Sky Soldiers Validate Readiness and Lethality at Saber Junction 26

HOHENFELS, Germany — The 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) tested its ability to fight, adapt, and sustain combat power during Saber Junction… HOHENFELS, Germany — The 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) 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, Aug.15 – Sep. 13, 2026. With more than 288 hours of continuous combat operations in 10 days, the Sky Soldiers validated brigade priorities and competencies 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. 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