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Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) jump out of a C-130 Hercules and drop to an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) jump out of a C-130 Hercules and drop to an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) jump out of a C-130 Hercules and drop to an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) jump out of a C-130 Hercules and drop to an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) drop down to an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) drop down to an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

A paratrooper with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) drops down to an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

A paratrooper with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) drops down to an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) drop down and ready their gear for an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) drop down and ready their gear for an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

Maj. Michael Centola, executive officer of the 4-319 Field Artillery Regiment, part of the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), pulls his parachute toward his pack during a live-fire artillery exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Maj. Michael Centola, executive officer of the 4-319 Field Artillery Regiment, part of the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), pulls his parachute toward his pack during a live-fire artillery exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) prepare an M119 A3 Howitzer to be paradropped to the ground during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) prepare an M119 A3 Howitzer to be paradropped to the ground during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) get artillery rounds ready for an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) get artillery rounds ready for an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) prepare an M119 A3 Howitzer before it is paradropped to the ground during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) prepare an M119 A3 Howitzer before it is paradropped to the ground during an exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

Soldiers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) provides security during an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018.

Soldiers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) provides security during an artillery live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Friday, May 18, 2018. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – It was raining soldiers on base Friday evening as more than 200 paratroopers with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) jumped out of C-130 Hercules and quickly prepared artillery to conduct a live-fire exercise.

During the drill — to prepare the brigade for this summer's exercises in Eastern Europe — soldiers paradropped a Humvee and an M119 A3 Howitzer from about 1,000 feet above ground.

After landing and firing their artillery, the soldiers marched to battle positions and conducted another "attack" at night.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade, "Sky Soldiers," are the U.S. Army's contingency response force in Europe, providing rapid forces to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.egnash.martin@stripes.com Twitter: @Marty_Stripes

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