EABestSquad

U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition

US Army Europe Best Warrior Logo

Teams from across U.S. Army Europe and Africa will meet at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, to compete for the title of Best Squad, July 31 - August 9, 2024.

The event tests the squad’s effectiveness, communication, and overall cohesion, as well as the individual Soldiers’ technical and tactical proficiency, endurance, and fortitude.

This competitive training event exercises a full range of Squad-Level Skills; highlighting professional excellence and knowledge to determine the command’s top teams.

Winners of this competition will advance to represent U.S. Army Europe and Africa at the Army Best Squad Competition.

One noncommissioned officer and one junior Soldier will be selected out of the final winning squad to be named the Army’s Best NCO and Best Soldier of the Year, respectively.

For more imagery, videos and news visit our DVIDS feature page at: U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition

Videos

Video by Staff Sgt. Blake Essex

Interview: 173rd Airborne Capt Thomas Krause discusses crisis response training with Morocco at African Lion 2025

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

May 25, 2025 | 2:17

U.S. Army Capt. Thomas Krause, commander of Destined Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, discusses the importance of crisis response training with Royal Moroccan Armed Forces partners at African Lion 2025 (AL25), in Cap Draa, Tan Tan, Morocco, May 20, 2025. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win. (U.S. Army video by Staff Sgt. Blake Essex)

Key statements from Krause:
00:52:06 “It’s important that all of our soldiers are experts in their craft so that in the event we are called, we are ready.”

01:20:16 “A crisis can happen anywhere at any time so getting used to working with the forces on the ground anywhere you go in the world is a very, very key skill. You can’t be an effective asset if you don’t know how to work with others.”

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Interview: 173rd Airborne Capt Thomas Krause discusses crisis response training with Morocco at African Lion 2025