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NEWS | June 20, 2017

Brig. Gen. Jolly visits Resolute Castle 17

By Capt.Colin Cutler 926th Engineer Brigade

In a busy week for Resolute Castle 2017, the United Kingdom’s Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) integrated their troops into operations at the Joint National Training Center.

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Phillip Jolly, the Deputy Commanding General of Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, United States Army Europe, visited project sites being developed and overseen by the 926th Engineer Brigade at the JNTC, Cincu, Romania, June 14, 2017.

In a ceremony hosted by Col. Vasile Ionescu, the 10th Engineer Brigade, Romanian Land Forces, welcomed the United Kingdom’s Royal Engineers to Operation Resolute Castle, an engineering mission underway at the Joint National Training Center.

The United Kingdom Soldiers will be taking the lead on building an operations and storage building, multi-purpose covered shelter, and sniper tower, as well as clearing ground for a range tower. Their operations will integrate vertical engineers from the Romanian 3rd Engineer Battalion, 10th Engineer Brigade, based out of Buzau, Romania.

“This is a great opportunity to work together with many nations in our own country,” said Capt. Adrian Draghiciu of the Romanian Land Forces

Jolly visited the Resolute Castle sites on June 14, meeting with Romanian, United Kingdom, and U.S. leadership and subject matter experts as they showed the progress on several different worksites. Jolly also met with Brig. Gen. Gheorghita Vlad, the post commander of the Joint National Training Center, on the ridge above the non-standard live-fire range, which he described as “the masterpiece of the master-plan.” The range will be used for tanks conducting armored live-fire drills, with distances from firing positions to targets of up to 2 kilometers.

This joint project is part of Resolute Castle 2017: a multi-national NATO engineering effort in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. The engineering mission is developing training infrastructure at the JNTC, enhancing interoperability of allied military forces, and strengthening ties between NATO nations.

In the past two months, U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Units, Navy Seabees, and Romanian 10th Engineer Brigade Soldiers have taken projects from unbroken ground to free-standing structures and kilometers of gravel tank trails; all of which advance the goal of making the JNTC a premier training area for future training of NATO troops.

With the integration of United Kingdom forces, work has continued at a rapid pace. As the Soldiers build these structures together, the shared sweat and labor cements the foundation of friendships and strengthened resolve across NATO forces.