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Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

BIZERTE, Tunisia — Low crawling through the woods for long periods of time is nothing new to U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Joshua Trutna. Splinters, fatigue and heat are all part of the job as a tactical remote sensor system maintainer with Ground Sensor Platoon, 2nd Intelligence Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group.

What is new for Trutna, is doing it alongside Tunisian Special Forces soldiers in the forests of northern Tunisia.

Trutna gained a deeper understanding of what it means to defend a homeland during African Lion 2026, as Tunisian Special Forces soldiers told him about their experiences conducting real-world missions to protect their country from terrorist threats.

“As tough as the training can be, there’s a reason behind it,” Trutna said. “They [Tunisian Special Forces] are actually doing the mission.”

This interaction with Tunisian forces is part of U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, the exercise involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

Marines assigned to Ground Sensor Platoon trained with Tunisian forces on remote sensor systems used to detect movement and provide early warning in complex terrain.

Throughout the exercise, Marines shared techniques on how to emplace, monitor and recover ground sensors in daylight and low-light conditions. They also conducted infiltration and observation of named areas of interest with partner forces to build multinational readiness.

Trutna connected with his counterparts as they sweat their way through the dense terrain of northern Tunisian forests. The shared experience gave Trutna a new perspective on the purpose behind the training and the common hardships endured by warfighters everywhere.

“We all deal with the same things,” Trutna said. “Being tired, sitting in the field, waiting for something to happen.”

Tunisia’s position in North Africa creates distinct security challenges as its vast and often remote terrain is difficult to monitor with traditional tools alone, which made the Marines’ employment of ground sensors all the more essential. This training paved the way for Tunisian forces to receive faster, more reliable notification of terrorist threats.

“These sensors give us another tool to understand what’s happening in the battlespace,” said U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Joseph Kennedy, platoon commander of the Ground Sensor Platoon.

The Marines demonstrated how these systems can support border security efforts in complex environments.

“Even covering a small area can provide information that helps us determine where movement is happening and how to respond,” Kennedy said.

This training event also represented a significant milestone for the unit. According to Kennedy, AL26 marked the first deployment of the newest generation of ground sensor systems outside of the United States. Earlier this year, his platoon became the first U.S. Marine unit to receive the equipment, and they have continued to refine its employment in real-world environments.

“It’s a great opportunity to expose these sensors, not just to our partner forces, but also to other U.S. services that may not have this capability,” Kennedy said.

Trutna, Kennedy and the rest of Ground Sensor Platoon now carry a clearer sense of why their expertise matters. In Tunisia’s forests, they saw how their sensors and skills give partners the ability to spot threats before they strike.

In that shared mission, they found a deeper understanding of what it means to help defend a homeland. For the U.S., that means addressing threats before they can arrive on American soil.

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US Soldiers strengthen Tunisian Armed Forces’ civil-military operations capacity | Dec. 23, 2025

About African Lion

African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

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.

Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS

Source: United States Army

ANSBACH, Germany – U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach recently completed the demolition of a fuel point at Barton Barracks, paving the way for the construction of a new Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility (TEMF) to support the 1-57 Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

The fuel point, in operation since 1945, provided fuel for U.S. Army fleet and tactical vehicles assigned to units stationed at Barton Barracks for decades.

It was decommissioned in 2019 following the relocation of tactical units. After decommissioning, the remaining fuel was drained, tanks were cleaned, and all maintenance and inspections were kept current as required for fuel points in non-operational status, in compliance with both U.S. and Host Nation regulations.

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), administrative owner of the facility, commissioned the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to oversee the €2,959,000 ($3,698,750) project, which was awarded to Arcadis Germany GmbH on Oct. 30, 2024. Construction began Aug. 25, 2025, with beneficial occupancy projected for Aug. 6, 2026.

The demolition cleared space for the construction of a TEMF to support the operational requirements of the Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-57 ADA), a tenant unit activated at USAG Ansbach on October 4, 2023, and headquartered at Barton Barracks.

A TEMF is a specialized maintenance facility where Soldiers and technicians repair, maintain, and check military vehicles and equipment.

Environmental compliance throughout the project was monitored by the State Construction Agency (Staatliches Bauamt Nuernberg), USAG Ansbach’s construction partner, and USAG Ansbach’s Environmental Division within the Department of Public Works (DPW).

Demolition included the removal of all vertical structures associated with the fuel point, excavation and removal of underground storage tanks and the oil-water separator, soil testing and inspection in accordance with Host Nation requirements, disposal of hazardous materials, and replacement with clean, compacted fill.

Torger Torgersen, project engineer at USAG Ansbach, expressed satisfaction with the project’s execution.

