Design to Execution Into the Suwalki Gap Col. Charles Kemper, Minnesota Army National Guard Maj. Jacob Helgestad, Minnesota Army National Guard Maj. Nathan Colvin, U.S. Army Maj. Simon Cox, British Royal Marines

aber Strike is a Army Europe commitment to maintaining the independence of the (USAREUR) joint/combined exercise focused in through deterrence. the Baltic region of Europe. The annual exercise Among the many component situational and field Slooks to improve interoperability among NATO allies training exercises that entailed Saber Strike 2017, the and partner nations through a series of tactical exercis- decisive operation for the exercise was a multinational air es in , , , and Poland. For Saber assault (AASLT), attack on an objective, and a forward Strike 2017, a single tactical action was used to exercise passage of lines (FPOL) in southern Lithuania. The related aspects of all levels of war (i.e., strategic, opera- mission demonstrated the ability of the combined force tional, and tactical) in a demonstration of the Alliance’s to execute a decisive tactical action, sequenced in time,

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Previous page: Soldiers from Bravo Company, 2nd Combined Arms coping with complications stemming from the legacy of Battalion, 136th Infantry Regiment (Minnesota Army National Guard), different security experiences among the forces as well exit a CH-47 on 17 June 2017 during an air assault into the Suwalki Gap in southern Lithuania. Bravo Company provided an infantry pla- as the use of different languages. toon to X-Ray Company, 45 Commando British Royal Marines, for the The second objective was to conduct a multinational exercise. (Photo courtesy of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, AASLT into the Suwalki Gap using U.S. Army avia- 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard Public Affairs) tion assets brought to eastern Europe under Operation Atlantic Resolve. The third objective was to conduct a FPOL of enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battle space, and purpose in conjunction with other tactical Group Poland to eFP Battle Group Lithuania.1 actions in Saber Strike to support an operational plan The Suwalki Gap is a sixty-mile-wide piece of strate- aimed at creating a theater strategic effect. The focus of gically important land connecting Poland and Lithuania. this paper is on the operations conducted in the Suwalki The Gap offers a corridor for NATO to pass ground Gap in southern Lithuania (see figure 1, page 3). troops into the Baltic region during combat operations, or for as the closest land route to push troops to Exercise Objectives and Preparation Kalingrad. The Suwalki Gap is clearly vital ground. The USAREUR identified three specific training objectives AASLT into, and FPOL through, the Suwalki Gap was for Saber Strike 2017. The training objectives emerged meant to demonstrate the combat power and interop- from a strategic desire to deter outside actors seeking to erability of the NATO alliance while simultaneously undermine the cohesion of the Alliance by demonstrating identifying continued compatibility challenges. the ability of USAREUR and NATO to speedily assem- Training Area. No military installation exists in the ble, decide, and act in a contested environment. Lithuanian portion of the Suwalki Gap. However, the The first, and most challenging, objective was Lithuanian National Defense Volunteer Force (NDVF) improving interoperability between the forces of the conducting their annual Strong Shield exercise within United States, NATO allies, and partner nations. the Suwalki Gap allowed for a linking of exercises. Strong Interoperability is more than just the ability to com- Shield encompassed an area covering approximately municate via radio or other electronic means. The forty kilometers by forty fundamental component is the ability to operate Maj. Nathan Colvin, kilometers, offering sub- tactically as a task force. This requires making dis- U.S. Army, is the opera- stantial training space for similar national doctrine, equipment, and procedures tions officer of 3rd General the AASLT and attack of compatible with one Support Aviation Battalion, Col. Charles Kemper, another while also 10th Aviation Regiment, Maj. Simon Cox, British Minnesota Army 10th Combat Aviation Royal Marines, is the National Guard, is the Maj. Jacob Helgestad, Brigade, Fort Drum, New company commander, commander of the 1st Minnesota Army York. He is a graduate of the X-Ray Company, 45 Armored Brigade Combat National Guard, is the School of Advance Military Commando Royal Marines. Team, 34th Infantry operations officer of 1/34 Studies and holds master’s He has completed the Division (1/34 ABCT), ABCT. He is a graduate degrees from Embry-Riddle Advanced Amphibious and director of Post of the School of Advance Aeronautical University Warfare Course and Market Quality at Boston Military Studies and and Central Michigan Intermediate Command Scientific. He is a graduate has a master’s degree University. He recently and Staff Course (Land) of the Army War College in strategic leadership completed the Strategic at Joint Command and and has an MBA from the from American Military Broadening Seminar at the Staff College, Shrivenham, University of Illinois. He University. He most Intermediate Command United Kingdom. He most most recently served as recently served as the and Staff Course (Land) recently served as amphib- the division operations deputy chief of plans and at Joint Command and ious planner at Striking and officer, 34th Infantry chief of future operations Staff College, Shrivenham, Support Forces NATO, Division. for 34th Infantry Division. United Kingdom. Lisbon, Portugal.

