by John Vandiver at Stars and Stripes
A Ukrainian officer had an encouraging message for the contingent of U.S. soldiers that left a Ukrainian military base shortly before Russia launched its full-fledged invasion of the country in February.
“That (Ukrainian) officer specifically stated that the biggest mistake that the Russians made was giving us eight years to prepare for this,” said Lt. Col. Todd Hopkins, deputy commander of the Florida National Guard’s 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Hopkins’ Guard soldiers are again working side by side with Ukrainian forces, this time in Grafenwoehr, Germany, as troops train to operate an array of weaponry heading to the front.
The resumption of the Joint Multinational Training Group Ukraine mission, which was suspended in February as U.S. forces departed Ukraine for security reasons, has Ukrainian soldiers working with 155 mm howitzers, radars and other gear.
“Now what we’re doing is we’re running through a streamlined course here on the new equipment that they’ll be receiving,” Brig. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, head of the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwoehr, told reporters Wednesday. “The goal in all of this is to get them back as soon as possible.”…
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