Starting on May 31, U.S. Army troops from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment are driving across Poland as part of a tactical road march dubbed “Dragoon Ride II.” On their way U.S. soldiers stopped to meet local residents in Tarnów May 31 to continue such meetings further on the way in Lublin (June 1) and Suwalki (June 4) and Olsztyn (June 9). During those meetings residents are able to talk to American soldiers and see American military equipment up-close, including Strykers, howitzers and support vehicles. The official hashtag for the event is #DragoonRide.

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment is conducting Dragoon Ride II in order to test mission command, sustainment and freedom of movement of its Stryker Combat Vehicles over a 2,200-kilometer route. Dragoon Ride II begins in Germany and progresses along two routes through the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and concludes in Estonia. Throughout the 17-day movement, the regiment will conduct multinational training exercises with their allied forces, including tactical river crossings with Polish forces near Torun, Poland. The goal of “Dragoon Ride II” is to demonstrate NATO forces’ freedom of movement along NATO interior lines, as well as the U.S. commitment to NATO security. The road march also facilitates the movement of U.S. Army units and equipment to the Baltic States for participation in the “Saber Strike 16” exercises.

American troops met Polish residents at similar events several times during the past year. Pictures from those events can be found here: Białystok, Drawsko Pomorskie, Sandomierz, Rzeszów, Toruń, Łódź, Opole, Tarnów and Suwałki.