U.S. Central Command | Bright Star begins in Egypt

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Bright Star begins in Egypt

By U.S. Army Central Public Affairs

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A U.S. Marine takes up a firing position in front of an amphibious assault vehicle to provide security during a training exercise in support of Exercise Bright Star 09/10, Oct. 12.

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Oct. 12, 2009) — Military units from around the world formed a common front in a multi-national military exercise held near the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, Monday.

Exercise Bright Star first took place nearly 30 years ago as a friendly training exercise to better relations between Egypt, and the United States, and has matured into an 11 nation combined exercise, a major joining together of traditional military tactics with modern military technology.

“Bright Star has always been about partnership, it started back in 1981. As a matter of fact, I was a part of Bright Star back in ’81, the very first one, which really started out as a biennial exercise between the U.S. and Egypt,” said Maj. Gen. Peter M. Vangjel, Deputy Commanding General of Third Army/US Army Central. “But it has grown substantially since then, and we have almost a dozen coalition partners that are here participating in one way, shape, form or fashion. Whether or not they come from the sea, jumping from airplanes, or soldiers on the ground- it’s all about partnership.”

Yesterday’s Bright Star excercise included a strategic airborne jump of more than 300 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division partnering with Egyptian, German, Kuwaiit, and Pakistani paratroopers, while more than 1,000 Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit hit Al Amein Beach by amphibious landing with their Bright Star counterparts.

More non-traditional training is scheduled in the coming days and will include a combined computer aided command post exercise introducing partnering soldiers to each others’ equipment and updated tactics thereby developing a better coalition contingency environment.

Exercises like Bright Star are essential to international team building and will positively affect world and regional military response, leaders said.