A soldier with the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team puts on his gas mask as a cloud of tear gas envelops him, during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
A soldier with the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team puts on his gas mask as a cloud of tear gas envelops him, during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
A soldier with the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team puts on his gas mask as a cloud of tear gas moves closer to him, during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers with the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team patrol through a German forest, during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
Pfc. Kyle Arendsz, an infantryman with the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, throws a Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle into the sky, during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers with the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team cross a defensive area with their Bradley Fighting Vehicle, during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers with the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team clear buildings, house-to-house, during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
A soldier with the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team shoots targets from inside a building, during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Soldiers with the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team engaged targets, blew up trenches and faced waves of searing tear gas during the live-fire portion of Exercise Combined Resolve.
During the exercise on Thursday, the soldiers donned chemical warfare gear and attacked through training obstacles from Bradley Fighting Vehicles and M1A2 Abrams tanks.
The soldiers then dismounted and used demolition tactics to clear paths for the vehicles. That’s when the CS tear gas grenade attack hit them. The gas cloud burned eyes and filled soldiers’ mouths with a heavy, peppery taste, as they worked to don their gas masks, create paths and engage targets on foot.
The exercise is the culmination event of the Fort Riley, Kan.-based brigade’s tour in Europe. The next portion of the exercise will bring them to the Hohenfels Maneuver Area, where they will be among 3,700 soldiers from 13 allied and partner nations.
egnash.martin@stripes.com Twitter: @Marty_Stripes
