Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Army

USAG BAVARIA – HOHENFELS, Germany – During a bright, chilly Saturday in the hilly U.S. Army installation at Hohenfels, Germany, the streets came alive as more than a hundred runners and walkers took part in the Shamrock 5K fun run / walk March 14, 2026.

The annual event, which typically includes many dozens of community members, received a boost in numbers from 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment; the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team; and more from the 1st Armored Division from Fort Bliss, Texas, who were on hand because of training they are taking part in.

Angela Lane, the deputy garrison manager for U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria – Hohenfels, spoke to the crowd of runners at the Rodney J. Harris Sports and Fitness Center.

“Whatever your reason for coming down here, I appreciate you,” Lane said. “This is a small community, and I appreciate when you guys come out like this. This just strengthens our bond as a community, and just makes us ‘Better in Bavaria.’”

Runners lined up behind a colorful, inflatable arch. The throng of runners began by pounding through the complex of buildings on Pershing Road before exiting onto General Patton Drive, stretching and dispersing through the length of Camp Nainhof before rounding the corner at the airfield and footing it to Camp Linderberg. The faster runners looped back and were cheered on by participants who joined the event more for the fun than for the record.

The event, according to event organizer and fitness coordinator Kimberly Spalsbury, is non-competitive.

“Everybody in the community can come out and take part in it and not feel like it’s a competition,” she said. “We want it to be fun, family-friendly. Bring your young kids, bring your big kids, bring your pets.”

There were several young participants during the run. A few dogs also took part in the event. While the bibs were green, many other runners took a cue from the forthcoming St. Patrick’s Day to dress in green, including as bearded leprechauns.

The first finishers, however, were Soldiers from Fort Bliss, who finished in less than 23 minutes. Leading the pack was Anthony Flores of G Company, 2-37 AR. He encouraged his unit to show up for the run in addition to taking the run seriously.

“I love it for myself because it helps you clear the mind and keeps yourself healthy,” he said.

As many of the serious competitors arrived, volunteers with the local chapter of the American Red Cross, encircled their heads with completion medals. The runners then took a second to recuperate, some sitting on the flagstones outside the fitness center after giving it their all.

The Service Credit Union and American Red Cross handed out snacks and drinks to help runners recover their strength as more and more runners arrived, cheered on by the group gathered at the fitness center.

To see more photos from the run, visit the page here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usagbavaria/albums/72177720332549250.

Source: United States Army

VICENZA, Italy – When Maj. Brian Bailey pulled into an Austrian rest stop, plumes of black smoke billowed from a tractor-trailer cab engulfed by flames.

Nearby were two people on the ground, dangerously close to the fire. Adrenaline raced through Bailey’s body as he ran toward the blaze. A woman screamed “Help my husband!”

Bailey, a chaplain at U.S. Army Garrison Italy, was returning to Vicenza from a course in Grafenwöhr, Germany, on March 8 when he pulled into to rest area in Angath, about 40 miles northeast of Innsbruck.

One victim, the truck’s driver, was severely burned and unresponsive. The second man, a Lithuanian passerby, had pulled the driver out but fell five feet during the rescue, shattering his leg. His wife had been calling for help.

Bailey, a Tennessee native and Iraq veteran, had been in tense situations before. Soldier training, to include the Combat Lifesaver Course and Combat Medical Ministry training kicked in.

“Those courses prepared me to be a first responder for physical and spiritual injuries and when faced with the reality of the situation,” Bailey said. “The skills I had been taught allowed me to act.”

The trucker, a man from Uzbekistan, was severely burned and bloodied. Bailey and another bystander – a Polish man named Bongo – carefully moved the trucker away from the flames. They gently placed him beside the Lithuanian – Bailey called him Otto – who was on a trip with his wife and nephew.

Bailey helped cut away the trucker’s burned clothes and assessed his injuries. He had shallow breathing and a fast, weak pulse. He and Bongo prepared to conduct CPR, clearing his airway, tilting his head back and elevating his feet. Worried that his heart may stop, Bailey ran into the rest stop and, using his high school-level German, convinced staff to get an automated external defibrillator.

