Maj. Ivo Baumgarts, communications officer for 1st
Summary
Maj. Ivo Baumgarts, communications officer for 1st Region, Zemessardzes (Latvian National Guard), discusses the signal strength of a tower atop a hill with Sgt. Melki Mourad, signal support systems specialist assigned to 1436th Engineer Company, 507 EN Battalion, 177th Military Police Brigade, Michigan National Guard, during Strong Guard 2016 (Zobens 2016) near Tukums, Latvia, Aug. 12, 2016. The 177th MP Soldiers and Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines are participating in Strong Guard, an annual Latvian-led training exercise. Strong Guard demonstrates the continued U.S. commitment to the security of their NATO Allies in the light of increased tension in Eastern Europe. The Soldiers and Marines were invited to participate in the annual training exercise being conducted by the Latvian Army. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kimberly Bratic/Released)