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Description of country Objective Lincoln Friendly state Failing state Neutral state Belligerent state Ethnic Bothnians NATO countries

(Photo courtesy of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard Public Affairs) Figure 1. Exercise Saber Strike 2017 Operations Conducted in the Suwalki Gap in Southern Lithuania an objective. The training area itself was civilian-owned In the initial stages of the training scenario, the no- land, coordinated by the Lithuanian military for use by tional enemy airborne battalion deployed a reinforced the AASLT Task Force. Although all landing company-sized element that established positions zones required coordination and certification prior to on the identified objective for the exercise. Spanning landing, because of the Lithuanian coordination with approximately twelve kilometers along Highway 132, local landowners the ground force had freedom of Objective Lincoln was the objective for the AASLT movement on their patrol routes to the objective. On the task force to seize. Objective Lincoln was further divid- training objective, the opposing force established them- ed into three smaller objectives: Adams, Bush, Carter, selves to allow for the continued flow of civilian traffic all key intersections on Highway 132. while simultaneously preparing a deliberate defense. As a common language, doctrine enables combined Scenario design. In order to provide a shared arms operations. In this exercise, the AASLT plan- understanding of the operational picture driving Saber ning occurred using the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Strike 2017, and specifically the AASLT, attack, and Division’s Air Assault Gold Book, the standard in the FPOL, USAREUR used the Skolkan scenario as the ar- U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps, and Field Manual 3-99, chitecture for the opposing force. The Skolkan scenario Airborne and Air Assault Operations. supports a NATO Article 5 response, focused on “pre- Force structure. For this component of Saber Strike, serving the territorial integrity of NATO members”2 the seizing of Objective Lincoln via an AASLT and The final opposing force scheme of maneuver was a subsequent FPOL, identifying a coordinating headquar- multibrigade attack into the Baltics, with Lithuania ters, a ground task force, and an aviation task force were itself having a single enemy division attacking to isolate the critical first steps to building the force structure. The the capital and seize key terrain in the Suwalki Gap. task of developing the force structure for the mission fell Additionally, a notional enemy airborne battalion to the USAREUR Saber Strike planners; looking to have jumped into the Suwalki Gap to seize the two roads a brigade-level lead proved challenging as all brigades that run north and south through the gap and connect participating in Saber Strike 2017 were decisively en- Poland and Lithuania (see figure 2, page 4). gaged in their specific part of the exercise. The exception

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Otso Bothnia Brahea Torrike

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Arnland Areas of Ethnic Bothnians

