HELSINKI – Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division; the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division; and the Guard Jaeger Regiment of the Finnish Army, conducted bilateral training in Santahamina Island, Finland, June 28, 2022.
Over 200 U.S. Soldiers conducted urban operations training alongside Finnish soldiers, learning tactical skills from each other in order to operate seamlessly with partner nations.
The training is part of the Finnish Summer Exercise, a training exercise conducted in various bases throughout Finland, running from the end of June to September.
“Finland has been great. We appreciate the hospitality. From a military standpoint, the training has been exceptional. The Guard Jaeger Regiment has been very accommodating for anything we need,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jacob Teplesky, commander of the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
During the exercise, U.S. engineers and sappers conducted training on breaching, demolitions, and have learned how to use Finnish type charges they’ve never experienced before, said Teplesky
The Guard Jaeger Regiment’s primary mission is to train soldiers for urban operations. These soldiers would defend the capital as part of wartime units formed by the regiment.
“It’s very important, the cooperation between Finnish and U.S. forces. I think you will continue to see, as we continue to expand these exercises, throughout the summer as … we move from squad and platoon level, to a battalion command post exercise, we fly our unmanned aerial systems and we shoot a mechanized gunnery,” said Teplesky.
The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America’s forward deployed corps in Europe.
SPC Hassani Ribera Soto