A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery

A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery Regiment, Kentucky Army National Guard, waits in his High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) for a fire mission during the Saber Strike 18 exercise in Kazlu Ruda, Lithuania on June 10, 2018. Crews of the Kentucky Army National Guard rehearsed no-notice dry-fire drills repeatedly to ensure mastery of their weapons system. This included positioning their vehicle inside woodlines to conceal their positions, receiving information from a fire control center, then rapidly moving to an open area to simulate firing the precision rockets of the HIMARS. The crews will transition to live-fire drills in the coming weeks. Saber Strike is a multinational military training exercise currently in its eighth year. This year’s exercise, which runs from June 3-15, tests participants from 19 countries on their ability to work together and improve each unit’s ability to perform their designated missions. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sharon Matthias/22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)