JOHNSTON, Iowa– Two Kosovo Security Force members made history by becoming the first KSF soldiers to graduate from a U.S. Air Assault course Sept. 9, 2022, at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa.

Maj. Gen. Ben Corell, the Adjutant General of Iowa National Guard, along with representatives from the Des Moines Consulate of the Republic of Kosovo and senior KSF leadership, were present to congratulate Pvt. Sead Berisha, a psychological operations soldier, and Staff Sgt. Lorik Ramaj, a civilian affairs soldier, on earning their U.S. Air Assault badges. Sead and Ramaj stood at attention alongside U.S. Soldiers and Airmen as their mentors and loved ones pinned them with their “wings” on graduation day.

On the first day of the course, Berisha described feeling strange being in a different uniform from the U.S. service members surrounding him, but said that his fellow students were approachable and encouraging.

“It’s my first time in the U.S. and in Iowa, and I feel really special to be here,” said Berisha.

Berisha and Ramaj represent their countrymen in their admirable achievement but also the flourishing National Guard State Partnership Program that joins Kosovo and Iowa in military-to-military engagements in support of defense security goals and cooperation objectives that also foster cultural exchange.

Over 290 service members converged at the post to earn the coveted Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge or title of Rappel Master throughout August and September.

It was the first time in four years that Mobile Training Teams based out of the Army National Guard Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Georgia, traveled to Camp Dodge to teach the courses. The cadre led the Soldiers and Airmen through grueling tasks that were both physically and mentally challenging.

The U.S. Army Air Assault course trains service members across all branches in sling load operations and rappelling, as well as being a true test of grit. It includes phases that test not only their technical aptitude, but their ability to negotiate a tough obstacle course between repetitions of various exercises and — for those who pass all other tests — finishes with a timed 12-mile ruck march.

As for the Pathfinder course, a 2020 Army Times article stated the course would get the axe as projected at the time, but Sgt. 1st Class Josh Ludecke said that’s not the case. Ludecke is the primary Pathfinder instructor assigned to Company B, ARNG WTC.

“We’re still here for the Army National Guard, and our training center has absorbed executive agency of the Pathfinder school,” said Ludecke. “We’re doing things that we can to fit [the course] more toward the force we need.”

1st Lt. Tanner Potter is an Iowa National Guard Soldier currently serving on active duty orders as the executive officer of Company B, ARNG WTC. He explained the difference between the Army’s Pathfinder and Air Assault courses.

“Pathfinders are able to be off on their own establishing drop zones and can go in ahead of a unit,” said Potter. “It’s just extremely in-depth, almost like college-level classes. Air assault is much easier for younger Soldiers to understand, strictly focusing on tower rigging and rappelling, that sort of thing.”

Each course has overall objectives and knowledge that culminates with each skill level. Air Assault is meant to lay the foundation for Pathfinder as well as the Rappel Master course, which is currently being held at Camp Dodge.

Sgt. Briton Ensminger, a cavalry scout with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, IANG, said the Pathfinder course involved “very, very rigorous studying.” Yet, the long hours of mental strain paid off when he earned his badge on graduation day alongside his twin brother, Sgt. Bergen Ensminger, and was pinned by the primary Air Assault instructor. The Ensminger brothers are from Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

“The non-commissioned officer-in-charge of Air Assault is an old squad leader of mine [from] when I deployed,” said Ensminger. “He got to pin on my torch for me, so that was pretty cool.”

The Rappel Master course at Camp Dodge, which also offers a valuable and specialized set of skills focusing on aircraft rigging and rappelling, is set to graduate approximately 27 service members Sept. 15. This will close out a significant joint training event that gives service members a chance to both stand out and stand together with others who’ve earned these skills and badges.

Story by SSG Samantha Hircock

Photos by SSG Tawny Kruse

FORT POLK, La. — Prior to his soldiers arriving to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk to take part in a bilateral training exercise, Gen. Estevam Cals Theophilo, commander, Brazilian Army Land Operations Command, emphasized the importance of his troops being ready for the next conflict.

“Our mentality must be that are prepared to fight in combat,” Theophilo said. “We can go a thousand years without war, but we can’t afford one second without being prepared to fight when war arises.”

Theophilo, along with Brig. Gen. Lynn Heng, U.S. Army South deputy commanding general, were able to see firsthand the Brazilian troops train in the area known as the “Box” during a visit to JRTC, Aug. 24-26 as part of a Distinguished Visitors Day.

“This training for us is very important,” Theophilo said. “We know this kind of exercise replicates fighting in true combat and the realness of this exercise prepares us to be ready.”