(Photo courtesy of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard Public Affairs) Figure 2. Phase II of Exercise Saber Strike 2017—a Notional Enemy Airborne Battalion Jumps into the Suwalki Gap to Seize Key Terrain was 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry British Royal Marines (X-Ray, 45 Commando) as the Division, Minnesota Army National Guard (1/34 foundation for the ground tactical force. Additional ABCT), which formed the foundation of the U.S. ground forces came from Bravo Company, 2nd contingent of the Saber Strike Exercise Control Group. Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, Minnesota 1/34 ABCT became the air assault headquarters, gained Army National Guard, and 7th Air Cavalry Battalion, responsibility as the coordinating headquarters for all 25th Air Cavalry Brigade from the Polish Army. Taken parties involved, and became Task Force Red Bull (see all together, these forces came to form the ground task figure 3, page 5). Col. Charles Kemper commanded force. Finally, for the air component USAREUR bene- 1/34 ABCT and subsequently became the commander fited from the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade’s deploy- of Task Force Red Bull with the task force staff com- ment to Europe as a rotational force with 3rd General prised of members of the 1/34 staff. Eventually, Task Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment Force Red Bull received staff augmentation from the (3-10 AVN REGT) identified as the aviation task force. Croatian , the , and the The FPOL required its own force structure in addi- Lithuanian National Defense Force. tion to the one needed for the AASLT. The focus of the Finding elements for the ground tactical force FPOL was the eFP Battle Group Poland and Lithuania. proved no less challenging. All infantry units in Specifically, Fox Troop 2nd , 2nd Cavalry Lithuania were already engaged in other events. Regiment (F/2/2 CR), with forces from and USAREUR expanded its search to Latvia and Poland United Kingdom, forming Task Force Cougar conduct- eventually securing X-Ray Company, 45 Commando ing the FPOL. The intent was a FPOL that passed an

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Key Tactical control Coordinating NATO SOF– NATO Special Operation Forces Lithuania NDVF– Lithuanian National Defense Volunteer Force Poland FPOL– Forward passage of lines United Kingdom TF– Task Force United States

(Photo courtesy of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard Public Affairs) Figure 3. Task Force Red Bull Task Organization element of the Polish Battle Group, Task Force Cougar, all operations only converging on Kuzla Ruda at the through the Suwalki Gap to reinforce the German-led ninety-six hours prior to the AASLT execution. When battle group in , Lithuania. 3-10 AVN REGT moved from Latvia they flew X-Ray, Finally, NDVF provided opposing forces for both the 45 Commando to Kuzla Ruda, one of the many logistical aviation and ground elements. During subsequent confer- coordination pieces resolved during the planning process. ences, coordination, and planning sessions elements of Logistical network. The development of a logistical Special Operations and joined network to support the AASLT task force at both Kuzla the Task Force Red Bull as enablers and multipliers. Ruda and in the Suwalki Gap proved the most difficult Staging area. Since there was no designated train- obstacle to overcome. However, one can argue it was also ing area in the Suwalki Gap, there was also no area in the most important. As strategically important as the the region large enough for Task Force Red Bull, the Suwalki Gap is, it is “logistics that bring troops to this ground tactical force, and aviation task force, to stage p o i n t .” 5 It not only required coordination amongst the prior to execution. The offered Kuzla participating units but also between Lithuania and the Ruda Airbase as an option to stage the Air Assault parent nations of the participating units. In its role as Task Force. As an abandoned airfield, Kuzla Ruda exercise sponsor, the G-4 (Logistics) USAREUR proved had the bed down space for all the helicopter air- invaluable as the organization to receive and coordinate frames. Additionally, it provided barracks for X-Ray, all statements of requirement. The statements of re- 45 Commando coming from Latvia and the Polish quirement are a contracting agreement between nations soldiers coming from Poland. Finally, the space around that clearly identify the classes and funding of supply the airfield offered ample room for 1/34 ABCT tactical required by each respective nation. command post (TAC), 3-10 AVN REGT command post, and all respective company command posts. Operation Lake Superior: Of the task force elements identified for execution, The Suwalki Gap only 1/34 ABCT and the NDVF staged in Lithuania for Operation Lake Superior­—the name given to the duration of the exercise. Throughout the Baltic region this operation—was a five-phased operation to seize and Poland, 3-10 AVN REGT had elements supporting Objective Lincoln (key terrain), open ground lines of

