Image Gallery: September 2008
17 September 2008
Cooperative Spirit 2008 Opening Ceremony
1 RAR has joined with other ABCA (America, Britain, Canada and New Zealand) Army groups to participate in the opening ceremony for Cooperative Spirit 08 (CS08) at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany. The CS08 training event at JMRC focuses on Counter-Insurgency (COIN) operations in an Afghanistan scenario.
ABCA Army units at CS08 consist of the United States 3/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, the United Kingdom’s 1st Welsh Guard, the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment and B Company, 2nd of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry. Total force participants taking part in training are approximately 1800.
Approximately 180 personnel drawn mostly from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) in Townsville have deployed to Germany on Cooperative Spirit 2008 (CS08). CS08 is a multinational exercise intended to test interoperability among the American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Armies (ABCA).
The 1 RAR contingent comprises of a Battle Group HQ and Combat Team Force Element and will be combined with a company from the 2nd/1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) to create the ‘ANZAC Battle Group’ during the exercise. They will conduct operations in the field, under stressful battlefield conditions, complete with a sophisticated opposing force and realistic training scenarios in a world-class training facility.
CS08 is being conducted by the United States at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC), located in Hohenfels, Germany, between 11 Sep and 10 Oct 08. The month-long exercise aims to develop skills common to ABCA armies and increase interoperability for combined operations, offering significant opportunities to train soldiers in a combined (multinational) environment.
| 20080912cs08_003 LT Travis Day, 3 CER and flag ensigns from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand on parade at the opening ceremony for Cooperative Spirit 08 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels, Germany. (Date taken: 12 September 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20080912cs08_004 Australian Army COL Shane Amor, Chief of Staff ABCA Armies Program, addresses the opening ceremony for Cooperative Spirit 08 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels, Germany. (Date taken: 12 September 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20080912cs08_005 LTCOL Peter Connolly and WO2 Mark Retallick from 1 RAR join with other ABCA Army contributing nations Commanding Officers and Sergeant Majors during the opening ceremony for Cooperative Spirit 08 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels, Germany. (Date taken: 12 September 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20080912cs08_007 LTCOL Peter Connolly, CO 1 RAR, SGT Andrew Gordon-Douglas (flag bearer), WO2 Mark Retallick and members of 1 RAR on parade during the opening ceremony for Cooperative Spirit 08 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels, Germany. (Date taken: 12 September 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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