The Pentagon confirmed this week that the Florida National Guard is taking a leading role in training Ukrainians at an American base in Germany. The Florida National Guard unit, which was pulled out of Ukraine just before war started, is following a “train-the-trainer” approach, enabling Ukrainians to take the lead in training rotational brigades. The Pentagon stressed there is no training on the ground in Ukraine by Americans.
The ability to complete this training effectively could determine how the fighting in the east will go, according to military analysts.
“The recent reunion of these Florida National Guard members with their Ukrainian colleagues, we are told, was an emotional meeting, given the strong bonds that were formed as they were living and working together before temporarily parting ways in February,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.
The Florida National Guard’s 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as Task Force Gator, is led by Col. Blake Glass and Command Sgt. Maj. Jasen Pask. They have been advising and mentoring Ukrainian forces as part of Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine (JMTG-U).
The current training is on key systems being used to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion. The bulk of the training on the new systems Ukraine is getting will be performed by the Florida Guardsmen. They can, of course, call on Army units in Germany to assist if they need it, the press secretary said. These systems are necessary to counter Russia’s new push into the Donbas region of Ukraine.
When the Pentagon confirmed the military training news at a press conference this week, it was another sign of Germany’s support, as they allowed the U.S. to make it public. Of course, based on Vladimir Putin’s recent rhetoric, this could possibly lead to escalation between Russia and NATO, with the Florida National Guard directly in the mix. Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand also said Canadian service members were training Ukrainians on the M-777 howitzer in Europe.
This training effort is in direct support of recent U.S. security assistance packages “designed to help Ukraine win their battles today and build strength for tomorrow,” Kirby said. The training effort has been key to Ukraine’s stout defense of its capital city of Kyiv and the fight they are putting up in Donbas. The training helped transform Ukraine from a Soviet-style military to a more agile and deadly force.