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communication, and conduct a FPOL in the Suwalki Maj. Simon Cox, commander of X-Ray Company, 45 Commando Roy- Gap. A multinational AASLT task force (Task Force al Marines, talks with soldiers from 7th Air Cavalry Battalion, 25th Air Cavalry Brigade, Polish army, 15 June 2017 near the pick-up zone in Red Bull), comprised of an aviation task force and Kuzla Ruda, Lithuania. The 7th Air Cavalry Battalion provided a pla- ground tactical force, became the foundation to exe- toon to the Royal Marines for their air assault into the Suwalki Gap. cute Operation Lake Superior. The execution of the (Photo by 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, air assault was the most complex phase of the opera- Minnesota Army National Guard Public Affairs) tion. It required a shared understanding and sequenc- ing of events in time and space from army, marine, and air force units represented from six nations, all of initiated the military decision-making process during which had never previously worked together. its monthly drill assemblies. Even though the exercise Air Assault Task Force Headquarters (Task coordination dictated items like the landing zones and Force Red Bull: 1/34 ABCT). As an armored bri- objectives, there remained enough of a requirement for gade combat team, acting as the tactical headquarters planning and development of planning products that for an air assault is a unique mission set. For this ex- the staff received invaluable training. The staff focused ercise, 1/34 ABCT had three training objectives: con- on sequencing the operation in time and space, develop- duct an attack, conduct an air assault, and conduct ing the timeline using the ninety-six-hour planning win- expeditionary deployment operations. For execution, dow described in the Gold Book. The sequencing enabled 1/34 ABCT deployed its TAC to Lithuania, capital- synchronization across Task Force Red Bull, ensuring izing on an excellent training opportunity and ex- unity of effort toward a common goal of the AASLT, panding upon lessons learned at 1/34 ABCT National attack on Objective Lincoln, and FPOL. Training Center rotation 16-07. Execution sequencing occurred through the pub- Upon USAREUR publishing the operations order lication of a clear commander’s intent and alloca- for Operation Lake Superior, the staff of 1/34 ABCT tion of key tasks. These two items enabled a shared

