FEBRUARY 23, 2026 – Snow and mud cover the ground as military transport and attack vehicles idle nearby, their metal plates coated in slush from hours of movement through rough terrain. Soldiers move between them, checking equipment, adjusting gear, and scanning the tree line where training scenarios unfold before them.
For thousands of U.S. personnel coming to Hohenfels, Germany, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to train and work with other NATO nations to develop and hone new skills in a completely immersive battlefield simulation. One U.S. Soldier joining the ranks this year is Pfc. Michael Kurtenbach, with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Field Artillery unit. He explained exactly what he and his fellow soldiers are doing in the woods of Hohenfels.
Inside the 40,000-acre U.S. base, a “Box” is determined as the playing field and sectioned off for training. When you step in, it’s like stepping into another world. Soldiers immediately become part of combat with highly advanced weaponry and supplies, getting as close as possible to acting out the real thing. Teams are given positions to overtake, areas to clear and civilians to keep safe.
A nearby town is filled with working personnel to stage as a life-like city. Representatives with the U.S. Army immerse themselves in the scenario by engaging the operational environment and working closely with the media. Companies practice maneuvering their troops through unfamiliar terrain, while Infantry forces remain engaged, postured, and ready to deter and defend within an increasingly complex security environment.
Kurtenbach said that out here, the goal is simple – but demanding. For weeks Soldiers train in the field environment under the same kind of harsh conditions they can expect to face in a real-world mission including any challenges and obstacles along the way. “Right now we are practicing dry firing on the enemy, and we’re having to take care of vehicles in winter conditions.” Around him, the environment itself becomes part of the exercise. The ground is packed with slushy snow and thick mud, forcing crews to constantly adapt how they move themselves and equipment and how they maintain their vehicles. Kurtenbach gestures to his mud caked boots and clothing from the sinking mucky pits and discusses the impact those have during the exercise.
“As you can see around me, there’s a lot of snow and mud on the ground. There’s a lot of wear and tear on the vehicles, especially the tracks, that we have to get used to and constantly maintain.” The training is designed to feel realistic and involves in-depth scenarios similar to ones found in previous military movements. “We were pretty well prepared coming out here– but we did have a pretty big casualty earlier today. We took some indirect fire from the enemy, and we all had to rush into action to try and save as many of our fellow Soldiers as we could.”
He gestures toward a nearby tree line — now quiet, but earlier it was the center of controlled chaos. “We were right here in a tree line like this when we started receiving indirect fire. Soldiers started going down as casualties. We had to jump out of our vehicles with our [medical] bags and start rendering aid as quickly as possible.”
Even the casualties are part of the training design. Observer Controllers, or OCs, monitor the battlefield and assign injuries to test how Soldiers react under pressure.
“The OCs come around and determine who was injured. They hand out injury cards to the casualties. On those cards is a picture of the injury and a description of signs. We run out, get the casualty card, and start running through [our] first aid steps.”
Exercises like Combined Resolve are built to prepare units for real missions. “Combined Resolve is us being out here ready to fight in conditions like you see all around us, especially winter conditions, so that we are prepared when the mission calls.” For now, Kurtenbach and his unit are focused on mastering their own tasks before expanding to multinational coordination. Out here, preparation happens one scenario at a time — in the mud, in the snow, and under pressure designed to test every skill they have.
Story by Spc. Melanie Tolen
318th Theater Public Affairs Support Element