101st Airborne Division to deploy for JMTG-U
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More than 150 soldiers assigned to 2nd BrigadeCombat Team (2BCT) “Strike,” 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)will deploy to Ukraine in mid-April for what is scheduled to be a nine-monthtour.
The soldiers will advise and assist the Ukrainian ArmedForces with the continued development of the Yavoriv Combat Training Center inwestern Ukraine. This initiative, known as the Joint Multinational TrainingGroup – Ukraine (JMTG-U), has been ongoing since 2015 and seeks to contributeto Ukraine’s internal defense capabilities and training capacity. 2BCT willreplace the Tennessee National Guard’s 278th Armored CavalryRegiment, which arrived in Ukraine last summer.
The 2BCT task force will be comprised of soldiers from eachof the brigade’s seven organic battalions and will deploy as “Task ForceCarentan,” named in honor of the battle at Carentan, France, liberated bysoldiers of the 502nd Infantry Regiment following D-Day in June 6, 1944.This year is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and the JMTG-Udeployment marks the return of the 502nd Infantry Regiment toEurope.
Col. Joseph E. Escandon, commander of 2BCT said, “Thismission plays an important role in contributing to the security of Europe as awhole. The soldiers of Task Force Carentan stand ready to share their extensiveknowledge and training experience, and we look forward to growing thisstrategic partnership with the UAF as we learn from their perspective and expertise.
During their deployment, TF Carentan soldiers will lead theJMTG-U effort as well as assist in the development of Ukrainian Armed Forcescadre, ranges and training areas, and help provide realistic training under aNATO interoperable framework. These train–the-trainer efforts will all w the Ukraineto assume full training responsibility at the Yavoriv Training Center sometimein 2020.
“The majority of deploying soldiers are leaders who haveyears of experience overseeing and conducting tough, realistic training,” saidLt. Col. Robert Tracy, commander of 11st Battalion, 502nd InfantryRegiment, and senior commander for TF Carentan. “I expect this to be a greatopportunity to share lessons leaned from our own combat training centers aswell as gain valuable insights form the UAF that will make the Strike brigade amore ready force.”
The training support is part of ongoing efforts by the UnitedStates to contribute to Ukraine’s long-term military reform and is beingprovided at the request of the Ukrainian government. The soldiers participatingin the mission will be in Ukraine strictly for training and advising purposesand will not be actively involved in operations in Ukraine’s conflict area.
TF Carentan will conduct the colors casingceremony prior to the deployment at 1:00 p.m. at the 2BCT Headquarters on FortCampbell, April 12.