“Although the project had to be extended for six months due to the hard winter weather conditions, the soil remediation of approximately 1,500 cubic meters of contaminated soil was successful,” Torgersen said. He added that there were no unforeseen obstacles. “We knew about the – largely POL – contamination beforehand, as was to be expected in a fuel point demolition, and there were no unpleasant surprises.”

Site restoration included grading to direct stormwater runoff away from adjacent properties, the application of 15 centimeters of crushed aggregate across the site, and the cutting and capping of utilities discovered during excavation.

The fuel point demolition is part of a massive $330 million modernization project at Barton Barracks.

This demolition project serves as a preparatory step for the larger TEMF construction project at Barton Barracks, which is targeted for contract award in summer 2027. Several other large projects are also planned at Barton Barracks, including a battalion headquarters and two Unaccompanied Personnel Housing projects, which are projected to begin construction in late 2026.

Source: United States Army

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz firefighters joined forces with German emergency responders April 26 to contain a large brush fire that threatened the A6/A63 autobahn interchange.

When the fire broke out in north Kaiserslautern, flames and heavy smoke forced the closure of the major traffic route. German firefighters at the Kaiserslautern Main Dispatch Center issued a request for support, and the garrison’s Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) responded without delay.

DES Deputy Fire Chief Robert Womble led the response, deploying Engine-12 from Fire Station1 Kaiserslautern East alongside Hook-37, a 7,000-liter water tender from Miesau Army Depot.

“Our crews were ready to move,” said Womble. “We train for these situations and working with our German partners, we were able to get the fire under control and keep it from spreading further.”

Garrison fire crews were initially staged at the nearby ZAK industrial complex before being integrated into the host nation’s incident command. Working side by side, American and German firefighters carried out water shuttle operations and attacked the fire from the hillside and along the autobahn.

The scale of the fire and dense smoke kept the A6/A63 interchange closed until late Sunday night.

Personnel on scene included Womble; Engine-12 Crew Chief Markus Roughton, Driver Operator Rafael Kuhnert and Firefighter Manuel Schwoerer; and Hook-37 firefighters Martin Sauer and Michael Laufer.

The response reflects ongoing cooperation between USAG Rheinland-Pfalz and local German emergency services. In 2024, the garrison’s DES formalized a mutual aid agreement with several surrounding communities including Bruchmühlbach-Miesau, to better prepare coordinated response efforts during emergencies such as fires and floods.

Editor’s note: Cameron Hochheim, Kaiserslautern High School student and public affairs intern, contributed to this story.

Source: United States Army

No Refrigeration Needed

Army Medics Learn Walking Blood Bank Transfusion Techniques during Combined Resolve

Story and Photos by U.S. Army 1st Sergeant Lisa Rodriguez-Presley

HOHENFELS, Germany – Combined Resolve 26-07 is increasing more than battlefield lethality, as U.S. Army combat medics from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division train to provide lifesaving care and return wounded Soldiers to the fight.

“Walking blood banks are something you only see in combat situations,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Tumey, an Observer Coach/Trainer with Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Team Adler. “In cases where blood supplies are running critically low, soldiers have the opportunity to save lives by giving whole blood for immediate use.”

According to Tumey, medics rarely have the opportunity to practice giving blood transfusions, which is a highly perishable skill. Even rarer is the opportunity to set up a “walking blood bank,” where whole blood is taken from soldiers and immediately transfused to casualties who can’t wait for traditional blood supplies to be replenished.

“I have some soldiers say to me that they’ve done this training in Advanced Individual Training, but I haven’t seen a lot of providers doing training like this at home station,” said Tumey. “Blood kits are very expensive, and a lot of the soldiers coming through here say that they’ve never done transfusions before, but as a combat medic, you’re expected to know how to do it.”

For the exercise, patients served as both donors and recipients of their own blood. Combat medics took blood from the patient, checked the blood type using a blood kit, and then transfused the soldier’s own blood back into their body, giving the medics real-world experience that can’t be replicated any other way.

“The only time I’ve done a blood transfusion in the Army was during AIT,” said Pfc. Fantashia Carroll, a combat medic with 3rd Brig. 1st Cav. Div. “This training is really helping me with my skills since I’m doing so many repetitions, and for future patients, I’m able to perform better.”

The risk during the procedure is low, but not zero, according to Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Pischieri, an Observer Coach/Trainer with JMRC, Team Adler. Infection, adverse reactions to medication, and other complications are always a possibility.

“This is as much an art as it is a skill,” said Pischieri. “The more you practice, the more you develop techniques that work better for you. Everyone has little differences in how they teach these skills, so you take what you’re taught, and you work to improve on it.”

According to Tumey and Pischieri, the exercise allows them to mentor and instill confidence in young medics, increasing the proficiency of those who care for wounded soldiers. These efforts help ensure that casualties receive the best possible care, even under the worst conditions.