In the hills of eastern Bavaria, a Fort Riley combat team leads one of the army’s biggest training operations.
Training in Hohenfels, Germany is a full-scale rehearsal led by the 1st armored brigade combat team, 1st infantry division out of Fort Riley. The “Devils” began running one of the U.S. Army’s largest recurring international combat exercises on Feb. 3. They will finish at the end of the month.
Throughout the training, leaders prepare the approximately 3,400 soldiers gathered from around the world for battlefield operations. Troops work with partner nations to rehearse combat scenarios with the goal of ensuring units can fight, communicate and adapt in large-scale combat operations and a battlefield environment.
The Fort Riley leaders evaluate how soldiers conduct themselves while facing simulated enemy forces and unpredictable conditions. Soldiers learn to operate in their units on uneven terrain and in uncooperative weather conditions. Opposing forces are tasked with actively challenging units throughout the exercise.
This month’s training includes forces from multiple NATO nations, which gives troops an opportunity to train with the allies they could potentially deploy with. Army officials said working in a multinational environment helps units learn how partner forces operate and communicate, reducing friction and strengthening coordination efforts.
The small town of Hohenfels was first established as a German army training area during World War II. The U.S. Army took control of the base not long after, and further developed the area into today’s U.S. army garrison Bavaria joint multinational readiness center.