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The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division (1/34 ABCT), Minnesota Army National Guard tactical command post is camouflaged 17 June 2017 in the Suwalki Gap, Lithuania, as elements of 3/10 General Support Aviation Battalion fly on the horizon. 1/34 ABCT provided mission command of a multinational air assault and forward passage of lines in the Suwalki Gap during Exercise Saber Strike 2017. (Photo courtesy of the 1/34 ABCT Public Affairs) Suwalki Gap understanding among all forces operating in the task ABCT’s decision support matrix and launch criteria for force. The ground commander’s understanding of the the AASLT with 3-10 AVN REGT flying the mission intent and key tasks allowed him to exercise disciplined and X-Ray, 45 Commando receiving intelligence from initiative when communications failed. Overall, phas- SOF once on the ground. The participation of F/2/2 CR ing of the operation by Task Force Red Bull enabled the ensured good coordination of the conduct of the FPOL, principles of mission command and clear sequencing of specifically the link-up procedures, the designated check- the operation in time and space. points in the passage lane, and the battle handover line. With a newly formed task force, which had never One of the greatest challenges during execution worked together, the decision to make each phase a clear, was the tyranny of distance and its impact on com- concise step supported interoperability and sequencing. munications. Kuzla Ruda and Objective Lincoln are These phases consisted of the following: approximately seventy-three kilometers apart. This • Phase One: Planning and assembly of the task force required the 1/34 ABCT TAC to deploy forward • Phase Two: Air assault from Kuzla Ruda approximately three hours pri- • Phase Three: Attack or to fixed--on station to conduct SEAD. With • Phase Four: Consolidation and reorganize their Lithuanian JTAC co-located in the TAC, this • Phase Five: Forward passage of lines allowed 1/34 ABCT to apply mission command to Sequenced to enable synchronization in time and the air space as well as communicate with SOF on the space, the articulation of each phase’s end state supported ground. The use of a Joint Capabilities Release (JCR), a shared understanding, reinforced during rehearsals. a friendly force tracking system, allowed communica- Although the Gold Book prescribes a ninety-six-hour tion between 1/34 TAC and 3-10 AVN REGT back planning window, this assumes all forces are co-located.3 at Kuzla Ruda as well as between 1/34 ABCT Main 1/34 published its operation order three months prior in Riga, Latvia and F/2/2 CR in Poland. to execution due to the operational tempo of all units Once established, the 1/34 TAC tracked the battle in the task force. This allowed the aviation and ground through both analog and digital means. An objective elements to staff the order prior to execution. Prior to for the 1/34 TAC was continuation of camouflage the entire task force forming, an opportunity presented techniques developed at the National Training Center itself in early June to execute the air mission coordina- to ensure survivability in a decisive action environ- tion meeting. This meeting paid huge dividends as it ment. Augmenting the TAC staff were two Croatian presented the first opportunity for all elements of the Air Force officers who provided additional staffing task force to meet and initiate dialogue. focused on the aviation aspect of execution. The focus for 1/34 ABCT while at Kuzla Ruda, the Ground tactical force (British Royal Marines). staging area, was execution of the air mission brief and The ground task force was led by X-Ray Company the task force combined arms rehearsal (CAR). Both from 45 Commando Royal Marines, part of the United events synchronized Task Force Red Bull in time and Kingdom’s 3 Commando Brigade. Operation Lake space and built a shared understanding for the aviation Superior presented to them and the overall force a num- and ground elements. Of significant importance at the ber of unique opportunities that led to the generation of CAR were the addition of special operations forces (SOF) two overarching training objectives: conduct combined, and the Lithuanian Joint Tactical Air Controller (JTAC) joint and multinational planning; and execute combined, responsible for all air space control within the restricted joint and multinational offensive operations. air space created for the exercise and representatives from The construct of Task Force Red Bull had a com- F/2/2 CR. Having SOF brief during the CAR ensured pany-sized group working directly in support of a a shared understanding amongst all elements of Task brigade staff. This enabled the rapid and effective Force Red Bull on how they planned to infiltrate into the planning of a relatively complex operation. Given area of operations to conduct suppression of enemy air the locations of Objectives Adams, Bush, and Carter, defense (SEAD). This synchronized the JTAC controlling and only two workable landing zones, the crux of the fixed wing assets dedicated to conducting SEAD with plan was coordinating the delivery of sufficient com- Task Force Red Bull. Furthermore, this validated 1/34 bat power to seize and hold each objective in order

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to enable the FPOL. Insufficient lift capacity to move A marine from X-Ray Company, 45 Commando British Royal Marines the ground task force in a single wave shaped the final leads a patrol 17 June 2017 from a landing zone in the Suwalki Gap in southern Lithuania. The Royal Marines formed the core of the ground plan. Competition for seats on the aircraft between the assault force tasked to seize three objectives in the Suwalki Gap and ground task force and other participants was resolved subsequently established a passage lane for elements of 2nd Squad- by 1/34 ABCT taking the lead for coordinating and ron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. (Photo courtesy of the 1st Armored Bri- prioritizing space on each aircraft ensuring execution of gade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard Public Affairs) the ground task force commander’s plan. The air mission brief and CAR were key to ensuring that the ground plan was both supportable and sup- ported by the other elements of Task Force Red Bull. members of the Alliance that swift resolution of The timing of the air mission brief allowed the ground issues surrounding language, equipment, and location task force commander to subsequently deliver orders provided sufficient time for detailed planning and to his subordinates and receive a back brief on their delivery of orders at troop and platoon level. This was plans. He was then able to bring this information to the to pay dividends during execution. CAR—ensuring synchronization from the lowest level The task force was subsequently organized in to up to the brigade combat team staff. three sub-task forces, one for each objective. Each sub- At the lower tactical level, the ground task force task force had its own battle space and clear mission was faced with the challenge of integrating force set, with the headquarters there to ensure synchroni- elements from three different nations despite only zation and deconfliction of activity. being co-located for seventy-two hours prior to the The ground task force headquarter’s role during operation. It is testament to the professionalism of Operation Lake Superior was to shield the subordinate

