Saber Strike 24 2CR Field Artillery Squadron Fire Mission [Image 1 of 3]

U.S. Army Sgt. Jamarcus Chalmers, left, a section chief with the Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, gives the command to fire next to Sgt. Matthew Richardson, from the same unit, during a fire mission as a part of Saber Strike 24 on Bemowo Piskie Training Ground, Poland, April 19, 2024. As section chief, Chalmers verifies each shell before it’s loaded, and also gives the final command to fire the weapon. DEFENDER 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 exercise that consists of Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and 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. (U.S. Army photo composition by Spc. Andrew Clark)