Stoney Run exercise involves US and British soldiers.

U.S. Army and British Army Signal soldiers are building interoperability, trust and relationships through technical and tactical skills training during exercise Stoney Run in the Sennelager Training Area, Germany.

British Army Sgt. Thapa Kumar, assigned to the 250th Signal Squadron, Queen's Gurkha Signals, instructs U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeffery Lamb, assigned to Bravo Company, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 2nd Theater Signal Brigade, during a joint tactical patrol during exercise Stoney Run in the Sennelager Training Area, Germany, April 24, 2018. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Mr. William B. King, 2nd Signal Brigade)

As reported by William B King (2nd Signal Brigade), Stoney Run is an annual US-UK signal exercise between the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 2nd Theater Signal Brigade, and the 250th Signal Squadron, Queen's Gurkha Signals, designed to test and validate communications and network capabilities, and enhance interoperability and partner capacity between the two NATO allies. In addition to the technical signal interoperability objectives, this year's exercise has been expanded to include training on Soldier skills, small unit tactics and battle drills.

U.S. and British Army instructors led the soldiers through classes and practical exercises on various tactical skills, including patrolling, land navigation, entering and clearing a room, tactical combat casualty care, and react to contact drills. While Stoney Run is primarily a signal interoperability exercise, soldiers from both sides agreed that the exercise is about more than just that - it's about creating an environment of shared understanding.

Maj. David Lish, commander of the 250th Signal Squadron, said Stoney Run is about building a better understanding of the people, equipment and processes on both sides. "It's understanding the other side a little bit more, what motivates them, how they are different to us, and just strengthening that tie so that if we deploy with them somewhere, or someone that's tied to them, then we already got that relationship there and we're starting from a position of trust rather than an unknown quantity," Lish said.

During a visit to the training site April 24, Col. Jeff Worthington, commander of 2nd Theater Signal Bde, told the Soldiers, "Stoney Run is about establishing a bond of trust and building a common understanding, and I thank you all for everything you are doing to accomplish that."

Exercise Stoney Run has taken place from April 17 to May 1 in the British Army's Sennelager Training Area in northern Germany.