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SZCZECIN, Poland — On May 17-19, approximately 300 soldiers representing the United States, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Sweden and the Czech Republic participated in exercise Brave Boar at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area, northeastern Poland. Hosted by the Polish Land Forces 16th Mechanized Division, the exercise focused on enhancing joint combat operations in a complex urban environment.

Exercise Brave Boar, May 17-19 © Corporal Heiko Müller

Each nation played a specific role in the collaborative maneuver, including air-supported suppressive fire, air assault and insertion, air medical evacuation, rapid land deployment of personnel, tactical building entry and clearance, engaging enemy forces and close-quarter combat.

This is all about forming a team, we have multiple organizations all coming together, each bringing something to the table, but in the end, we have the same objective,

said U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel William Branch, Commander NATO Multinational Battlegroup Poland. "One thing I want my soldiers to take away from this experience is to learn from our partner allies and teach them that despite our different backgrounds, we're all in this together as one element."

Exercise Brave Boar, May 17-19 © Specialist Trevor Wilson

"We always treat exercises like this as if they were happening," said U.S. Army Sergeant Ryan Schurman, an infantryman with the NATO Multinational Battlegroup, whose fire-team was first to make entry. "There’s no way to predict what could be waiting for us inside or what will happen, so we take everything seriously to stay prepared."

Exercise Brave Boar, May 17-19 © Specialist Trevor Wilson