- US soldiers in Germany taking part in Combined Resolved XIII spent the last week of the exercise slogging through hills and valleys soaked by rain and snow.
- For the US tankers on hand, the foul conditions were a hassle, but they made the most of the challenge.
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Hohenfels, Germany - During the final week of Combined Resolve XIII (CBRXIII), the weather consisted of rain, snow and hail. The hills and valleys were saturated with water and mud. Tanks created ruts in the ground by driving through the wet fields and forest. Many vehicles, including tanks, had already gotten stuck.
Dakota Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, Germany made the most of the bad weather and impaired terrain.
"The mud was a big obstacle, but luckily we didn't throw or break a track," said Pvt. 1st Class Hunter Swistek, a tank driver with Dakota Company. "We have some maintenance we need to catch up on when we get back, but overall the exercise was good."
The mission of D Co. during CBRXIII was to support and defend the town of Haasla, a valley area at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center. Through the last ten days, tankers with D Co., who were playing opposing forces, successfully defended their area of operation from members of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment.