.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to integrate with a multinational [artillery] team," said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Zach Mielke, a fires support officer with the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment. "The Croatians' technical and tactical acumen was top-notch; their ability to conduct fire missions using digital and manual systems was impressive. It was a great opportunity to share tactics, techniques and procedures with our coalition partners across a variety of weapons systems in a live fire environment."

Airmen from the Saint Paul-based 109th Airlift Squadron, 133rd Airlift Wing, joined Croatian partners for tactical airlift and airdrop operations using C-130 Hercules aircraft, including high-altitude and static-line jumps, at Udbina Air Base, Udbina, Croatia.

They also conducted scramble, intercept, escort, offensive counter-air and formation flying with Croatia's Air Force's 91st Wing, a squadron of 12 Dassault Rafale C3-R multirole fighter jets, which maintains 24/7 intercept capabilities to respond to unidentified, unresponsive or emergency aircraft. The mission demonstrated the 91st Wing's quick reaction force response time to a notional threat called in by the Minnesota air crews.

"Whether it was the airdrop operations or flying alongside the Croatian Air Force during tactical missions, it was rewarding to see our Airmen working together as one team," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Andrea Allen, the mission commander for the 109th Airlift Squadron during Combat Power 26. "What really stands out are the relationships we've continued to build. The trust we build here today will make us even more effective if we're ever called to work together in the future."

The exercise culminated in a multinational combined-arms demonstration. Croatian T-80 tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles operated by multiple countries, dismounted service members, artillery, special forces airborne drops, fighter jets, helicopters and Minnesota's C-130s synchronized their efforts during a simulated assault, demonstrating the warfighting ability of allied forces rapidly integrating to accomplish a shared mission.

"At the end of the day," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dylan Olson, the forward battalion master gunner and liaison for Combat Power 26. "We are all speaking the same warfighting language."

Combat Power 26 represents the latest milestone in the partnership between the Minnesota Guard and the Croatian Armed Forces through the SPP, which is designed to strengthen relationships between service members while enhancing NATO readiness.

Related Links

The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil

State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil

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The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard