On May 6th, hundreds of reservists gathered in Raadi, Tartu, where units of the 2nd Infantry Brigade participating in the Spring Storm exercise were formed.
According to Major Taavi Moor, the commander of the 27th Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, the importance of reservists cannot be underestimated, as the main strength of Estonia lies in its reserve forces. “The reservists I have spoken with are very motivated, and there are many familiar faces. I hope they enjoy the exercise,” said Major Moor.
During the formation, individual equipment and weaponry were distributed to the reservists. In addition, the units’ equipment was loaded onto military vehicles. The new individual equipment has been a significant change for the arriving reservists. “Everyone were issued new equipment. It is the first time the Engineer Battalion’s reservists will wear the new 3-in-1 plate carriers,” Major Moor explained.
After the reservists received their briefings, they moved to the field training areas and began post-formation training. The training will prepare the reserve units for the upcoming manoeuvres that will take place during the Spring Storm exercise.
Second Lieutenant Marko Saul, a reserve staff officer of the 2nd Infantry Brigade’s Engineer Battalion who works as a CFO in a civilian startup, mentioned that he has attended multiple reserve exercises and each time the quality of the exercises has improved. “For me, the planning part and staff work are particularly interesting. Some time ago, more reservists started coming to the staff component, and I think that’s great. Often, a reservist’s career would end at the level of a platoon or company commander. Now, there is an opportunity to be part of the staff unit, which is very interesting,” said Second Lieutenant Saul.
The goal of this year’s Spring Storm exercise is to practice conducting defensive operations under conventional warfare conditions in cooperation with the division and allies, involving other branches of the military and command structures. The main units involved in the training are the 2nd Infantry Brigade and the Territorial Defence Region West.
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.
