Reservists from the Engineer Battalion (1st Infantry Brigade) and the Air Defense Battery (Estonian Division), called up for snap exercise Okas 24-2 that began this Tuesday morning, are preparing to move to the exercise area to fulfill their tasks during Exercise Pikne.
“The brigade is currently mobilizing the engineer company. We have made preparations and they’re are continuing the process to begin moving into the area at dusk. The forward command post will move out first, followed by the NATO battlegroup. The engineer company, along with the air defense unit, will arrive in the area by morning,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tarmo Kundla, commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade. “Exercise Pikne gives us a good opportunity to test some elements of the plans we have been developing over recent months,” Lieutenant Colonel Kundla added.
“We are preparing the battlefield so that other units can successfully conduct defensive battles there,” said Lieutenant Colonel Priit Heinloo, commander of the Engineer Battalion, noting that engineers are performing their usual operational tasks during the exercise. “We are creating fortifications and obstacles in the combat area of the Regional Command North-East (Estonian Defence League). One of the keywords of this year’s exercise is flexibility, meaning that once their initial task is completed, reservists will be released home on high alert, ready to return immediately when ordered,” Lieutenant Colonel Heinloo explained.
Private Martin Tammisto, a reservist with the Engineer Battalion, also participated in the battalion’s last snap exercise three years ago, during which the unit was called up to bolster the national border. “This time it was much easier to report—I had time to prepare, and I knew what to expect. Both my employer and my partner understood that when the country calls, a defender of the nation must respond. It’s not about preference; it’s an honor and duty to one’s country, unit, and loved ones. Of course, it’s also great to see old comrades,” Tammisto said.
Junior Sergeant Toomas Erapart, a reservist with the Division’s Air Defense Battery, was driving on the Tallinn-Narva highway when he recieved the notification to report for duty. “I made the necessary arrangements last night, and although some things had to be postponed or canceled, I’m happy that we’ve all come together again. Our unit is excellent—our leadership and fellow soldiers are highly motivated and ready to contribute. I’m looking forward to plenty of action and interesting challenges,” Erapart said.
Due to the deployment of units to the exercise area, convoys of wheeled and tracked vehicles will be moving along the Tallinn-Narva highway between Tapa and Viivikonna, and the route Tapa–Vinni–Pajusti–Kiviõli–Sompa–Jõhvi–Viivikonna from 5 p.m. today until Wednesday morning. Drivers are advised to consider longer travel times when planning their routes, and to remain alert on the road.
The purpose of the snap exercise Okas 24-2 is to test combat readiness by assessing the functioning of the national defense command chain, from the government’s decision-making to the assembly of rapid response reservists. Additionally, reservists, conscripts, and active-duty personnel from the Engineer Battalion (1st Infantry Brigade) and the Short-Range Air Defense Battery (Estonian Division) will practice achieving combat readiness in accordance with their unit’s combat readiness plan, and fulfil their primary combat tasks during Exercise Pikne.
Exercise Pikne is part of NATO Vigilance Activity Brilliant Eagle, that focuses on the capability of rapid deployment of troops and interoperability of units in the Baltic Sea region.
