Sky Soldiers Validate Readiness, Lethality At SJ26
by U.S. Army Author
September 22, 2026 The 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) Sky Soldiers tested its ability to fight, adapt, and sustain combat power during Saber Junction 26, a biennial combat training center rotation at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Germany. With more than 288 hours of continuous combat operations in 10 days (August 15 to September 13), the Sky Soldiers validated brigade priorities, competence, and lethality in a demanding large-scale combat operations environment designed to identify strengths and expose gaps in how the formation fights. The rotation challenged the brigade across three major battle periods: joint forcible entry, defense, and offense. Saber Junction 26 began with a joint forcible entry airborne assault and heavy equipment drop, including Infantry Squad Vehicles. The operation required paratroopers to seize key terrain and rapidly build combat power before transitioning into defensive and offensive operations. 
August 26, 2026 - U.S. Army paratroopers of the 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) walk towards a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules fully rigged up to execute an airborne operation during Saber Junction 26 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. During the exercise, the U.S. Army is implementing its Continuous Transformation initiative, utilizing new technologies and systems designed to enhance warfighting readiness and the ability to respond to crisis or conflict. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Army photo by SFC Andrew Sveen.)
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Multinational interoperability was a key aspect of the rotation’s training objectives. The 173rd integrated German, Polish, and Kosovo formations into brigade operations, creating a common operational framework that tested the brigade's ability to synchronize multinational capabilities and strengthened the interoperability required to fight alongside allies and partners in Europe.
Throughout the exercise, the brigade focused on mastering warfighting skills while validating its ability to operate at echelon. During defensive operations, units secured, retained, and controlled decisive terrain while conducting reconnaissance, employing fires, integrating unmanned aircraft systems, and maintaining command and control. The brigade then transitioned to offensive operations, maneuvering to contact and conducting attacks against a capable opposing force. 
September 5, 2026 - U.S. Soldiers assigned to 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) perform suppressive fire during exercise Saber Junction 26 at Joint Multinational Readiness Center's Hohenfels Training area, Germany. 7th Army Training Command provides a unique environment in Europe to develop leaders and formations who are prepared for large-scale combat operations, improving readiness. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jordan Leroy.)
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“Saber Junction provided a very singular opportunity to validate our Brigade’s ability to dominate the contemporary battlefield at time of need,” said U.S. Army Col. Mark Bush, commander of the 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne). “The tough, realistic conditions experienced at the JMRC challenged our Paratroopers to outfight and outthink a world-class OPFOR and certify our collective ability to operate with controlled aggression and lethal precision.”
The brigade also employed technology and battlefield effects at scale. Soldiers utilized 14 different unmanned aircraft system platforms across echelons, integrating UAS into reconnaissance, situational awareness, targeting, and the employment of fires. The formation executed 160 task force fires missions and 120 mortar missions, demonstrating its ability to synchronize indirect fires with maneuver throughout sustained combat operations. 
August 31, 2026 - U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) operate radio equipment during exercise Saber Junction 26 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center Hohenfels Training Area, Germany. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Army photo by Spc. Bethany Galford.)
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Leaders incorporated digital rehearsals using existing fighting products to streamline preparation. Rather than rebuilding products for each rehearsal, units used digital tools to visualize upcoming operations, refine plans, and identify potential friction before execution. This allowed the brigade to improve shared understanding, while preserving valuable planning time in a high-tempo environment.
Saber Junction 26 ultimately tested more than the brigade's ability to execute individual tactical tasks. It required the 173rd to integrate maneuver, fires, intelligence, command and control, protection, sustainment, multinational forces, and emerging technology while operating continuously against a thinking enemy.
The lessons gained at Hohenfels will inform how the brigade trains and prepares for future operations. By testing its ability to conduct joint forcible entry, defend decisive terrain, transition to the offense, and integrate multinational formations, the 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) demonstrated the adaptability, interoperability, and lethality required of Europe's forward-deployed airborne force. ----------------------
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