1st Armored Brigade Combat Team Soldiers returned to Ft. Riley this past October from a deployment to Poland. Sergeant First Class Zachary Ballard said once they occupied their location in Trezvien, Poland they were able to experience the culture of food, customs and how the Polish view Americans.
Ballard said the Soldiers accomplished a lot including a culminating event involving a 10-day field exercise. "In a five month span we able to accomplish what would take approximately one year of training."
Environmental considerations with weather were a challenge for the troops during their deployment.
Living arrangements included the use of twelve 100-man tents for a two-to three month period followed by the use of 'Alaska' tents that housed twelve Soldiers.
1st Lieutenant Trevor Prindle served as a platoon leader for a rifle platoon. "My role is to design training and empower my NCO's to carry out that training." Prindle arrived in Poland in June after the deployment had begun. He credited the U.S. training for being well organized. "We have a set of rules that we follow within regulations and doctrine that we live by when it comes to training. " He noted that the Polish training structure seemed very minimal.
The troops from Fort Riley also spent time at at military base in Germany.
Prindle and Ballard briefed a Society of the 1st Infantry Division Fort Riley chapter meeting audience about the recent deployment.