U.S. and NATO service members assigned to Kosovo Force Regional Command-East took part in a Spur Ride at Camp Bondsteel, blending tactical training with cavalry tradition. The event gave Soldiers a shared challenge testing skill, endurance, and teamwork, while reinforcing the camaraderie and morale that support a multinational force.
Sources: US Army Europe and Africa (YouTube)
An Aviation Boatswain’s Mate – Launch/Recovery describes the two main groups within the rating — catapult crewmen and arresting gear crewmen — and the work of launching aircraft off a carrier flight deck.
The sailor, part of the catapult group, describes the launch as the craziest combining of mechanical craziness, and separately describes the below-decks technical work: observing gauges and lights, coordinating with officers and shooters, and maintaining equipment such as jet blast deflectors. The transcript also covers recovery, with a single wire stopping an entire aircraft, and notes the ship can put 70 of the world’s most lethal aircraft in an adversary’s airspace.
Sources: America's Navy (YouTube)
Aviation Boatswain’s Mates (ABHs) are the handlers who guide all aircraft aboard a carrier, supervising every movement, tow, park, spot and secure operation on the flight deck and in the hangar bay. The Navy entrusts them with maneuvering its most lethal technology.
Sources: America's Navy (YouTube)
Aviation Structural Mechanics (Safety Equipment), or AMEs, are the only Navy rate with “safety” in its name. They maintain the aircraft systems that protect aircrew: ejection seats, pressurization, fire suppression, and wing de-icing.
According to the video, the ejection seat’s two initiators produce 3,800 pounds of thrust in 0.25 seconds to launch a crew member about 300 feet. AMEs also service the fire bottle that shoots retardant into the engine and the de-ice boot that breaks up ice on the wings.
The work is physically demanding and high-stress, but one Sailor notes it is “outstanding” to work on Navy aircraft.
Sources: America's Navy (YouTube)
Formerly known as a mess specialist, the Navy’s Culinary Specialist (CS) rating keeps the crew happy, healthy and ready for daily operations, according to the service’s recruiting channel. The role involves learning a wide range of cooking techniques and traveling to embrace different culinary styles and food options.
Assignments can take a CS to ships, to Camp David, or to the White House as a personal chef.
Sources: America's Navy (YouTube)
A Navy Gunner’s Mate describes the 5-inch weapon system as the largest gun on the ship, noting the physical sensation of firing it. The rate is one of the two oldest in the Navy, responsible for maintaining every type of weapons control system aboard, including small arms and machine guns.
The sailor explains that some weapons, like the 50-caliber and 240 machine guns, are used for close-in defense of the ship, while the 5-inch gun can engage air or surface contacts and support amphibious operations. As a BLS tech, the sailor works on the vertical launching system for missiles, a role requiring additional technical training.
Sources: America's Navy (YouTube)
Navy Fire Control Technicians are the minds behind a submarine’s firepower, using sonar to track contacts, determine trajectory and ensure missiles and torpedoes hit their targets. The clip highlights the role’s unique nature, noting that nothing in the civilian world quite compares to it.
Sources: America's Navy (YouTube)
Sgt. Dale Davis, an intelligence analyst with Multi-Domain Command – Europe, discusses his work with the G2, focusing on security and processing to maintain visibility and coordinate with partner forces. He also shares how his family’s cooking culture inspires him to use meals and shared experiences to strengthen team bonds.
Sources: US Army Europe and Africa (YouTube)
During Saber Junction 26 at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, air defenders from Alpha Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52d Air Defense Artillery Brigade, conducted short-range air defense operations in support of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Using SGT STOUT Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense systems, the unit helped protect field artillery positions from simulated UAS and other aerial threats.
The training highlighted the role air defense plays in helping other combat systems stay in the fight and continue delivering effects, with personnel noting that the systems’ radar range allows threats to be detected and dealt with earlier, letting artillery units remain at firing points longer.
Sources: US Army Europe and Africa (YouTube)
Tactical air control party students at the TACP Formal Training Unit trained on fast roping and rappelling, starting with intro to fast roping from 15 and 30 feet and intro to rappelling out of a helicopter from 30 and 60 feet, both slick and with combat gear, before moving to live helicopter-based exercises.
On the second day, students conducted live fast rope training from a UH-60 over a drop zone, followed by rappelling from about 110 feet to demonstrate advanced infiltration skills. The training aims to familiarize students with the physical environment under a helicopter — rotor wash, height, sway, and noise — so it is not their first experience when they reach operational units or deploy with Army counterparts.
Sources: DVIDS (YouTube)