NATO Forward Land Forces-Poland conduct alert exercise to strengthen readiness
BEMOWO PISKIE TRAINING AREA, Poland – Commanders from the U.S. Army 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment (2-37 AR) and A Battery 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery alongside the commander of the British Army’s B Squadron of the Light Dragoons, 18th Croatian contingent and the Romanian 348th Air Defense Battalion, all a part of the NATO Forward Land Forces (FLF) Battle Group-Poland, conducted an Alert Exercise (ALERTEX) Table Top Exercise Rehearsal on Oct. 5, 2026 at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland to validate the ability to deploy and respond in the event of crisis.
This event was the culminating synchronization event for the battle group’s ALERTEX preparation, as they set conditions to transfer authority to follow-on units in the coming months.In prior weeks leading up to this event, platoons and companies executed full-force rehearsals to validate their ability to respond with all personnel, equipment, and vehicles when called upon.
“An Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) or ALERTEX is one of the best ways to measure a unit’s readiness to respond when called upon,” said Lt. Col. Steven Saxion, battalion commander, 2-37 AR, NATO FLF Battle Group-Poland. “It seems simple, but there is quite a lot of synchronization and rehearsals which need to take place to achieve a level of ‘fight tonight’ proficiency. Our objectives here are to validate that we can do this within our directed timelines as well as update our SOPs (standard operating procedures) to hand over to our replacements, so they are equally successful in executing a full force EDRE during their rotation.”
For this tabletop exercise, the conference room was transformed into a kind of tactical stage, with slides projected, large zoomed-in maps of separate locations were pinned on the wall, whiteboards for note-taking, the key event timeline posted for reference and cut-out icons for units and classes of supply arranged on the head table. Key personnel from the staff sections and leadership from all four countries that compose the battle group filled the chairs.
Commanders from each company-sized element briefed their unit actions through the phases of the alert exercise, moving their unit icons to visualise the actions in time and space. Alert exercises like this validate real-time execution of troop movement.
As friction points developed, Saxion and his executive officer, Maj. Sean Marquis provided clarifying direction and guidance to the team, with note takers capturing the requirements to ensure the final published products reflected the adjustments.
Phase I was the alert portion, where the battle group would be notified of the situation at hand; Phase II was mobilize, and Phase III was uncoil and disperse.
Before the tabletop exercise, each commander led their respective troops through individual alert drills. These preliminary exercises provided Saxion with essential data regarding the NATO FLF Battle Group-Poland's operational readiness and movement timelines.
Saxion said, “The preparation time is key for overall success. Each company executed at least two timed EDRE events to refine their own processes and provide essential lessons learned to their peers and the Battle Group Staff, which helped shape the overarching N-Hour sequence.”
An N-hour is a military planning term that marks the exact time when personnel must assemble and start a deployment sequence.
The companies from the multinational contingent established their battle rhythms, with each unit assigned specific responsibilities critical to the overall mission. Units were integrated into the order of march based on their specialized capabilities—ranging from British reconnaissance assets to Romanian air defense systems.
Each commander presented their unit's movement timelines, showing the battalion commander and each other that their forces would be mission-capable and prepared for rapid deployment.
Beyond the unit commanders, key staff personnel also briefed the room on their specific operational roles and intended positions.
For example, the executive officer of Golf Company—the battalion's forward support unit—moved markers on the maps to designate crucial logistics locations for fuel, food, water, and ammunition, as well as recovery assets, ensuring the force remained prepared for any scenario.
The Battle Group communications officer, Capt. Heidi Robinson, said it’s her role to “plan for the commander to be centralized in the battle space for effective command and control.”
Robinson also moved her assigned marker, representing the main command post, activation and deployment, and discussed the Battle Groups’ communication plan.
Saxion closed out the alert exercise by asking the battle group if they had any additional comments or questions to improve everyone’s understanding. A few hands were raised, and notes were taken on possible adjustments to implementing a future alert exercise.
Overall, the hard work of all companies from the four nations of the battle group ended today with confidence in the plan, and a way forward captured in the unit’s SOPs to ensure that NATO’s FLF Battle Group is prepared and ready to respond on NATO’s eastern flank when called upon.
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