Category: Security

Source: United States Army

FORT POLK, La. — The Virginia Army National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team is testing its combat readiness during a Joint Readiness Training Center, or JRTC, rotation May 31 – July 1.

The rotation marks a historic milestone for the brigade and the Army National Guard. The 116th is the first Army National Guard brigade to conduct a JRTC rotation as a mobile brigade combat team, or MBCT, after officially transforming from an infantry brigade combat team to an MBCT in October 2025.

The training gives Soldiers and leaders an opportunity to validate new formations, equipment and tactics in a demanding, large-scale combat environment while preparing for future overseas deployments and domestic response missions.

“Unlike typical annual training, this rotation involves a large-scale combat operations simulation aimed at validating the readiness of brigade-sized units for global missions,” said Col. Arthur S. Moore, commander of the 116th. “This exercise is a key event in a multi-year training cycle and represents a generational opportunity, as many National Guard Soldiers may have this experience only once in their careers.”

About 3,000 Soldiers assigned to the 116th MBCT are participating in the JRTC rotation, along with units from 18 states and territories, three U.S. Army Reserve units and international partners, including members of the Finnish Defense Forces. Virginia and Finland are formally paired through the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.

“This premier training event allows the Soldiers and leaders of the 116th to operationalize the new formations and equipment to prepare for upcoming [outside the continental United States] deployments and support domestic missions,” said Brig. Gen. Rusty McGuire, the assistant adjutant general – Army strategic initiatives of the Virginia National Guard and the senior trainer for the JRTC rotation.

The MBCT concept is part of the U.S. Army’s continuous transformation effort to build units that are more agile and lethal. The formation incorporates three infantry battalions, adds a multipurpose company to each battalion and includes a multifunctional reconnaissance company at the brigade level.

The 116th became the first Army National Guard brigade to test and evaluate an approved task organization for an MBCT during its 21-day eXportable Combat Training Capability, or XCTC, rotation in June 2025 at Fort Pickett, Virginia.

Since the XCTC rotation and formal transition to an MBCT, the brigade has prepared for JRTC by fielding and training on new Infantry Squad Vehicles and incorporating new unmanned aircraft systems and electronic warfare capabilities. The brigade has also worked with the Army Research Laboratory to integrate new technology designed to help Soldiers operate on the modern battlefield.

“Our partnership with the Army Research Laboratory is pivotal to the Virginia National Guard’s commitment to modernization and readiness,” McGuire said. “This collaboration ensures our Soldiers are at the forefront of innovation, equipped to counter emerging threats and prepared to excel in overseas deployments. It highlights the vital role our Guard members play in advancing the security of our nation.”

Moore said, “Our brigade is trained and ready to win the first battle alongside the active U.S. Army if our nation calls upon us.”

“JRTC provides the ultimate test of our systems against a world-class opposing force. This ensures that when our Soldiers go to war, they do so with the absolute best preparation,” Moore said.

Read more about the 116th MBCT and their transformation on the Virginia National Guard website.

Source: United States Army

CAMP CARROLL, South Korea – Australian Army Maj. Gen. Giles J.S. Cornelia, deputy commanding general – strategy and plans, U.S. Army Pacific, visited Army Prepositioned Stocks-4 here, June 4.

During the visit, Cornelia toured key APS-4 facilities and received briefings from the leadership of the 403rd Army Field Support Brigade and Army Field Support Battalion-Northeast Asia.

He observed firsthand the equipment and processes that enable rapid deployment and sustainment operations and was updated on ongoing initiatives to enhance readiness and support combined operations. The visit underscored the critical role APS-4 plays in supporting U.S. and allied readiness in the Pacific Region.

His tour concluded with a group photo in front of Warehouse-15, where he expressed appreciation for the efforts of the 403rd AFSB and AFSBn-NEA teams, noting the importance of their mission in maintaining the Warriors in the region.

Source: United States Army

BRUNSSUM, the Netherlands – Victory is earned through preparation, resilience and the determination to keep pushing through the toughest conditions. Spc. Ethan Rieck, U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Benelux in Brunssum military policeman, was ready for victory before he competed and won the Army Materiel Command (AMC) Soldier of the Year.

Stepping into the competition, Rieck knew the challenge ahead would be unlike any he had faced before. He focused his preparation on physical training and sharpening his knowledge in anticipation of the boards and evaluations, knowing the mental preparation was just as important as the physical.

Rieck competed against highly capable Soldiers and to succeed, he knew he would need both physical and mental toughness.

“I was nervous,” Rieck admitted. “There were some really solid competitors out there. It was definitely the stiffest competition I’ve faced so far.”

