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Brazilian authorities closely observed part of the Culminating Exercise in Fort Polk, U.S.A., an unprecedented combined exercise held between the Brazilian and United States armies. The activity, counting on the participation of 172 soldiers from the Brazilian Army (BrA) Airborne Rifle Company, was carried out after two years of intense training.
The Brazilian delegation included the Minister of Defense, Fernando Azevedo; the Military Commander of the East, General José Eduardo Pereira; the Chief of Land Force Preparation, Lieutenant General Affonso da Costa; and the Commander of the Airborne Infantry Brigade, Major General Helder Braga. The officials were received by the Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Craig Faller and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Forces Command, General Michael Garrett.
During the visit, the delegation addressed the paratroopers and emphasized the importance of both what they were experiencing and the partnership between the two countries. The Minister of Defense recalled WW II when the Brazilian Expeditionary Force and Americans fought shoulder to shoulder in the fields of Italy against Nazi Fascism. When addressing the Brazilian troops, Admiral Craig Faller emphasized their confidence in the leadership and ability of the Brazilian combatant.
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The Military Commander of the East pointed out that the participation of Brazilian paratroopers in the exercise was a unique training experience. "It is an opportunity to train together, with first-rate equipment, and thereby increase the capacity of our soldiers," he said. The BrA Chief of Land Force Preparation, in turn, explained that this exercise opens the door for new similar exercises. “We have already advanced in negotiations for carrying out, every two years, beginning in 2021, an international exercise with our Readiness Forces on American soil, and likewise with U.S. Army troops in Brazil,” he revealed.
The delegation followed the paratroopers’ night jump from a KC-390 Millennium, a Brazilian aircraft. After the jump, the soldiers marched into combat and conquered the fictional Vila Pennsylvania, protecting the local population from the enemy. The Brazilian Company Commander in the Culminating Exercise, Captain Marcus Vinicius Falcão, explained that to prepare for the exercise, the company had carried out eight company-level training exercises, each designed to prepare the soldiers for the activities they would carry out during the Culminating Exercise.
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The Culminating Exercise is the last phase of an exchange between the Brazilian and United States armies. During this stage, members of the Brazilian Airborne Brigade joined an 82nd Airborne Division battalion brigade.
The activity is a high-simulation combat training situation with modern simulation techniques held in light of the real operations a brigade may perform. The combined exercise began on January 3 and ends on February 22 at the Joint Readiness Training Center, in Fort Polk, United States.
