The first phase of the exercise, rapid deployment of forces from different nations to one training area, is a vital aspect of military exercises and puts transport and logistics to the test.
"In the staging area we link up with the other parts of the unit. Everyone is getting some rest, especially the drivers, before we move on,” said British Trooper Stevenson from the 2
nd Royal Scotts Dragoon Guard, who is providing the just arrived troops with the necessary things like food and water.
A line of British 'Foxhound' Armoured Personnel Carriers parked at the assembly area at Drawsko Pomoski Training Area. - NATO Photo by SSgt Tom Evans, GBR Army
Aerial shot of Staging Area Vanguard in the Drawsko Pomorskie Training area in Poland where British Military assets report prior to participation in exercise Brilliant Jump - NATO photo by Cpl Heiko Müller, DEU Army
"Logistics at this scale is a massive undertaking,” said Captain Harry Busby of Headquarters the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team (‘The Desert Rats’). “Participation in exercise Brilliant Jump allows everybody at every level to hone their skills, while improving our overall readiness and capability,” Busby added.
Over 1,500 British troops are participating in exercise Brilliant Jump with troops arriving from as far north as Edinburgh, Scotland to as south as Southampton, England.
Following Brilliant Jump, the British, will travel further east into Poland and will cross the Vistula River before participating in exercise Polish Dragon.
As of Jan. 1, 2024, the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade took over the lead for NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force Land Component (VJTF(L), the rapid reaction troops for the NATO Response Force, placing thousands of soldiers on standby and ready to deploy within days.