Story by JFC Naples Public Affairs Office
LAGO PATRIA, Italy - Exercise Noble Jump 17 ended today as more than 2,000 troops and 500 vehicles serving with NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Land) redeployed after a rapid deployment to the Cincu exercise area, Romania, where they trained with 2,000 Romanian troops.
Romania, Bulgaria and Greece hosted Noble Jump training and transit activities. Albania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom and United States all deployed troops and equipment.
Noble Jump was designed to test the core elements of NATO’s Readiness Action Plan (RAP) by putting the VJTF(L) through its paces through rapid deployment to an assigned area of operations while overcoming multiple logistical challenges.
Lt. Col. Pascal Bogdan, the Romanian movement coordinator center officer, said his team, along with colleagues from the air and land forces, coordinated movement and transportation aspects at Sibiu airport throughout the exercise’s deployment and redeployment of participating troops and equipment. Bogdan’s crew also oversaw all railroad transports arriving to Voila as a unique point of railway access to Cincu Training Area.
The success of Noble Jump was determined by the VJTF(L)’s ability to have troops ready to move within two to three days and successfully move troops to the area of operations. Noble Jump 17 marked the first time that the VJTF(L) was deployed to NATO’s South Eastern flank.
"The exercise was a significant logistical challenge which tested the ability of all participants to deliver a fighting force to this region,” said Admiral Michelle Howard, commander, Allied Joint Forces Command Naples. "In so doing, NATO proved its resolve and cohesion to ensure the collective defense of its members.”