FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Four Swedish army service members spent time with the 42nd Infantry Division learning about large-scale combat operations during a warfighting exercise from Jan. 24 to Feb. 8.
The Swedish soldiers’ participation with the New York Army National Guard members during Warfighter Exercise 25-3 marks their second visit with the 42nd Infantry Division and their first experience working with the United States in a division-level warfighter exercise.
“It feels great to be here, and the partnership program is fairly new, so we’re pretty much first out in this,” said Swedish Army Lt. Col. Fredrik Mansson, the chief of operations for the 1st Division Headquarters.
The Swedish military is the New York National Guard’s newest partner through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, having entered into the partnership in July. Through the program, the National Guard conducts military-to-military engagements supporting defense security goals while enhancing relationships and capabilities with allies and international partners.
“(We’ve had) a lot of learning experiences for us moving up now to large-scale combat operations on the division and corps level,” Mansson said. “Following these exercises, (we will be) taking some good ideas that the 42nd Infantry Division does on the (standard operating procedures), methods, and things like that, and include bits and pieces of that into the Swedish division.”
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Adam Connolly, deputy fire support coordinator for the 42nd Infantry Division, worked closely with the Swedish soldiers throughout WFX 25-3.
“It’s inspiring to see such motivated multinational partners so engaged to learn from us and work with us, and we are learning from them as well,” Connolly said. “It’s exciting to see them embrace the way we do business and to hear how they’re looking forward to working with us in the future.”
In addition to learning from one another, the cooperation between the Swedish soldiers and New York-based Soldiers of the 42nd Infantry Division enhances military-to-military interoperability as NATO allies.
“It’s important for a new NATO (ally) to learn how we do tasks, and for us to learn how they do tasks so that we can work together and have interoperability, especially when in regards to large-scale combat operations,” Connolly said.
Mansson agreed and said participation in WFX 25-3 enabled the Swedish soldiers to learn and integrate with NATO forces through operational planning, exercise control measures, and practice fighting side-by-side with a U.S. division.
Sweden is NATO’s newest member, joining March 7, and is the 32nd allied member.
“I think right now we’re at some kind of starting point,” Mansson said. “But it’s great to be first out here and be a part of this.
“We’ve been really well received from the 42nd Infantry Division,” Mansson said. “Working together with all the U.S. (Soldiers) here has been just great and fantastic.”