BRAGGS, Okla. - For two weeks, soldiers of the United Kingdom trained with Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers at Camp Gruber, near Muskogee, Okla., during the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team's annual training, in late July.
"The saying at the moment is neither of our countries will go to war without the other," said U.K. Army Lieutenant Francesca Pinel, an engineer officer with the Jersey Field Squadron RE(M) Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia). "So it is really useful experience to be able to see, before you are in a war zone, how the other works so when you are in the war zone you can work together efficiently and effectively and not have to do the learning stage there."
Both Pinel and British Cpl. Andy Bolus, 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment, are in Oklahoma as part of a nationwide program where U.S. National Guard soldiers are individually partnered with soldiers from the U.K.'s reserve forces, based on military occupation specialty. More than 70 soldiers from the U.K. are paired with American counterparts during this year's rotation of the 28-year old program.
"No matter where we go, going forward in our combat operations they will always be our allies," said Oklahoma Army National Guard 1st Lt. George Goss, Pinel's American counterpart and fellow engineer officer. "It is crucial we all have the understanding that, even though we wear different uniforms, a lot of our military decision making process is very similar, there will be slight differences, but essentially we are the same."
Bolus, partnered with Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Zook of the 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry, 45th IBCT, has worked with U.S. Marines in Afghanistan and says he was excited to see how National Guard troops trained in comparison to his unit. He says his focus was on the full spectrum of how U.S. soldiers live and work.
"It is good to bring my experiences over with our tactics and the same with Zook when he came to us and gave us his view on things," Bolus said. "It is great to work on our partnership from across the pond."
The training program also takes U.S. service members and places them with the British forces during their training. Zook, working with Bolus, went to Italy for infantry training and Goss was sent to Cyprus with Pinel's unit.
"The hosting here has been phenomenal," Pinel said. "Everyone has been so kind, generous and welcoming."