MILITARY REVIEW ONLINE EXCLUSIVE · JANUARY 2018 9 Suwalki Gap commanders from the complexities of brigade-level In other words, it was an operational example of Gen. operations in order to allow them to focus on their own Mark A. Milley’s concept of “miserable, disobedient, and mission, in this case to close with and kill the enemy. victorious” in the future operating environment.4 Aviation Task Force (3/10 AVN REGT). The The aviation task force experienced what we goals of the Aviation Task Force during Operation should expect when fighting in a short notice mul- Lake Superior mir- tinational Article rored those of their 5 scenario, with mission essential units constantly on tasks; conduct air the move, fight- assault, conduct ing backward and air movement, forward with little casualty/medical time between mis- evacuation, provide sions for deliberate air traffic services, planning, and cer- and expeditionary tainly not massed in operations. Because any way previously of how the unit anticipated with the was task organized structure of pro- within Task Force scribed modified ta- Red Bull, the team bles of organization intended to conduct and equipment. platoon-level recon- Once crews naissance, screens, repositioned from and hasty and delib- Latvia to Lithuania, erate attacks. awaiting them was Leveraging the an exceptional USAREUR five phenomenon—a pillars, the team also fully functional field looked to focus on site, complete with interoperability in a forward arming distributed environ- and refueling point, ment. With the stra- air traffic services, tegic goal of main- camouflaged living taining viable lines A marine from X-Ray Company, 45 Commando British Royal Marines, and a soldier areas, an aviation of communication to from 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division (1/34 ABCT), Min- battalion command enable the cohesion nesota Army National Guard, participate in a planning session 14 June 2017 during post, and a co-locat- Exercise Saber Strike in southern Lithuania. 1/34 ABCT formed the air assault task and existence of the force headquarters and X-Ray Company the ground task force for an air assault into ed brigade com- NATO alliance in the Suwalki Gap. (Photo courtesy of the 1/34 ABCT Public Affairs) mand post, fully the Baltics, the use of resourced with the the Skolkan scenario people, equipment, enabled the development of a robust enemy situation. and resources for deliberate AASLT mission planning. Initially deployed throughout the Baltics for Saber These tactical enablers were only possible be- Strike, the aviation task force eventually converged in cause of the strategic movement by air and sea of Lithuania. Prior to the execution of the AASLT, the avi- 1/34 ABCT from Minnesota to Lithuania and the ation task force dealt with extended lines of communica- operational success of 3-10 AVN REGT 1400 km tion, mission command relationships changing often, and convoy, overland shipment, and air deployment from units constantly supporting new multinational partners. Germany. The sequencing of both movements in time

