“We are building close bonds of friendship by cooperating for security and stability in our region,” said the Commander of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Democritos Zervakis, in a tweet marking the completion of joint training between units of the National Guard and the US Armed Forces.
The joint training took place from February 11-17, 2023, as part of the larger exercise “SILVER FALCON – 2023”, which included a small-scale special operations exercise called “SILVER FALCON SOFEX – 2023”, with the participation of personnel and equipment from the US European Command (USEUCOM) and the Special Operations Command.
According to a press release from the National Guard General Staff the overall purpose of the exercise was the joint training of personnel in responding to emergency incidents, particularly those related to crisis management and civilian evacuation operations.
The scenario of “SILVER FALCON SOFEX – 2023” included various types of individual and group combat ammunition, basic patrol operation guidelines, tactical movements of units in various scenarios, as well as personnel training in clearing fortified locations.
The National Guard Chief, Lieutenant General Zervakis, and the Director of Training and Evaluation of USEUCOM, Brigadier General Jessica Meyeraan, were present during part of the exercise. The Chief congratulated the participating units for the excellent planning and execution of the exercise, highlighting the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the areas of defence, security, and crisis management.
Lieutenant General Zervakis and Brigadier General Meyeraan also visited the Joint Rescue Coordination Center, in Larnaca and had a private meeting. They reviewed actions in 2022 as well as developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region and issues of mutual interest.
Source: Cyprus News Agency