Back outside, they continued to monitor the victims’ vital signs. Bailey told other people to call for help and spoke to the emergency dispatcher through a bystander’s phone, sharing information while continuing to provide care.

Otto, the Lithuanian, was in extreme pain. They didn’t want to move him any further so they did their best to shield him from the heat of the flames, growing higher as the fire consumed the whole front of the truck nearby.

Several loud explosions erupted from the burning cab. Other truckers, using handheld extinguishers, attempted to put the fire out, but their efforts were in vain.

The first Austrian paramedics to arrive didn’t have gear to move the injured. Then Austrian police and ambulances arrived. Bailey helped them move the injured to a safer spot for further care.

“We first placed the burn victim on a litter and moved him to a grassy area away from the fire,” Bailey said. “We then returned for the second man with the broken leg, and I assisted a paramedic in stabilizing his leg with an air splint.”

As the medics worked, Bailey spoke to Otto, offering encouragement. Bailey helped lift Otto into an ambulance, that transported him to the nearby Kufstein District Hospital, according to Austrian news outlets. The driver was airlifted by helicopter to the Murnau am Staffelsee Hospital in Bavaria with severe burns.

During the Initial investigations, police said a technical defect in the driver’s cab caused the fire, according to Austrian news reports.

Reflecting afterward, Bailey thought of his training as an Army chaplain and passages from the Bible – things that helped him process the stressful event. Bailey’s religious beliefs have been at the forefront of his mind since the incident. He believes that his involvement was not by chance. He speaks humbly of the steps he took that afternoon, from the first aid to the comforting words of encouragement that he offered.

“My deepest wish was for my actions to point not to myself, but to the profound hope and compassion that Jesus speaks of,” Bailey said. “I am humbled to have been a small part of the care for the wounded, and I pray that my service brought a glimmer of that divine hope to a very dark situation.”

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

ROME – March 16, 2026 – Approximately 40 nations and more than 300 senior leaders and personnel will participate in the African Land Forces Summit 2026 (ALFS 26), scheduled for March 22–24, 2026, in Rome, Italy. ALFS is an annual forum that convenes African land force commanders alongside U.S. and partner-nation military leaders, as well as representatives from academia, government and industry, to address shared security challenges.

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) will host the 2026 summit. Since its inception, ALFS has been held across the United States and Africa, including in the U.S. (2010 and 2022), Uganda (2012), Senegal (2015), Tanzania (2016), Malawi (2017), Nigeria (2018), Botswana (2019), Ethiopia (2020), Côte d’Ivoire (2023), Zambia (2024) and Ghana (2025). The Rome summit marks the first time this premier forum will be hosted in Europe.

The theme for ALFS 26, “Empowering shared security through intelligence, innovation, and industry,” reflects a growing emphasis on connecting military leadership with private-sector expertise. The summit is designed to bridge the gap between defense institutions and industry partners, enabling collaborative approaches to modern security requirements.

Over the course of the two-day event, participants will engage with a distinguished group of defense, industry and academic thought leaders to explore strategies that strengthen regional stability and reinforce a framework of shared security among participating nations.

“The 2026 African Land Forces Summit in Rome represents a significant milestone as a U.S. Army-led forum intentionally designed to connect African senior leaders with global industry expertise,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Andrew C. Gainey, commanding general of SETAF-AF. “This summit emphasizes the integration of dual-use technology and capital investors with African land forces as we are looking to address an evolving security environment through industry and innovation.”

A key component of the summit will be engagement with capital investors, who will join defense leaders and industry innovators to discuss emerging solutions and technologies that support modern land forces. These discussions will focus in part on dual-use technologies that provide both civilian and defense applications.

“Our goal is to create an environment where meaningful exchanges between defense leaders, industry innovators and investors lead to tangible cooperation, shared responsibility and a more secure future for both America and the African continent,” Gainey added.

By fostering nontraditional partnerships and strengthening collaboration across military, industry and investment communities, SETAF-AF and its African partners aim to build a more resilient, technologically advanced security environment that promotes long-term peace and stability for Africa and the United States.

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

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Media Contact:

Neil A. Ruggiero

U.S Army Southern European Task Force, Africa – Public Affairs: setaf_media@army.mil