The unprecedented event called Dragoon Ride will end Wednesday as US soldiers and their Strykers roll into Vilseck, Germany, after a 1,900-kilometer road march and nearly two weeks maneuvering back from missions in Eastern European countries.

The show of long-haul capability and freedom of movement across Europe took place amid a series of exercises known as Atlantic Resolve, with about 30 exercises this year at battalion level and larger from the Baltic to Black Sea, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, commander of U.S. Army Europe, said Tuesday at the AUSA gathering in Huntsville, Alabama.

Some of the commanders appeared on the big screen via VTC from Europe, where it was late at night, to tell the AUSA audience what kind of experience their soldiers have had lately​.

"It's been an awesome opportunity for every one of our young leaders," said Lt. Col. Tim Payment of 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, wearing the unmistakable cav headgear. The opportunity they have 've ​had in last 90 days is "the best training they've ever done."

Digital Show Daily: Complete coverage of the AUSA Global Defense Symposium and Exposition

The ride itself will have lasted 13 days, but soldiers prepared for months. As soon as they got the mission tasking, the soldiers sent out a recon team to build relationships.

He said Dragoon Ride was just one of his soldiers' endeavors during over ​a three-month period. As soon as they got the mission, the soldiers they ​sent out a recon to build relationships that were the "key to success." From September to December,BECAUSE DRAGOON RIDE JUST ENDED, SHOULD THIS BE FROM JANUARY TO MARCH??​ the soldiers traveled back and forth to lay the groundwork. "They trained for a solid 90 days," the commander said.

He told of the maintainers who worked through the night to fix a Stryker so it could complete the mission.

Before his update, Hodges had said that two of the Strykers were, at that point, not fully mission capable, which he said was "incredible" since they are not the newest Strykers in the inventory.

Soldiers taking part in Dragoon Ride have been returning from missions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

During their travels some of them have been looking at border crossings, safe havens and other features of the region, Lt. Col. Steve Dowgielewicz, commander of the 39th Transportation Battalion, said via VTC. He said it has been a "great benefit" for his soldiers to work with maneuver units there.

For soldiers working in aviation, there have been challenges with communications and a chance to grow their maintenance skills, said Lt. Col. Mark Johnson of 3-158th Aviation Regiment on the big screen.

The soldiers have had "invaluable experience" that often required initiative, he said, and it was an "excellent opportunity for leadership development."

Kathleen Curthoys is editor of Army Times. She has been an editor at Military Times for 20 years, covering issues that affect service members. She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at newspapers in Columbus, Georgia; Huntsville, Alabama; Bloomington, Indiana; Monterey, California and in Germany.

Share:
More In AUSA