Despite the pressure, Reick found confidence in the events that tested the skills he knows best. Expert Soldier Badge (ESP) lanes, Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills were where he felt most at home, allowing him to showcase the proficiency and experience he had worked hard to develop.

The biggest challenge wasn’t the tasks themselves; it was the weather. Relentless heat pushed competitors to their limits throughout the event.

“The heat was miserable,” Rieck said. “It was so hot. That was definitely the worst part.”

Rieck had one memorable moment that has stuck with him during an overnight field event. After several changes to the packing list, competitors arrived at the site only to realize no sleep gear had been authorized. Armed with little more than a poncho, he spent the night in the woods making the best of the situation; a reminder that adaptability is often just as important as preparation.

When the competition concluded, he felt confident he had done enough to secure a spot on the team. The top four specialists would advance and he believed he earned that opportunity. However, he expected to finish second behind another strong competitor.

The results told a different story.

“When I found out I came in first, it was awesome,” Rieck said. “At IMCOM-E, I placed second and lost by a very small number of points. This felt like getting my get-back.”

The victory was more than a first-place finish. It was a validation of months of preparation, perseverance through difficult conditions and growth from previous setbacks. Now, with momentum on his side, he is focused on the next challenge and eager to represent his team at the next level.

Source: United States Army

TAHITI, French Polynesia — Soldiers assigned to the 1st Theater Information Advantage
Detachment — U.S. Army Pacific’s newest information advantage organization and the first unit of its kind in the theater — participated in the Marara Cyber Challenge for the first time during Exercise Marara 26. Working alongside military, government and civilian cyber professionals from across the Indo-Pacific, the 1st TIAD helped strengthen cyber readiness and build multinational partnerships.

Marara 26, a multinational exercise led by the French Armed Forces in French Polynesia, brings together partner nations from across the Pacific to improve interoperability, enhance collective readiness, and strengthen regional security cooperation. This year’s exercise expanded into the cyber domain with the addition of the Marara Cyber Challenge, providing participants an opportunity to tackle realistic cyber threats while sharing expertise with international partners.

The challenge brought together participants from the United States, France, the Pacific Response Group — a regional multinational emergency response organization — and other partner organizations to solve cyber defense problems in a collaborative environment designed to test technical skills, communication and teamwork.

“The Marara Cyber Challenge is a capture-the-flag event,” said U.S. Army Capt. Noah Demoes, a cyber capabilities developer assigned to the 1st TIAD. “We work together as a joint team to integrate our tactics, techniques, and procedures to identify vulnerabilities.”

While the challenge focused on cybersecurity, participants said its greatest value was the opportunity to learn from international partners and gain exposure to different approaches to cyber operations.

“It helps us understand different points of view and ways of completing the task at hand,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Lawrence Cook, a cyber operations specialist assigned to the 1st TIAD.

Throughout the event, multinational teams worked together to defend networks, solve technical challenges, and share expertise. Participants exchanged knowledge and gained a better understanding of how partner nations approach cyber defense.

“Their level of knowledge on cyber operations,” said U.S. Army Capt. Jermell Chester, an
electromagnetic warfare officer assigned to the 1st TIAD. “They have an immense amount of knowledge, and they’ve been able to shed light on things for us as well.”

French Army Sgt. Erwan, assigned to the Army Forces in French Polynesia, said the cyber component reflects the growing importance of cybersecurity across the region.

“Cyber has become more and more important,” Erwan said. “Seeing how nations work on a capture-the-flag challenge can improve each other’s knowledge.”

Participants also worked through language barriers and differing approaches to cyber operations, challenges they said ultimately strengthened communication and teamwork.

“We learn how other people work, and sometimes we discover new ways of seeing things,” Erwan said.

As teams progressed through the challenge, collaboration consistently proved to be the key to success.

“The more that we collaborated, the more efficient we were at achieving the end state,” Demoes said. “We each bring a unique background, and usually that background helps at one piece of the puzzle.”

Beyond technical training, participants built professional relationships that they said will continue after the exercise concludes.

“We know these people now,” Cook said. “We have their contacts, and we can always schedule different times to train. Being that it’s cyber, we don’t have to come here to do it. We can do it online.”

Those relationships support one of the primary objectives of multinational exercises throughout the Indo-Pacific: building trust and strengthening partnerships before real-world challenges emerge.

“I think participation in this exercise is something that I would advocate for moving forward,” Demoes said. “Not just for the experience and gaining more technical experience but building that rapport and trust among different nations.”

As cyber threats continue to evolve, the Marara Cyber Challenge demonstrated that effective cyber defense depends not only on technical expertise, but also on strong partnerships. Through collaboration and shared learning, Soldiers from the 1st TIAD and their multinational partners strengthened both their cyber readiness and their ability to operate together across the Indo-Pacific.