U.S. National Guard Trains Military Forces In Ukraine

[rangerrebew]

U.S. National Guard Trains Military Forces In Ukraine
 
By Jason Bellini
January 31, 2022
American trainers from the Florida National Guard were deployed in November to Ukraine.

Ukraine’s military released these photos taken Sunday. They show U.S. Instructors training Ukranian soldiers on the use of missile launchers, specifically the shoulder-launched weapon known as the M141 bunker defeat munition. The M141 is described by the U.S. Military as a system that’s “highly effective against targets including fortified positions” and capable of breaching walls and “neutralizing light armored vehicles.” the American trainers are from the Florida National Guard. They were deployed in November to Ukraine.

The Florida National Guard is conducting training at a base in western Ukraine, far from the eastern border. It's around a 12-hour drive away from where Russian president Vladimir Putin is staging troops and high-tech military equipment.

Ukraine’s secretary of national security told the AP on Monday that Russian forces would be immediately repelled if they attacked. He said his government has the capability to mobilize 2.5 million people.

https://www.newsy.com/stories/u-s-national-guard-trains-military-forces-in-ukraine/

[Kamaji]

Isn't this sort of like the way we got into Vietnam?  Trainers and advisers first?

[AARguy]

The 153d (Infantry) Brigade Combat Team is about 3,300 Soldiers. They left Orlando in November for Ukraine with a short stop at a Combat Training Center for unit certification. The SMAW is easy to use. Its a rocket, by the way, not a missile. Rockets go where you aim them, like a bullet. (Think of the "bottle rockets" you played with as a kid.) A "smart" missile, on the other hand, can be manipulated in flight either by the gunner (TOW, SAL HELLFIRE, MAVERICK, et al), a radar (Air Force stuff), or be a "brilliant" missile that guides itself autonomously as in JAVELIN. JAVELIN is a game changer because it can hit a moving target, guiding itself, enabling the gunner to shoot and scoot ("fire and forget"), unlike previous weapons that must be guided by the gunner, exposing him/her to enemy fire during the time of flight. The 153rd is also training Ukrainians to use JAVELIN, which is more complex to use than an M141 (SMAW).