U.S. Army Col. Robert S. McChrystal, the commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and Czech Army Brig. Gen. Jan Stepánek, the Deputy Commander of NATO Multinational Division North East (MND-NE), discuss the upcoming exercise after posing in a group photo at the Hand-Over-Take-Over (HOTO) ceremony at Saber Strike 24 in Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, April 14, 2024. During Saber Strike 24, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment will work closely with militaries from around Europe to strengthen interoperability and enhance bonds between nations. DEFENDER is the Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness, and is a U.S. European Command scheduled, U.S. Army Europe and Africa conducted exercise that consists of Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response. DEFENDER 24 is linked to NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercise, and DoD’s Large Scale Global Exercise, taking place from 28 March to 31 May. DEFENDER 24 is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe and includes more than 17,000 U.S. and 23,000 multinational service members from more than 20 Allied and partner nations, including Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gianna Elle Sulger)