[Army Times] A large contingent of U.S. paratroopers is expected to jump into Estonia tonight after a long flight from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, that includes mid-air refueling.
The jump is one of three brigade-size jumps over the next several days in which a total of 7,000 paratroopers from the United States and 10 other nations will conduct a joint forcible entry exercise at each of the landing sites in Estonia, Bulgaria and Romania.
The exercise, known as Swift Response, is part of a larger umbrella exercise called Defender Europe 2021 that runs from May through mid-June and spans countries from the Baltic region to Morocco, with U.S. Army Europe and Africa coordinating missions across the continent.
Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, 82nd Airborne Division commander, said everyone participating in the exercise has received the COVID-19 vaccination.
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