DEFENDER 24 React to Contact Exercises

Credit: Spc. Ehron Ostendorf | Date Taken: 05/07/2024
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Justin Seidenstucker, assigned to the Thomson-based, Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 214th Artillery Regiment, 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, explains the unit's role during React to Contact exercises during the DEFENDER 24 exercise in Skillingaryd, Sweden on May 7, 2024. DEFENDER 24 is the Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness, and is a U.S. European Command scheduled, U.S. Army Europe and Africa conducted exercises that consist of Saber Strike, Immediate Response, Swift Response. DEFENDER 24 is linked to NATO's Steadfast Defender exercise, and DoD's Large Scale Global Exercise, taking place from 28 March to 31 May. DEFENDER 24 is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe and includes more than 17,000 U.S. and 23,000 multinational service members from more than 20 Allied and partner nations, including Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. (Army video by Spc. Ehron Ostendorf and Sgt. Jaylan Caulton)