FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Scattered throughout the densely wooded and rocky hills of the National Guard training center here, infantry Soldiers - with cammo faces and full "battle rattle" - from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, began their four day field training exercise as part of annual training June 9.
Embedded among these Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers were members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, made possible through the state partnership that the Maryland National Guard has with the country of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"It's been great having them attached to our company," said Army 1st Lt. David Brown, acting company commander, C Company, 1st Battalion., 175th Infantry Regiment. "They have been fully integrated into the company ... and they have been shadowing their counterparts here as well."
"We're also incorporating them into our platoons and squads as we conduct our field training exercise," Brown said, "which is a four day, three night exercise that we're conducting during annual training this year."
According to the Charlie Company first sergeant, Army 1st Sgt. Christopher Timson, the four day exercise includes training in tactical platoon movements, neutralizing mock high-value targets, and acquiring assets of value.
"The counterparts of ours from Bosnia-Herzegovina have been instrumental in helping our leaders work on operation orders and lead the platoons throughout the training," Timson said.
Brown said he felt that the partnership Maryland has with Bosnia-Herzegovina through the National Guard's State Partnership Program, was a great opportunity for his Soldiers to learn about intercultural relations and how similarly foreign militaries operate.
"Despite the diversity we have in the U.S., we don't always get to interact with people from another country," he said, "so I think it's been a great opportunity for our guys … because the way the Bosnians operate is not much different, and it's good to see that around the world a lot of the basic infantry skills are similar."
"I personally think that the more interactions we can get with other countries' soldiers, the more it opens up our Soldiers' minds to the outside world," he said.
One unique interaction these infantry Soldiers had was with Lt. Kristijan Pantic, a combat veteran infantry officer from the AFBiH shadowing Army 2nd Lt. Abram Gordon, rifle platoon leader with C Co., 1-175th.
"It was interesting when we heard the there would be a female infantry officer shadowing our platoon, and after interacting with her it has been a lot more than I expected," Gordon said.
"I've learned a lot from her, about tactics and about being a leader," he said "She is an infantry officer and she is leading soldiers, regardless of gender."
Gordon said in addition to learning new perspectives on how Pantic leads a platoon, he has also learned how Bosnia-Herzegovina infantry soldiers operated in Afghanistan.
"She's given me some great tactical advice on squad tactics," he said. "She helps critique my movements and offer ways to do things better, and it all made sense. She is very competent in her skillset and is very capable in leading soldiers, and that's all that matters in a leader."
Gordon said Pantic was one of the first female soldiers in her country to join the infantry.
"She told me that she was actually one of the first females in her country to be allowed into the infantry there," he said. "She's adapted to her role as an infantry officer very well, and she has shown that she is more than capable of her role as an infantry officer."
Gordon said he's always been an advocate of the diverse learning gained through exchanges in the SPP
"We learn things from our allies through the State Partnership Program that we don't often have an opportunity to learn here because they deal with conflict on a more regular basis, such as in the Balkans and Eastern Europe," Gordon said. "SPP allows officers and [noncommissioned officers] from each partnership to learn different skills and then adapt them to meet changing needs and requirements."
Words echoed at the top by Brown and Timson.
"I think the State Partnership Program is a strength of the Guard and I think it's great being able to work with countries from around the world on a regular basis," Brown said.
"It lets our Soldiers, and theirs, gain different perspectives on certain things," Timson agreed, "and when you can see both sides of the coin, it helps you become a better Soldier and a better leader."
"It's nice to see how different countries do they same thing that we do, and how we can learn from one another to do things better," he said.