DEFENDER is the Army’s largest annual opportunity to exercise moving personnel and equipment into theater across modes for initial and follow-on operations critical to Large Scale Combat Operations. Led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the exercise focuses on the strategic deployment of CONUS-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stock and follow-on exercises demonstrating lethality and interoperability with Allies and partners

DEFENDER 25 Outreach tour
DEFENDER 25 Infographic

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Video by Capt. Jennifer French
Interviews: 173rd Airborne Brigade Leads Multinational Airborne Operation During Swift Response 2025 in Lithuania
173rd Airborne Brigade
May 16, 2025 | 3:02
U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade exit a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules over Memel Drop Zone at Gaiziunai Training Area, Lithuania, during a joint forcible entry operation as part of Swift Response 2025, May 16, 2025.

The airborne operation integrated 1,650 paratroopers from five NATO nations—including Germany, Italy, France, and the Netherlands—demonstrating the Alliance’s ability to rapidly project combat power without notice.

Staff Sgt. Wesley Carlson, Infantryman
“Any jump you walk away from is a good one,” said Carlson, infantryman. “We have to keep that partnership strong,” Carlson said. “We’ve got to keep those alliances strong and the only way to do that is by training.”

“Anyone can do it,” Carlson said. “All you do is walk out. Gravity does the rest.”

Spc. Donavan Smith, Infantryman
“The weather is alright. The ground wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be,” Smith said.

“I think airborne operations are important to continue to show our nations enemies that we have capabilities to do it,” Smith said.

“I jump out of airplanes because it’s really fun,” Smith said. “It’s not for everybody, but it’s for me.”

Capt. Dylan Vannostrand, Field Artillery Officer
“Show our enemies what we can do, and we can do it with multinational forces to show them that we are partners,” said Vannostrand.

“Show our enemies that we are a unified force and that if they mess with one of us, they’re going to mess with all of us,” said Vannostrand.

As the U.S. Army’s only Airborne Brigade forward-stationed in Europe, the 173rd serves as the Contingency Response Force for U.S. European Command—able to deploy on short notice to deter aggression and defend NATO’s eastern flank. Swift Response, linked to Lithuania’s national exercise Iron Wolf, validated multinational warfighting readiness with combined air-land operations and medical support.

(U.S. Army video by Capt. Jennifer French)
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  • Swift Response

    FinlandItalyLatviaLithuaniaNorwaySwedenSlovenia

  • Immediate Response

    AlbaniaBulgariaCroatiaGreeceKosovoMontenegroNorth MacedoniaSlovakia

  • Saber Guardian

    CzechiaGermanyHungaryRomaniaSlovakia

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