MILITARY REVIEW ONLINE EXCLUSIVE · JANUARY 2018 10 Suwalki Gap and purpose anticipated the decisive point in the oper- appropriate risk assessments and route alterations to ation against a highly mobile adversary. continue the mission without incident. Task force enablers. The identification of the task The separate ground elements all conducted their force enablers mentioned above occurred at the plan- assaults on the three sub-objectives on Objective ning conferences as staffs identified missing, needed Lincoln within ninety seconds of each other. This components for successful execution of Operation occurred after night movements between five to ten Lake Superior. Examples included JTACs to control kilometers. During the movement to the objectives airspace as well as special operations forces (SOF) to tactical communications were very difficult, both up conduct SEAD. Such planning not only increased the to 1/34 ABCT TAC and down to the sub-task forces. lethality of Task Force Red Bull but also greatly en- For a significant period, there was a complete loss of hanced the training for all parties. The integration of communication. Despite this, the three sub-task forc- SOF from both Lithuania and the United States and es were able to conduct synchronized assaults onto their fixed-wing close air support were paramount to their respective objectives over a twelve kilmeter successful mission execution. stretch of highway. However, because of coordination The Lithuanian and United States SOF operated in achieved at the CAR, the problem of intermittent four roles. First, they conducted SEAD behind enemy radio communications had zero impact on the opera- lines. Once they found the enemy air defense artillery tion because of the application of discipline initiative assets, they used B-1B strategic bombers to destroy by junior leaders. the targets. Second, they conducted reconnaissance of During the ground attack on Objective Lincoln, 1/34 Objective Lincoln, attempting to confirm or deny the ABCT maintained contact, via JCR, with F/2/2 CR. This intelligence picture on the ground. Third, as many of the allowed tracking of the passing force as they moved north pilots had previously never operated in this area, the op- to the link-up point. Through communication via JCR erators conducted pathfinder operations on the landing with F/2/2 CR, 1/34 ABCT radioed continuous updates zones. Finally, once the ground force exited the aircraft to X-Ray, 45 Commando, aiding their visualization of the and established a defensive perimeter, SOF conducted an common operating picture of all friendly forces operating intelligence debrief to the ground forces. in the area. Upon the seizure of Objective Lincoln, 1/34 The United States and Lithuanian Air Forces both ABCT TAC jumped to a centralized location for the provided fixed-wing aircraft to conduct SEAD and passage of lines. The passage of F/2/2 CR went smoothly, close air support. To conduct SEAD, the United States again aided by the face-to-face coordination that had Air Force provided both B-1B strategic bombers and taken place at the CAR forty-eight hours prior. F-16s. Operating alongside SOF, Lithuanian JTACs Another first, for such a large-scale mission, was guided the aircraft to their targets. During the attack on that all participants including SOF, aviation, and the Objective Lincoln, B-1B bombers and Lithuanian L-39 multinational ground force were able to conduct the fighters provided close air support directed by X-Ray, 45 operations with secure NATO communications. A Commando’s NATO certified JTAC. task-force-wide communication exercise prior to execution ensured the ability for all parties to com- Operation Lake Superior municate via radio. However, despite the success, the Execution and Successes exercise did highlight the need for a more robust com- The aviation move went as planned despite in- munication security and signal operation instruction clement weather with the entire ground task force distribution system inside of NATO to ensure ground delivered on time to the correct location. One real life forces are truly interoperable at all times. contingency presented itself as thunderstorms began Upon seizure of Objective Lincoln, the FPOL oc- to develop in the local area. Despite connectivity diffi- curred along the same stretch of Highway 132. As culties, the United States Air Force weather forecaster previously stated, this was a force-on-force exercise with was able to pass weather information over secure the Lithuanian NDVF acting as the opposing force. The communications. This enabled the company com- Lithuanians mirrored the Skolkan exercise design, pro- mander, acting as the air mission commander, to make viding a company-size element, with an infantry platoon

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occupying each objective with air defense artillery assets. A Lithuanian joint terminal attack controller ( JTAC) patrols with Brit- During SEAD, SOF targeted these assets. However, ish Royal Marines 17 June 2017 during Exercise Saber Strike in south- ern Lithuania. During the ground assault, the Lithuanians provide during the AASLT, the same air defense artillery assets NATO-certified JTACs to the Royal Marines. The Lithuanian JTACs used the AASLT as a training opportunity. This present- guided U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers onto the objectives for close air ed a unique training opportunity for the Lithuanians as support, enhancing the combat power of the Royal Marines. (Photo well as 3-10 AVN REGT. courtesy of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Di- vision, Minnesota Army National Guard Public Affairs) Other Lessons Learned From an aviation perspective, there were many advantages to the situation in Kuzla Ruda. First, and enabled detailed briefings and rehearsals. The second most important, the commander of 1/34 ABCT set advantage the unit experienced was support from the out a clear vision to his staff that included a stipulation professional and experienced team of Royal Marines. that the execution of all briefs and rehearsals follow the Within the first day, they deftly created a tactical plan “Gold Book Standard.” Despite the ground force’s rela- expertly communicated to the ABCT and 3-10 AVN tive inexperience with AASLTs, this provided a unique REGT commanders’ planning teams. perspective for 3-10 AVN REGT to see “what right It is also important to note that the sequenced ap- looked like” when a unit sets itself to a full planning proach to building Task Force Red Bull combat power process. In addition to bringing their great focus and was only possible because of the resources provided positive attitude, the members of the 1/34 ABCT came by other allied forces. For example, at Kazlu Ruda, armed with large-sized walkable terrain maps that Lithuanian forces provided the outer cordon security

