Task Force Marne Paladin crews provide artillery support during Exercise Iron Wolf

PABRADE, Lithuania — U.S. Army M109A7 Paladin howitzer crews with 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment (1-9 FAR), 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, trained alongside NATO allies during Exercise Iron Wolf at Pabrade Training Area, Lithuania, Oct. 9.

The crews simultaneously qualified on their paladins during Iron Wolf, a multinational exercise conducted by NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Lithuania (eFP Lithuania) to test the force’s interoperability as well as its defensive and offensive capabilities in the region.

During the exercise, 1-9 FAR conducted artillery table VI qualification, which tests the unit’s ability to qualify at the firing line and at the fire planning phase. In turn, 1-9 FAR’s live-fire artillery qualifications were used as indirect fire support for German and Lithuanian forces during the exercise.

Capt. Patrick Gerrity, commander of Bravo Battery, 1-9 FAR, said Exercise Iron Wolf is the first major exercise in which his unit was able to participate alongside NATO allies. The 1-9 FAR recently arrived at Pabrade Training Area to support U.S. and NATO operations in the region.

“Training together with allies is important to create that familiarity between our countries and find out how one another operates,” Gerrity said. “So, if we need to operate together, we know the best way to do so and the best practices in large-scale operations.”

Staff Sgt. Garrett VanAvery, a howitzer section chief with Bravo Battery, 1-9 FAR, echoed Gerrity’s sentiment on developing interoperability with allies. He added that the training during Iron Wolf helped enhance communications between the participating countries.

“The United States in a war isn’t going to be fighting alone,” VanAvery said. “We have allies for a reason.This is good training to figure out how we’re going to maneuver together, shoot together, and be able to communicate.”

VanAvery said that Lithuanian and Norwegian troops toured the Paladins, which allowed their troops to ask and answer questions about each other’s procedures. He added that the exercise ultimately helped develop his section’s readiness to work with Lithuanian and Norwegian armed forces in future operations.

Gerrity said in the short time his unit has been in Pabrade, Lithuanian partners have been kind and friendly to his Soldiers.

“Our experience working with NATO allies has been nothing but positive,” Gerrity said. “We have been welcomed in by the local partners, and they’ve reached out in multiple ways to make sure that we feel at home here in Lithuania as we would back in Fort Stewart.”