The Ohio National Guard’s 838th Military Police Company arrives in Serbia for Platinum Wolf 2018. Platinum Wolf is a multinational training exercise hosted by the Serbian Armed Forces.
Platinum Wolf 2018 was CPL Seidel’s second time participating in the exercise. She noted the importance of the soldiers having the opportunity to have down time together and socialize.
“You would look out and see soldiers from a couple countries tossing the football or having a conversation,” CPL Seidel explained. “By the very end of [Platinum Wolf], everyone was very comfortable with each other, and so when we had the different training, we were able to successfully complete them together.”
Overall, Platinum Wolf was deemed a successful exercise that further strengthened the partnership between Ohio and Serbia, while also serving to develop the skills and bonds of the participating soldiers.
“It was a complete success in the sense that we trained and met the requirements that we needed as a platoon, but it also significantly furthered our relationship with Serbia, the host nation,” said 2LT Kurfiss. “We accomplished what we needed to accomplish.”
This year’s Platinum Wolf exercise culminated with a distinguished visitors day, where notable military and government officials from multiple countries came to watch the closing event. The event incorporated everything the participants learned over the course of the training and displayed the teamwork built by the soldiers during the exercise.
“It was essentially a big combined training event that showed how the interoperability had progressed throughout the training,” explained 2LT Kurfiss. “It was teams from each country all working together with a different piece of the mission. It went over everything we had learned during the training.”
For SGT Condon, the success of Platinum Wolf not only showcased successful interoperability among the participating nations, it reinforced his commitment to the Guard and reminded him of the importance of maintaining positive relationships with our Nation’s partners.
“I talked to my command afterwards, because I was on the fence about [re-enlisting],” remarked SGT Condon. “After Platinum Wolf, I wouldn’t consider resigning. I want to be there. I look forward to all the cultural experiences.”