MILITARY REVIEW ONLINE EXCLUSIVE · JANUARY 2018 12 Suwalki Gap of the base with a mostly conscript force together Achieving these strategic goals required the de- with water purification capability for food and sanita- velopment of an operational approach that enabled tion—true force multipliers. Foresight by USAREUR success by all elements of Task Force Red Bull. planners, resulted in augmentation of Lithuanian At the tactical level, there was overwhelming suc- forces by attaching Tennessee Air National Guard se- cess from a training perspective. First, efforts allowed a curity force personnel to guard aircraft and flight line. multinational task-organized team to work successfully together. The work conducted among the elements Summary of Task Force Red Bull, X-Ray, 45 Commando, and The Suwalki Gap mission was a success. Overall, 3-10th AVN REGT, was productive and smooth. this mission proved to be an invaluable experience, The Task Force Red Bull commander kept the team difficult to replicate inside the United States. After disciplined, hitting all the major components of the air years of fighting primarily ideological campaigns in assault planning process in accordance with the 101st Afghanistan and Iraq, the opportunity to conduct a Airborne Gold Book. This provided for the standardiza- mostly terrain-focused campaign exercise against a tion of input and product making necessary to stabilize notional invasion by conventional forces helped restore and harmonize detailed planning and execution among atrophied conventional capabilities. the diverse elements of the force. As the U.S. Army focuses on decisive action scenarios Additionally, the distributed forces and unfamiliar in the future, there are greater opportunities to train in procedures that the exercise had to deal with were reflec- this way, even if it is in a more distributed environment. tive of real-life operations in any newly formed task force. The campaign developed by USAREUR and subordinate As a result, because there was often not time for detailed units is a great step toward large scale, interoperability-fo- rehearsals, issues with planning contingencies that had cused exercises. The Suwalki Gap operation is an example a potentially adverse impact were mitigated by develop- of single tactical event achieving strategic goals. These ing good personnel relationships and an overall can-do strategic goals included: attitude among the allied forces. These two factors were • Utilizing strategic mobility to deploy from the conti- as valuable as promoting standardized tactics, techniques, nental United States to Europe. and procedures because they encouraged disciplined ini- • Increasing interoperability and identifying areas for tiative and flexibility in dealing with the changes wrought improvement. by the types of emerging circumstances that allied forces • Demonstrating the ability to seize and hold key ter- will have to face in the event of a real world contingency rain with strategic consequences. against an invading adversary.

Notes 1. United States Army Europe, Exercise Saber Strike 2017, 4. Sydney J. Freedberg Jr., ”Miserable, Disobedient & Victorious: “Main Planning Conference Out Brief” (PowerPoint presentation, Gen. Milley’s Future US Soldier,” Breaking Defense (website), 5 Oc- 16 February 2017). tober 2016, accessed 14 November 2017, http://breakingdefense. 2. Karen S. Sampson, “Skolkan Scenario Introduced com/2016/10/miserable-disobedient-victorious-gen-milleys-fu- at JRMC,” Army.mil, 7 October 2016, accessed 14 No- ture-us-soldier/. vember 2017, https://www.army.mil/article/176321/ 5. Baron Antoine Henri de Jomini, The Art of War, trans. and skolkan_scenario_introduced_at_jmrc. eds. G. H. Mendell and W. P. Craighill (Kingston, ON: Legacy Books 3. 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Gold Book (Fort Press, 2008), accessed 14 November 2017, http://www.legacy- Campbell, KY: U.S. Army, February 2016), 1–9. bookspress.com/Books/Jomini.pdf.

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