Today, the 2nd Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion’s reservists who were formed on May 8th began refresher training at the Nursipalu training area, participating in the exercise Spring Storm.
“With the reservists, we shot at targets from a distance of 100 and 200 metres. I am quite surprised. They can shoot even better than some of the conscripts, and that was great to see,” said Ensign Koit Otsus, a conscript and a reserve platoon leader from the 2nd Infantry Brigade who was responsible for the shooting exercises.
The training included machine gun shooting drills led by a conscript. In addition to the Estonian reservists, there was a reservist from the United States. For the ally, shooting with the MG-3 machine gun, which is part of the Estonian armament, was a first-time experience.
“I am here as part of a Military Reserve Exchange Program. The shooting was a lot of fun, and the gun platform is very similar to ours,” said Staff Sergeant Valentino Velez from the Kentucky National Guard’s mortar company. “I came to learn about how Estonian mortar platoons operate to give them feedback based on my technical and tactical expertise. When you guys learn and I learn, we grow as allies, together.”
Spring Storm is the largest annual exercise of the Estonian Defence Forces, during which military operations planning and execution are practiced, as well as enhanced cooperation between Estonian and allied units. The exercise involves active-duty military personnel, conscripts, reservists, members of the Defence League, and participants from allied nations.
Spring Storm 2024 is part of the NATO exercise series Steadfast Defender 2024, representing a significant component of this extensive NATO exercise. Steadfast Defender 2024 is the largest NATO exercise in decades, with nearly 90,000 participants from all 32 member states participating over a six-month period from January to July 2024. The broader framework for the exercise has been set by confirmed NATO regional defence plans.