The Brazilian Army, or Exército Brasileiro, participation in JRTC is the part of an agreed to activity which was included in a five-year plan developed between the Exército Brasileiro and U.S. Army South during annual Army-to-Army Staff Talks. The Staff Talks Program promotes bilateral efforts in order to develop professional partnerships and increase interaction between partner nation armies.

Having arrived at Louisiana in early August, a company element of the 5th Light Infantry Battalion (Air Mobile) integrated with the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (White Currahee), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as part of rotation 22-09 to conduct tactical infantry operations, exercise interoperability and strengthen their ability to plan and execute complex maneuver operations.

The mission of the JRTC and Fort Polk is to train Brigade Combat Teams to conduct large scale combat operations on the decisive action battlefield against a near-peer threat with multi-domain capabilities. JRTC Rotation 22-09 was the second time a Brazilian Army unit came to the Combat Training Center to train with a U.S. Army brigade.

Once on the ground, the Brazilian soldiers were praised for their professionalism, tactical skills and ability to embed with their U.S. Army counterparts. While training in the Box, the Brazilians were given after action reviews by the Observer-Controllers, where they were given feedback on what they planned to do, what actually happened, and engaged with the opposing forces to learn what they did well and what they could improve on.

“They’ve done an exceptional job of deliberate planning, conducting rehearsals and understanding the mission they have to accomplish and moving to that location to accomplish that mission,” said Maj. Micah Chapman, JRTC Operations Group Task Force 3 executive officer. “They’re really effective in terms of security — whether its short halts, long halts, securing themselves, securing an area and having an active mindset of understanding the situation and responding, when necessary, lethally.”

Although much attention during the bilateral training engagement was focused on kinetic and tactical operations at the company and platoon-level, a critical area the Brazilian Army wanted to improve was developing leaders at their combat training centers to be more realistic to train their soldiers for combat.

A small contingent, comprised of several officers and noncommissioned officers, embedded with the JRTC Operations Group and completed an abbreviated academy where they could capture and coach the best practices of combined arms maneuver.

“We put them right in where they were able to make decisions, do coaching and adjudicate fights that were taking place between friendly and enemy forces,” Chapman said. “There are some differences between the way the U.S. Army go about observing, coaching, and training, and they desire to move in our direction.”

After watching his soldiers take part in the blank fire rehearsal, Lt. Col. Attila Balczó, commander, 5th Light Infantry Battalion (Air Mobile), gleamed with pride in describing their actions upon seizing the objective.

“I am very proud,” Balczó said. “We had many exercises and spent more than 120 days in the field to prepare our soldiers for this training. When I saw our soldiers executing on the battlefield here today, it was gratifying to see that our preparation had great results. They put on a good showing in simulated combat and their performance allows us to have interoperability with our U.S. partners.”

Balczó added that JRTC allowed the best environment for his soldiers to improve their capabilities and they will return to Brazil with much experience and become better trained to fight.

Army South Deputy Commanding General Brig. Gen. Lynn Heng mentioned the United States is fortunate to have the caliber of soldiers the Brazilian Army possesses as our allies to protect mutual security interests in the Western Hemisphere.

“We need to do these types of exercises to build upon our defensive capabilities and we enjoy doing these types of exercises, especially with Brazil, which further enhances our interoperability,” Heng said. “Brazil has been a key partner for us in the U.S. Southern Command area of operations for many decades and will be for many to come.”

Heng added as part of Army South’s motto “Defense and Fraternity” that it is imperative the command keep strong the fraternity with Brazil so that both armies remain successful in meeting training objectives and strengthening partnerships.

Following three hours of continuous assault on the rough central-Louisiana terrain, Theophilo addressed the soldiers, where he commended their efforts and recognized the occasion of Dia do Soldado, or Day of the Soldier — a Brazilian national holiday on Aug. 25 commemorating the birthday of the Duke of Caxias, patron of the Brazilian Army.

He asked his sweat-drenched, muddied and exhausted soldiers on their impressions of the training and received responses expressing how it was a unique opportunity to work with U.S. Soldiers, gain new experiences and familiarization with aircraft, share best practices and tactics and train in a different climate.

“Our countries have always been friends in military matters,” Theopilo said. “We have conducted training in the jungles of Brazil and now we’re training together here at Fort Polk. At the end of the day, this is what matters. Being ready for war is only possible through much practice, adjustments and more practice. Without field exercises, conversations aren’t worth anything.”

Finally, the general reminded his troops, “The U.S. is our principal ally — we have no doubt about that.”

By Donald Sparks