SULECIN, Poland (Army News Service, Sept. 20, 2004) -- Soldiers and civilians from units throughout Europe had been working hard preparing the training area outside Sulecin, Poland, for Immediate Response ’04, long before the paratroopers jumped in Sept. 20.

The exercise, which runs through Sept. 30, is being conducted in Wedrzyn Training Area, located in western Poland, not far from the country’s border with Germany.

The tactical phase of Immediate Response '04 began with a combined airborne insertion of 136 Polish and American paratroopers jumping from C-17 aircraft. The paratroopers were from the Southern European Task Force’s 173d Airborne Brigade and 6th Polish Airborne Brigade.

On the ground, the soldiers will undergo progressive situational training exercises run by a team from U.S. Army Europe's Combined Manuever Training Center. The exercise will also test interoperability between Polish rotary wing aircraft, logistical units and other U.S. units.

The purpose of the exercise is to enhance joint and combined interoperability and conduct bilateral training with a partner nation, SETAF officials said.

Elements from SETAF, 173d Airborne Brigade, 21st Theatre Support Command, V Corps, 5th Signal Command and Polish forces had been working together to set up the training area before the airborne insertion.

“Everyday it’s getting better and better in the camp,” said Maj. Christopher Granfield, Headquarters Support Company, SETAF. “When we first got here it was still pretty sparse, but now all the classes of supply are in place. Everyone is clean, dry, has a relatively comfortable place to sleep and we have the beautiful Polish countryside and weather.”

From force protection to hot meals, the Americans and Polish are working hard to establish a training area.

“We have Polish military personnel who are assisting us with our force protection and security as well with our logistics, whether it be with the simple movement of supplies or actual movement of the training unit here in the area,” Granfield said. “We also have Polish contract civilians who are helping us with janitorial services as well as translation.”

There are obstacles for the Soldiers working together, however. The language barrier can be difficult to overcome, even with the 36 full-time translators on hand, especially for the Soldiers working force protection.

“It’s a small problem and they will move through it,” said Capt. Krzysztof Ambrozak, 15th Panzer Brigade, commander of the Polish Soldiers who are manning the checkpoints alongside the American MPs. “The work at the checkpoints is going well. The Americans are teaching the Polish Soldiers both English and slang. This is the first time we have worked with American Soldiers. It has been a very good experience and a very good time.”

The same day American forces began showing up in Poland, a platoon from the 6th Polish Airborne Brigade landed in Vicenza, Italy. For the past week they have integrated with Bravo Company, 1/508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade.

“Just like with any training, there is a crawl, walk, run method used to overcome the language barrier and to learn each other’s techniques,” said Lt. Col. Ed Manning, assistant exercise director.

“That is what has been going on now for the last week. They flew in last Monday and they have been doing everything from conducting physical training to getting used to the unit and local training," Manning said.

After the airborne insertion, Manning said the exercise will involve a series of situational training exercises, or STX lanes, throughout the week.

"You don’t want to make the new guys jump right into a run phase," Manning said, "but by the time they come here and you see them in the training area, they are pretty well integrated into that company.”

Meanwhile the Soldiers, contractors and translators continue working at the Polish training center on logistics for the troops. The final force number will reach more than 700, officials said.

“The biggest challenge is pulling everything together; multiple different sources, two different cultures and two different languages,” Granfield said. “Getting all that together and focusing that in a four-day period so that when the American and Polish training unit shows up, it’s all invisible to them what’s going on behind the scenes and they can focus on what they are here to do -- conduct a joint military exchange and get to know each other better.”

(Editor’s note: Sgt. Adrian Schulte serves with SETAF Public Affairs.)